Tony Talks Ronald Van der Kemp

The first time I met and saw Ronald van der Kemp and his beautiful haute couture clothes was in an apartment in the rue de Rivoli. I’ve been a huge fan ever since. His philosophy is simple, find it and use it, from a fabric once used for lampshades to tiny offcuts of silk, it’s all simply materials for his collections, which he fascinatingly calls “Wardrobes”. Made by hand in small workrooms in Amsterdam it truly special in every way. Since he is prepared and happy to create anything from recycled jeans suitable to jump on the back of a huge Harley bike, through to a huge ballgown, from a neat tailored jacket to a softly draped siren dress, it is indeed a wardrobe of clothes each season. Unfettered by a deep intelligence over worked trend or theme he is free to simply create great couture pieces, and if the one seen on the runway will be the only one exactly like that, then it’s even more couture. I asked that first season about a beautiful animal print silk mousseline blouse, and he smiled and replied, “well I’ve plenty more pieces of similar fabric, just in lots of different animal prints, so the next one won’t be EXACTLY the same.” One of the great things is to ask questions, carefully read the programme descriptions or really examine the pieces. This season as the models walked past some highlights for me were two beautiful draped dresses. One in a thunder grey draped over a patchwork corselet  of what appeared to be animal patterned leather, the other in a lustrous rich grass green draped over a rich fragment of golden filigree. There was a stunning fun, mini dress which was created out of tiny knitwear samples sent to him by designers friends, Aggie and Ann at Yellow Minnow. I suspect t this will truly be a one off piece, this is more than limited edition couture it’s one off couture. The huge ballroom skirt  created out of two plaid taffetas was folded, draped and tied to rustle and sway even without dancing. The contrast between linear simplicity and complex pieces is finely balanced, and the look that combined brocade and patchwork, as pink snakeskin was almost too much to take in at one look, I kept snapping in the hope that afterwards I could decode its construction and makeup. In the small salons of the Residence Neerlandais it’s good to see couture at home, close up and special. At Ronald van der Kemp it’s so many things, ethics in luxury fashion, haute couture sewing and construction skills, masterly creative solutions to creating clothes and a collection offering clients options. It’s also, as I often return to, a laboratory for tests and trials, it’s as far as we can get away from high street, and in the best possible way, a direct contrast to discrete luxury. It’s pieces to buy and treasure, clothes to add zest to everything from a pair of jeans to basic black.

With his background in New York, Paris and Milan at names such as Bill Blass, Guy Laroche and Celine, is it any wonder that after launching his own label RVDK his clients for his pieces and looks have included Kate Moss, Selena Gomez, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry, they know great couture when they see it.