Kris Van Assche is a fashion designer who is originally from Belgium. His creativity runs so wild and free that he not only creates mere pieces of luxurious outfits but masterpieces that are a rare mix of vintage and modern fashion; all rolled into one.
The relatively young fashion designer studied in Antwerp at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts from 1994 to 1998 and moved to Paris soon after graduation. He was offered a job at Yves Saint Laurent as soon as he arrived in Paris as Hedi Slimane’s assistant handling the Rive Gauche Homme line. His collaboration with Slimane continued till Christian Dior’s Dior Homme Collection was launched in September 2004. The launch was an instant success but the dynamic duo didn’t work together for long since Slimane’s run at Dior came to an abrupt end. It was in beginning of 2005 that Kris came up with his first line of menswear in the Paris Fashion Week. Today, Van Assche basks in the glory of his highly successful label, KRISVANASSCHE. He remains the artistic directorfor Dior Homme since April 2007.
When Kris took over Dior, he did not change Slimane’s famous skinny jeans and thin lapel jackets but made voluminous silhouettes. Many people like to think that both the designers have a similar collection of clothes but if one looks closely, we can see that Van Assche’s come from Dior and his own line where he has experimented with various fabrics, cuts and designs from robes and tunics to wide brimmed hats.
Quite recently in June 2013, he set up his first boutique in Paris at the first arrondissement, 16th rue, Saint Roch because that’s where all the big fashion houses are. Kris Van Assche has always believed in the principle that less is more when it comes to designing menswear. His minimalist style revolves around solid colors like black, gray, chocolates browns and different shades of the blue family since these are usually the colors that would suit both skinny and beefy men. This is because he’s a firm believer of the fact that most outfits showcased on the runway are not fit to be worn on the street and so something needs to be designed for those who want to sport high street fashion without looking like a mess. He often likes to play around the idea of mixing work wear with sportswear when designing his outfits to provide functionality while maintaining that elegant look of traditional work wear. His part elegant – part sporty clothes are much appreciated by young men who follow the latest fashion trends. He has also designed footwear and eyewear for men.
Van Assche’s inspiration primarily comes from Paris when he visits design galleries on streets like Rue du Seine where everything sold is more on the expensive side but a fan of vintage fashion wouldn’t mind pinching in some extra bucks to get a hold on such unique, high end merchandise. The one place he’s fond of visiting when he’s not working is Christine Diegoni, a place that has furniture from the fifties era and modern lighting.
Kris Van Assche often visits countries with exquisite locations like Argentina and Brazil where he not only likes to relax but also casts his fashion shows.
Van Assche, a relatively young designer stands tall today knowing that he has carved his own territory in the fashion industry where one risky move can make or break a designer.