“Why not wear a couture outfit with sneakers,” Ronald Van Der Kemp told FN backstage before his show. The Dutch designer collaborated on three of his looks with cult sneaker label Filling Pieces.
And it certainly got Paris Couture Week off to a running start today. There was a Velcro sandal hybrid, a space-age style with exaggerated metallic tongue and a high-top combat version as well.
Van Der Kemp is known for his sustainable approach to fashion and use of recycled or existing materials so asked Filling Pieces’ founder Guillaume Philibert to create the shoes using only offcuts from his Portuguese factory. He developed three outfits to complement them: an androgynous tuxedo, gold metallic pants made out of paper held together by piercings just like staples, and a plaid patchwork pant.
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The two brands both hail from Amsterdam and share a similar outlook. Filling Pieces appealed said Van Der Kemp because of their “high level” approach to street wear. “I thought wouldn’t it be great to have sneakers in the show but done with their leftovers,” he said.
“It also brings us both new audiences; we get a link to streetwear and they get a link to couture so it’s a win-win situation.” In the era of fast fashion, Van Der Kemp believes that couture is more relevant than ever. “You should save up for your clothes,” he says, “don’t just buy something and throw it away.
Philibert who trained as an architect, started his Filling Pieces label nine years ago to bridge the gap between high fashion and streetwear. This year saw his ready-to-wear debut in collaboration with Barneys New York plus a partnership with Tinie Tempah’s What We Wear label, showing in January over London Fashion Week Men’s.
Click through the gallery to see all of the looks at RVDK’s show.
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