LAUNCHING JAN BEREND WILLEM DE VRIES
On Thursday, the 12th of June, Jan is launching his new brand “Jan Berend Willem de Vries”, showcasing a non-collection consisting of three different detailed garments. You can expect free drinks, music, and a screening at 21:15.
RSVP here and join Jan at Hannie Dankbaarpassage 24 to celebrate. As much as he enjoys fashion, he enjoys a party even more.
Jan’s practice is driven by a meticulous investigation into the details of garment making and a nerdy search for alternative technical approaches. He combines denim and leather into sexy garments that fall somewhere in between street style and rock and roll. He best describes this look as “Porno jeans”.
Jan is a designer whose life completely informs his work. It’s hard to separate him from the clothes that he creates, as they bleed into his personal style. His uniform almost always consists of a big pair of Tom Ford sunglasses, a worn-in perforated t-shirt, a pair of jeans slung low to his ass and stacked up around his calf, and incredibly chic leather boots.
“When I’m behind the sewing machine, I gain a focus that I don’t have in any other part of my life. I’m always chaotic in my head or I’m going out, but when I get an idea, I create a world where nothing outside of it exists.”
The pieces in this line are true haute couture, with each pair of jeans requiring over 50 hours of precise craftsmanship. These are the first jeans Jan has made that he rarely wears himself, instead, they exist on his wall like a painting or a sculpture. In this launch, the clothes don’t function as a collection, but rather as visual invitations that communicate Jan’s approach to catalyze future personal collaborations. For him, making clothes is a process of designing together with an individual consumer rather than for a general audience.
“I don’t want to make my brand a big brand, I want to avoid the Commercial. I always work from a personal perspective, so I combine my ideas with those of my clients. I never want to make proper sellable collections. I like to make things for individual people. My big dream is to work on two super detailed jackets a year.”
As a young designer, Jan isn’t particularly interested in the Fashion world. While he acknowledges the role that social media plays in creative success, he strives to distance himself from virality and the consumerism that often defines the industry. Instead, his clothes travel mouth-to-mouth through comments, conversations, and rumors.
Besides the drinking and the dancing, Jan’s brand launch is planned around the video work filmed and directed by Richie (Rijk Obertop) with sound design by Bobby (Big Bobby Bitch). The video features Eva Doorenbosch, Valentina Acevedo, and Jade Van Weel, running around the streets of Paris with a stolen suitcase. This event is a junction of many friendly collaborations.
See you on the 12th.