Niels Peeraer

door Fleur Pierets | jun 25, 2012 | Fashion

Niels Peeraer

Text JF. Pierets Photos Dirk Alexander

“I’m confused, I’m sitting here on the sofa, the heart my boyfriend drew on the mirror is still there, my heart in a rice cooker. I think I’ll marry him again at lunch. My cat is sleeping but it’s already been 4 days. Well, I have to go to the supermarket anyway. Guess technology isn’t ready for pancake teleportation”.

This is the diary entry from the main character of Niels Peeraer’s collection. The darling child of the Antwerp Academy’s graduating class of 2011 presents his graduate work Guess technology isn’t ready for pancake teleportation, consisting of couture-like tweed silhouettes, handmade leather armors, accessories, clothes and Japanese wooden sandals. All in candy-colored pastels. His concept revolved around the idea of a young boy who has an imaginary boyfriend and prepares to marry him every day. He plays video games all day long and goes to the supermarket in his pyjamas. He wears the armour that his video games-heroes are clad in, combines this with his grandmothers couture jackets (they’re actually too small but he’s very attached to them) and eats nothing but cupcakes and donuts.

Peeraer’s collection blends sophisticated Chanel-esque and a super-cute look with an ease that makes you curious about what’s going to happen next. Although the pictures show girlish boys wearing soft pink clothes, and cupcakes and teddy bears are placed just right, Niels is the only one who will never mention the words “unisex” or “androgynies” because he wants to achieve the exact opposite. “I want to create beautiful pieces that stand on their own for whomever feels related or touched by them”, he says.

Born in a tiny village in Belgium, Niels later moved to Paris: “Intentionally I wanted to move to Tokyo but plans changed as I found love in Paris. I just love the possibilities here: good Asian restaurants, cosmopolitan people. It’s very vibrant. And of course, residing in such a romantic city with the one you love is the most wonderful thing ever.” Part from moving out of love, Niels also thinks that some countries aren’t ready to appreciate his work or who he is. At least not yet. “I never really intend to shock people but I really want to wear the feel of the moment. When I wake up and feel like putting on a tutu, so be it. In Paris I don’t stand out as much as in Belgium so that’s a good start, but I love Tokyo, they think I’m super cute.” Influenced and inspired by Geisha’s and Japanese boys, Niels has always been thrilled by Asia, mainly Japan. In interviews he sometimes says he was a Japanese Geisha in his previous life.

For him that’s the closest description he can give for how this affection feels. Although not influenced by idols – “I think it limits you a lot” – he’s inspired by people in his everyday life and if he would really have to call someone an idol, it would be Terence Koh, a Canadian Chinese artist. One of his philosophies is “I will marry marry marry again, till marriage out of love becomes as common as drinking water”.

‘When I wake up and feel like putting on a tutu, so be it.’

His 3rd year Bachelor collection “Kizokusyakai no Dorei, geisha n°58-65” was granted the “Innovation Award” by Anne Chapelle (the leading woman behind Ann Deumeulemeester and Haider Ackerman) and was selected as a finalist for ITS#9 (International Talent Support, IT). His Master collection Guess technology isn’t ready for pancake teleportation won 5 awards which included a limited edition handbag collaboration with Delvaux. He had a personal gallery exhibition at MOMU (fashion museum, Antwerp), FFI movex Award for the leather usage and Ra Award (included showroom in Paris SS 2012). Did I mention Niels just reached his twenties? What does – let’s call it awardness – do to someone who only just graduated? “I’m very thankful for the appreciation of course, but if I learned one thing from my parents it’s to be humble. I don’t think too highly of myself. To get the highest grades of your class and to win all these awards frankly doesn’t mean that much when you compare it to this huge fashion scene. I’m going to make more than one collection per year but I don’t want to go crazy in following the madness of making four in the same amount of time. I think the fashion industry became too fast – the quality can’t keep up with it. So I want to try to get rid of that pressure and design beautiful pieces that are slightly more expensive. I would like people to buy just one beautiful piece instead of ten pieces of junk at H&M, having to throw them away after a year.”

At the moment Niels is starting a label for leather accessories in Paris. “Becoming a designer was always one of my dreams and all I can hope for is to actually make money by creating the collections I love so much. And maybe one day my designs will be sold in Asia. Wouldn’t that be amazing..”

www.nielspeeraer.com

This article is featured in Et Alors? Magazine 2.

Read the complete issue here.

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Clare Whittingham

door Fleur Pierets | jun 25, 2012 | Fashion

Clare Whittingham

Text JF. Pierets Photos Clare Whittingham

Some describe her work as being “darkly comic, satirical and empowering” but since she commissioned a piece for Lady Gaga, her work has become metalwork must-haves. In between art and fashion, she transforms scrap metal into wearable sculptures influenced by anything dark, weird and controversial.

How would you describe what you do?
A part of me wants to say I have no idea what I’m doing. Keeping busy, testing, proving and bettering myself comes to mind when I really think about it. I want to create lasting pieces of art that capture peoples’ attention, something to be remembered for after I’m gone, especially by family & friends. In terms of work I think one word comes to mind on how I want to vision my creations and that’s “bad-ass”. I don’t want things to look cute. That’s why my sculptures, art and fashion pieces reflect what I feel.

When did you start doing this?
I didn’t plan or train to be an artist of any medium. I was working as a welder. Welders minds wander while they’re stuck in a helmet of darkness, staring at a little green glow for 8 hours a day, creating nuts and bolts. Robots are a little novelty among that trade and in general the many welders I’ve known are very creative people. My boredom led me to the scrap bin and I started collecting and making sculptures out of multiple bits of scrap off cuts in my break times. First I made things like flowers and butterflies; I was somewhat conformed by the idea that you had to go with what’ s socially accepted. In 2009 I went to an exhibition in London called Mutate Britain – Behind The Shutters – where I discovered the Mastoid Waste Company. Metal madness. Everything and more of what was lurking in my own imagination came to life. Suddenly I didn’t feel so odd anymore and from that point on I decided to create whatever the hell I wanted, however mad it sounded or looked. When he grew up, my brother read 2000AD Magazine as though it were the bible and I was fascinated by it too. It always frustrated me that I couldn’t illustrate like that. Those costumes, settings and the utter mayhem that comes to life in your imagination is amazing, so I thought I’d try fashioning my own costumes. I’m talking about 3 years ago now and it’s been an exciting time of learning, meeting people who share the vision of just creating, and not conforming.

How do people react to your collections?
Ha! Well, it’s mixed, which I think is good. The amount of times I’ve been told I’m mad or there is something wrong with me is so frightening that sometimes I start to wonder myself. Being asked for an interview like this makes me think I must be doing something right in the creative process of making a collection of industrial wearable garments.

Can we call it wearable art?
I’d like to believe so. When the pieces aren’t being worn they’re sculptures, erected at the studio. The metal shoes for example have either been worn on shoots or were exhibited at galleries.

‘I wish we still lived in an age where masked balls were regular celebrations so an over-the-top metal mask wouldn’t be looked at as a mere fetish indulgence.’

Do you have the ambition to be part of the fashion industry?
The last 2 years I’ve worked so hard on the fashion pieces that I can’t say it is not my ambition to be a part of it, or that I am not already. One of my last commissions was for Vidal Sassoon and I’ve collaborated with designer Rachel Freire for her ss/12 at the London Fashion Week in the past year. I don’t have the ambition to become a designer who makes collections and is sold in fashion houses or to be a massive brand. I did start to make smaller items that can be purchased online but I’ve shied away from making seasonal collections. I have an ever expanding collection called Girls Metal Shop tips 101- How to wear scrap metal. I’m sticking to collaborating with other designers and their collections.

Where do you get your inspiration?
Renaissance, mythology, World War 2, 1930’s, ‘40s; comic books like 200AD, post apocalyptic worlds. Films like Mad Max, Blade Runner, Total Recall, Star Wars, Flash Gordon (however cheesy that film is, the costumes are brilliant!). Danilo Donati inspired me a lot through that film. In general I’m more inspired by costume designers than fashion designers, that’s for sure.

Do you feel like you’re part of a movement?
No, but there should be a movement called “kicking ass while taking names”! I’m sure that if you rounded up all the people who are classing themselves as “individual”, there would be a huge movement.

You live in Kent, how does that small town influence your work?
It is quiet and not a place where you’d go shopping. It has a lot of history and there are still WWII bunkers off the docks which inspired me to explore them thoroughly while growing up. It has a ship wreck, the SS Richard Montgomery, about 2.5 km from town. It still holds 3,173 tons of munitions, containing approximately 1,400 tons of TNT high explosives. The doom and gloom of living on an island that could potentially blow up, is a clear influence on my apocalyptic manic nature. My new favourite place right now is London. Hackney Wicks is a creative hub and I spend a lot of time there. Nevertheless it’s always nice to come home and get away from the scene. I could imagine living in London but with today’s economical climate it’s not justifiable to move there. Let’s not forget that I’ve got a nice little set up here in Kent.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
I’m not sure. I wanted to become a welder and became one at 16, then I wanted to be an artist and a designer. Now, at 27, I would like to get involved in film. Working in films has always been a big ambition of mine. I’d love to be a part of the art department. Working on props, costumes, set design and effects.But my first aim is to quit my job in the factory and solely do my own thing. That would be great.

www.clarewhitt.tumblr.com