[Un]Discovers: Leonneke Derksen

It's the 2nd week of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp 2011 master graduates series and today Leonneke Derksen is the feature of this week! Leonneke has a very interesting collection as she is very concentrated on the back part of some pieces. Now, let's get to know this emerging designer by reading my interview with her!

Courtesy of Madame Peripetie

Hi Leonneke, I am happy to feature you on the site this week as you are the 2nd 2011 master graduate for my Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp series. Let's start with some easy questions: what was the reason why you wanted to study fashion design? Was this the career path you wanted to pursue when you were small?
I didn't know I wanted to do fashion, I just knew I wanted to do something creative when I was small. When I was about 7 or 8 years old, my teacher in primary school said I was going to be a writer, because I was always writing stories and making drawings that would go together with the story line. Turned out that it wasn't true at all ;). When I was about 15 years old I saw a documentry about photographer David Lachapelle and I was hooked on fashion and the whole atmosphere of the industry.

From writer to fashion designer, I still consider this is possible because both careers require a lot of creativity genes. So, what is the aesthetic of you brand? Is there a particular signature element in your brand that sets you apart from other designers? 
I always try to make something new. For me it's no use to make stuff that has been made before because I think that is a waste of time! I think that might be the reason I always work in a very conceptual way, which I believe a collection has to tell a story. I hope that the stories I tell with my collections are unique and inspired other people.

Courtesy of Madame Peripetie

You are truly an artist because these people never like to create duplicated stuff. Now I do want to know, which designers do you like the most in the recent 5 years? Is there a particular collection from him/her that strikes you the most?
Viktor and Rolf fall 2010 women
Maison Martin Margiela spring 2009 women
Alexander McQueen everything :)
Givenchy spring 2011 couture women

I love everything that innovates the sense of cutting, performance, show, models etc etc.

Alexander McQueen will always have a very important spot in my mind as his designs are always so innovative! Let's get back to your collection, will you be able to give a brief description of your graduation collection? If you could only use 1 word to describe your collection, what would it be? Why?
Formosa, women 2011.
The change of human body proportions is the main subject in the photos of Danish photographer Asger Carlsen. This theme inspired me to create a new human bodyform, which requiered a new way of making clothes. Front parts are less important than the back parts because corsets change the body around.

Colors and forms are coming from a place called Dadipark. It used to be an abandoned fun park but because of the maintenance cost of it, now it has become a ghost town.

As for the one word, it will be formosa, because it is the title of the collection.

Courtesy of Madame Peripetie

That's a very interesting story behind your collection and now I like it even more than before! If you could dress up any celebrities in the world with your graduation collection, who would you choose? Why?
I don't know, maybe Shalom Harlow and do a cool movie with her ;)

Courtesy of Madame Peripetie

That's a good choice! Last but not least, now that you have graduated, what is your next step for your fashion career?
I'm working for a label in new york right now. After that, I'm planning to move to Paris and try to get a job there at a high end fashion house. In five years I might try to start something for myself ;)

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Now it's time for trivia and I am excited to know Leonneke on a more personal level!

Dazed & Confused or Vogue?
D & C

Coffee or Orange juice?
coffee, if i have a hangover, orange juice.

Green or Pink?
Pink!

Smarties or M&Ms?
Definitely smarties, reminds me of when i was a kid.

Camilla Skovgaard or Nicholas Kirkwood?
Neither

Courtesy of Madame Peripetie

Summer or Winter?
Winter

Morning or Night?
Night

PC or Mac?
Mac

Dog or Cat?
Cat

France or Belgium?
Belgium

Thank you so much to Leonneke for taking her time to answer my questions and I am sure you now have a better understanding of her and her amazing collection! I wish her all the best and hopefully when I travel to New York, she will still be there and I can talk to her more about her brand. All photos are courtesy of Leonneke Derksen (unless stated below the photos). Next week I will feature another amazing master graduate from Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp! Stay tuned!