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December 22nd, 2009
An Interview with Kris Van Assche
As we have spent the last weeks exploring A#7, it is very exciting to present the reflections of Kris Van Assche himself on creating an ‘A’. I asked Kris the following 10 questions this December, with over a year since his issue was released. His responses are intimate and thoughtful while remaining direct and informative – the words of a man with a clarity of vision and confidence in his work. Read below as Kris discusses the trials and triumphs of this project:
Dan Thawley: Your invitation to curate A#7 came at a crucial point in your life – as you began working with Dior in early 2008. Was it a hard decision to make A Magazine at this important time?
Kris Van Assche: Not really… It was a time when I was totally focused (more than ever) on ‘who am I’, ‘where do I want to go?’, ‘what are the differences between my own brand and Dior Homme?’, etc… It was actually quite healthy to put this reflection ‘on paper’ as you asked me to do.
DT: What are your strongest memories of making A Magazine?
KVA: “Each collaboration felt like a victory. With Dior, I felt like the whole world was pointing bazookas at me, so the fact to have people like Sarah Moon, Nan Goldin, Jeff Burton etc. accept to be part of this project was huge. There was the discovery of the new work of Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison … I knew their older work and contacted them to ask if I could print some… So they ended up showing me all this new stuff which was great! But of course, going to a laundrette in LA with three male pornstars and Jeff Burton all excited, that’s hard to beat.”
DT: Is there anyone outside of your own creative circles who you were very excited to ask for their ideas, images and thoughts for A Magazine?
KVA: “My close friend and gallery owner Barbara Polla was great help… But I have to say this project was a very personal one.”
DT: As a designer, did you find curating your own magazine difficult? The idea that everything inside becomes a reflection of your aesthetic, whether a true reflection or not?
KVA: “In the beginning, all these blank pages felt like a mountain of work, which it was, but in the end I had a hard time fitting everything in. I had a maquette of the lay out in my office in front of my desk, so for 2, 3 months I was constantly rethinking the whole thing… To be honest, I liked the exercise so much that I decided to launch my own magazine : “LONDERZEEL”, with my friend Barbara Polla, only 16 pages and on irregular basis, but a great platform to continue the reflection on identity and inspiring collaborations.”
DT: Each issue of A is a unique project, yet all together they carry a visual identity and a story. When you began, did you feel any relationships with the other magazines? Do you maybe have a favourite?
KVA: “I liked very much the magazines of Haider Ackermann and Veronique Branquinho because of their strong, very personal view.”
DT: Your own photography features quite predominantly in A Magazine. Seeing a designer’s world captured through their own lens is very exciting. What does photography mean to you? Is it a creative release?
KVA: “It is a tool, something that helps me to do my job as a fashion designer. I enjoy it because, as for fashion, it is all about proportion. It is also a way of capturing moments of reality, my main source for inspiration, and embellish them.”
DT: Do you feel the history of Christian Dior in the magazine also, or purely your own vision for the label of Dior Homme?
KVA: “Christian Dior never did anything related to menswear. Basically, his main goal was to embellish the female body. It appears a very basic thought, but I relate to it.”
DT: Working with editors Luc Franken and Kaat Debo, did you find that they translated your own vision into the format of A Magazine, or did they make you search beyond your original ideas for the project?
KVA: “There is the reputation of the A Magazine on one side, and the working process on the other : both push you to go beyond. Initial ideas kept on evolving. I took it even more serious because A is the type of magazine that people collect.”
DT: Looking back, what part of A Magazine are you most proud of? Is there something you wish you had done differently?
KVA: “I am proud of the fact that all people involved are ‘des coups de coeur’ : no name dropping, just true mutual respect and admiration. Of course, once it was finished, I was ready for the next one, because of course one can always do better. It felt exactly the same as after a show.”
DT: Finally, who would you like to see make their own vision of A Magazine in the future?
KVA: “Ann Demeulemeester.”
With thanks to Kris Van Assche and Cyril Caron.
