Encounter with Marieke van Geffen
Please introduce yourself. Who are you? Where do you come from? What is your field of specialisation?
I’m Marieke. I just presented my new collection SS/AW2015 at FASHIONCLASH Festival. Besides working on my collection I follow a course at the Dutch Shoe Academy in Utrecht, where I am learning the craft of making shoes, so I can fulfill a long-term wish of mine: to be able to design and fabricate a total collection from head to toe.
Where are you based?
I live and work in Utrecht. It is a beautiful old city in the heart of the Netherlands, such a nice place to both live and work!
What inspires you in general? The human body is what inspires me the most. I am always thinking about how to protect the body for what the future will bring us. It is challenging, because only time will tell us what is really going to happen to mankind. Therefore, I make my own prophecies about what the future will bring us. My collections are based on these stories.
What place or city do you find inspiring?
This is a hard one! I find inspiration in many places and people. Ideas sometimes just pop up out of the blue. But you if you want me to choose just one place, I would say Stockholm. The calmness and the atmosphere there give me a happy feeling. The old town and the beautiful nature with a lot of water give me the rest I need in order to create new work. Also, the Swedish way of living and style fits me well.
What attracts you about the FASHIONCLASH platform? For me FC is an inspiring event where I meet other designers. FC also brings me in touch with people in the business.
Your collection is named EMPYREAN. Where does the name come from?
With the EMPYREAN collection I want to protect the mankind for this climate change. It is a spring, summer, autumn and winter collection in one. The rising temperature makes the difference between the four seasons smaller, and that is why I chose to make just one collection that is wearable all year around. The ‘vacuum’ I used represents the way of the atmosphere air pressure. They also represent protection for the elements and future changes. What I really like about working with vacuum and inflatables is that you can perfectly accentuate the outline of the body, one of my main sources of inspiration.
The relationship between body and clothing in relation to weather is one of the central themes of your collection. What made you explore this complex relationship?
Describe you collection in three words. All seasons, vacuum and protection.
Can you remember the first piece you designed? Oh yes! It was a pink woolen dress with brown leather.
What is on your playlist when you are working?
A lot off random music, I love many different music styles. I enjoy Nouvelle Vague, John Mayer, MS MR, Beyonce and Goldfish.
Who are your favourite fashion designers? Avelon, Martin Margiela and Hussein Chalayan.
If your life were a song what would the title be?
Nouvelle Vague, "Dancing with Myself".
Twitter or Instagram? Instagram #mariekevangeffen
What is your definition of style? Style is the visualisation, an expression, of your personality.
What can we expect from you in the future?
The future [laughs]. You can expect a lot! New collections that are inspired by my own stories and furthermore. For those who can not wait: come watch the presentation of my SS/AW 2015 collection the 15th of June in Maastricht!
www.mariekevangeffen.com
All pictures are by Team Peter Stigter
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