Dear Shaded Viewers,
I had a chance to chat with the winner of the iD x ARTSTHREAD Global Design Graduate Show Print and Embroidery category, find it below.
DP: Out of curiosity do you dress to disappear?
QV: I actually never dress to disappear, because, in my opinion, the essence of fashion is then missing, namely being seen, provoking, and being heard. Camouflage is an interesting subject because you become one with the environment through prints, but if I have to see it as a fashionable translation, then being seen is more important than disappearing into the environment.
DP: What is your personal camouflage?
QV: My personal camouflage is hidden behind my work, I am continuously working on projects and development so that I am not too much in the spotlight myself. I try to blend in with the people as much as possible by also looking pretty ordinary and not stealing the show with eccentric clothing to be an icon that constantly wants the attention. I want all the attention to go to my creations and not necessarily to the person I am. That is my personal camouflage.
DP: Can you explain more deeply your statement “Becoming a Victim of Absence, to be a reliever of presence.”
QV: First of all, the title “Victims of Absence” originated from the thought that in the current situation in which we now live, we are all camouflaged, as it were, by the stay at home situation. We are all victims of the absence. And the collection itself is the contradiction against absence, it is through striking prints that are inspired by the camouflage of sea creatures the illumination of the presence.
The collection aims to stand out and be seen again by means of self-designed camouflage patterns. Hence the statement “from becoming a Victim of Absence, to be a reliever of presence”.
DP: Where do your feelings about noise and motion come from?
QV: This was because I began to study fish, not only for their shape, colour or pattern but also how camouflage affects the environment and what movement actually adds or reduces. In this case, when it comes to the essence of camouflage, movement actually creates noise because it sees you, when a fish stops, the effect of camouflage is optimal.
That’s why I found this an interesting aspect to work from that when we talk about movement, it becomes the contradictive sound of camouflage and makes you be seen. It breaks the pattern with the environment.
DP: Do you spend a lot of time in nature and have you ever encountered the Lionfish? If not personally what brought the Lionfish to your attention?
QV: Nature is an outlet for me to escape from all the hustle and bustle in the city and to clear my mind. I relax but also find my inspiration here. When I went snorkeling with a friend in the Bahamas, I saw the Lionfish for the first time and was totally blown away by the aesthetics of the animal. But, that was not necessarily the reason to use it as a source of inspiration in the beginning. It started with my research into which aspects all contribute to the destruction of the coral reef, suddenly I came across an article about the Lionfish and that’s how I got into it and came to this project. I am a designer who loves collaborations between companies from different disciplines and in the Caribbean, there were so many positive reactions from interests in my project that I was able to realize the project by actually using the fins of the Lionfish by collaborating with them.
DP: What are your plans now?
QV: Currently, I am busy applying for a job as a fashion designer in the Netherlands as well as abroad because I have no problem moving for work. Only due to the current Corona circumstances does this not yet succeed. That is why I am already working on two new projects to keep the creativity going. One capsule collection and the other project are new developments of fabric and prints for Adidas that I want to present to them in the hope of a future collaboration.
I will always be busy developing new collections, textile manipulations, and prints, that is my outlet for relaxation but also to be able to relieve me from all my ideas.
I am always positive about the future and love the surprises it has to offer.
DP: I look forward to following your career.
Later,
Diane
