Having graduated from the Antwerp Academy of Fine Arts this year, Belgian born, Alexandra Verschueren is only 21-years-old, but has a mature and experimental approach to design. Her collection is highly three-dimensional and takes inspiration from many forms of design including architecture, minimalism and geometric art. “I got inspired by the medium paper, after seeing the pictures and artworks of Thomas Demand, who recreates objects out of everyday life in paper, and then photographs them, and also by a Youtube video in which a couple walk into an apartment and slowly realise that everything is made out of paper. In both cases paper is a strong medium to lay bare the artificiality of normal life.” Continuing on how the collection developed, Verschueren delves deeper into the matter, “After that I started thinking how can you translate the idea of 'paper' into garments.” Looking at the Japanese Origamic Architecture by Masahiro Chatani for the shapes of her garments, and taking inspiration from what she describes as “the crude first strokes in children's drawings,” Verschueren worked tirelessly to create a collection of architecturally structured pieces. Although wearability almost escapes these garments, they are certainly art brought to the vanguard of fashion design.  Explaining her use of textiles, Verschueren comments “I used both real paper, tyvek, a kind of paper that doesn’t rip, tightly woven wool that wouldn’t unravel when being cut, and cottons with squares, rules and lines on them like in a notebook, that referred to paper.”

Fusing graphic design and fashion design, the two entities work hand in hand when in the throws of creation for the young designer. Verschueren pays a great deal of attention to the overall world surrounding her designs, creating ‘atmosphere collages’ and ‘atmosphere drawings’ in order to decide on colours and fabrics. Speaking on its importance to her design process, she comments, “It’s important, and also therapeutic in a way, that each collection is explained through images, drawings, and collages. It is really calming to draw the finalised garment, and imagine the world around it.”

Defying convention in her constructed futuristic pieces, Verschueren’s creations evoke ideals of the world of design yet to come, into actual practice. The strong silhouettes allow the garments to stand as individual imposing structures. Blanking out overbearing hues the folds and pleats expel modernistic fantasism. Appearing a mystery how they hold their form, Verschueren explains her methodology “I had to use a lot of fusing and starch to be able to create the 3-dimensional structures with the fabric. I basically treated my fabric as if it would be paper. I ended up folding, cutting, pleating the fabric manually and with the help of my beloved iron.”

Having scooped up a number of awards from the Flanders Fashion Institute Award, to the Foundation Mathilde Horlait Dapsens Award, Verschueren is certainly making a firm case for herself as one to watch. Modestly stating her career highlight so far, the young designer admits “The biggest compliment as of yet, was when Dries Van Noten congratulated me on the collection. He said “Well done.” Coming from a designer like him, someone who’s work I deeply respect, I was, and still am, completely in awe.” We’re sure that won’t be the last time something like that happens to Alexandra Verschueren.

Hannah Shakir

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