Vital Shock of the Happy Accident

In Dapper Dan’s third issue, Angelo Flaccavento studies the cult of Rei Kawakubo; legendary designer Yohji Yamamoto pulls a bomb from his heart; Berlin-based artist Christopher Kline guides us through the stations of a snakebraid; Thomas Eberwein and Jerome Rigaud discuss the creative potentials of technology; photographers Charlotte Ballesteros and Hubert Marot explore the paradox of beauty; Epic artist Jannis Kounellis declares art a sacrifice; Filep Motwary discovers talent in the work of new designer Takashi Nishiyama; Walter Pfeiffer is having a nice day; Shumon Basar shares an excerpt from his novel-in-progress and Jeff Clarke talks about his polka-dot guitar.

 

Coming out late March 2011, Dapper Dan 03 will be available worldwide at selected newsstands, bookstores and fashion boutiques.

Dries Van Noten Is A Romantic

Photography by Vassilis Karidis

“Gentle” may not be the most fashionable adjective in the intense, often harsh fashion world. Dries Van Noten, though is an exception: he, and his clothes, are most definitely gentle. Cacophony is not his thing. The subtle blend of romanticism, exoticism and eccentricity that exudes from any piece of clothing with his label on it; the cozy atmosphere of his eclectic shops, conceived not as temples but as houses or bazaars; the dreamy air of his shows, which are forays into a parallel dimension of pure, multi sensory joy: all of this comes from someone who expresses himself in whispers rather than shouts. “There is so much of myself as a person in the things I create, it’s almost scary,” he says with a laugh. “Sometimes I feel like I am baring it all in front of the audience.” The serene flow of his speech is accented by a piercing Belgian “r”. When he talks, he looks straight into my eyes. This is the first time I have met the famously reserved Van Noten in person, and it is the man, not the designer, who I hope to get to know. Continue reading “Dries Van Noten Is A Romantic”