Fresh Talent from Arnhem: Jef Montes

Please introduce yourself to our readers. (Who are you, where do you come from and what is your field of specialization?)

My name is Jef Montes and I am young rising woman’s-designer in the Netherlands. I graduated in 2012 for my Fashion Design Bachelor at ArtEZ Institute of Arts in Arnhem.

I have a very clear vision on shape, color and detail. My specialization is to experiment with different techniques of material and hand-craftsmanship. My way of working is very intuitive but very structural.

I have a very close relationship with my mannequin. Experimenting with shapes on my mannequin comes very natural to me. I love to explore things that come on-logical to my mind. My development is to keep exploring and expanding my own signature.

What inspires you in general?

Art/history, traveling, music, magazines, antique markets, exhibitions etc

Where are you based?

My Atelier is based in Arnhem/The Netherlands.

What is it like to be a young designer in your city/country?

I was born in Arnhem so I know the city very well. Growing up in Arnhem my goal was to study at ArtEZ Institute of Arts. After one year of graduating I am still expanding my graduating collection. I feel there is more to tell and more to explore.

What place/city do you find inspiring?

Tarragona is my favorite city. As a child my Spanish family and I used to visit my great-grandmother in Spain.

The environment always triggered my fantasy a lot.

What is the concept behind your latest collection/creation? 

My collection Encarnación is a sequel on my Dolores collection. Dolores was an ode to my great-grandmother.

Dolor in Spanish means pain. It stands for grieving, death and a purely catholic feeling.

Encarnación triggers my inner child exploring the sea in Tarragona.

My signature color is Lavender Blue and this equals the deep feel of the sea. As a starting-point for shape I inspired myself exploring fish in the sea. The moon-fishtail is a key shape in my collection.

Next to the fishtail shapes I combined the prayer silhouette from the Dolores collection. These two shapes

clash like a wave with a special folding technique.

Collecting crying Madonna figurines inspired me to combine dry and shining textures.

It's a combination of a silk satin duchess and woven glass-fiber. This material equals the wet feel of the crying Madonna.

For detail I designed futuristic interpretations of embroidered buttons in combination with smock-work and different techniques of framework.

To complete my full image I created bodysuits and embroidered berets worn as halo's. The icon’s I show are a vision called ‘’transparent pure girls’’

Describe your collection/creation in three words

Pure, Avant-Gardistic and Light

Did you always wanted to work in the field of fashion?

There was always a thought on wanting to become a designer. As a teenager I used to draw my own label or my own boutique selling my creations. I like to think about dreams coming true!

Who is your favorite fashion designer?

Jean Paul Gaultier always inspired me a lot. As a teenager I got influenced by Jean Paul Gaultier’s style experimenting with all kinds of cloths. I used to go to Amsterdam collecting a lot of vintage and mixing styles like JPG does.

What is so far your greatest experience in your 'fashion' career?

I think my greatest experience in fashion was exploring my own talent at ArtEZ. During the study I always tried to be a Jean Paul Gaultier like designer. After my internship at Klavers van Engelen I had a talk with Niels Klavers and he felt like I was really looking for my own identity as a individual designer. During my graduation I explored my pure talent and my own style. Ever since I felt like I was on a good road to grow as a designer. ''follow your heart''

What is on your music list while you are making your collection/creation?

Aphex Twin

What made you smile today?

Playing with my little Maltese dog Luna

What is the latest thing you bought for yourself? 

Prototype Original Glasses by Yves Saint Laurent made in the 70’s

What can we expect from you in the future? 

I would love to grow with my own label and maybe even show in Paris in the future. I already exhibited in the Louvre so that was a great first experience.

Next to growing with my own label I would like to work or get an internship at Jean Paul Gaultier Paris.

Not because he fits my personal style as an individual designer but to learn a lot from the techniques and I would like to know how it feels like to work in the world of Jean Paul Gaultier.

He used to make me feel reallxy happy with his fashion shows when I was younger.

I believe that I can find that inner child happiness by gaining experience at JPG Paris.