Thomas van der Jeught: Fashion designer based in Vienna

Please introduce yourself:

I´m Thomas van der Jeught, I´m born in Antwerp, I graduated in Fashion Design in 2008 at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Ghent. After finishing my studies, I joined the design team of the Viennese fashion label Fabrics Interseason before working for the London based

menswear brand Blaak. Drawing from these experiences I setted up my own label in 2012 in menswear design.

What inspires you in general?

Art - can be any kind of art and mostly for a part of my inspiration it can be a cetain movie or music.

Certain materials can also give me inspiration.

Where are you based?

I´m currently based in Vienna.

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

History and museum wise Vienna allows designers and artist to be inspired aswell to be surrounded by a good balance of nature and architecture.

How is the experience for you to be in Vienna?
I really enjoy my time in Vienna, the energy is very different compared to other cities and you have the possibility to work on your on fashion, art,… while in other cities the pressure of money is higher.

What place/city do you find inspiring?

There is not one place but several, mostly cities that challenge you.

I used to live in London, which was great for inspirations.

What is the concept behind your latest collection/creation?

One inspirational source for my design is the performance artist Marina Abramović. What fascinates me is that her work revolves around conceptions of emotion and modes of aggression. Another great impact on my design has the artist Serge Lutens. His work renders around perfect body-shaped figures with geometrical influence. I see my work also as an evolution, I never start with a new theme, it´s more adding and transformation from my art work and previous works.

Describe your collection/creation in three words:

Black, shape, experimental.

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

Till the age of 18 I wans´t sure but afterwards I always wanted to work in fashion.

Do you have a muse? If yes, who is it and why?

Don´t have persons as a muse, more the work especially artwork from a person gets me inspired.

Who is your favorite fashion designer?

There is more than one, mostly the ones that don´t make compromises like Rick Owens, Gareth Pugh, Comme des garcons, Madame Grès, ...

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

Getting comments on my work from designers I really like and being able to make my collections.

What made you choose to start costume design besides fashion?

I don´t see my work as costume design, it´s fashion. Costume design is more when you work for a theatre arround a certain story or concept that is set up by a team. I work alone.

What do you think is the link between fashion and drama costume?

The link is that drama costume is more anecdotical, it´s on a stage. Fashion is more in reality and you present it differently.

It´s actually about context, any garment on a stage or in a street gets a different meaning.

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

Depends which process I´m in, in the designing part it´s mostly movie music or music from, for example, aphex twin to techno. Or no music, silence.

What made you smile today?

A certain song I heard on the radio.

What is the latest thing you bought for yourself?

Shoes.

What can we expect from you in the future?

Pursuing my collections, presentations, exhibitions. Also presentations during Paris or London fashionweek.

Making of FASHIONCLASH Maastricht 2013 

Credits: 
Label: Thomas van der Jeught
Photographer: Ania Shestakova