MCFOOL by Malou Fool

We introduce you to the talented woman behind the label MCFOOL by Malou Fool. Please meet Malou!

Hey Malou! Please introduce yourself. 

I'm Malou Fool, I'm 23 years old and I live in Voorburg. Three years ago I graduated from the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam. Currently I'm busy with setting up my own men’s fashion label. Besides designing and making clothes I also design and produce leather bags for men.

Where are you based?

My studio is based in the Hague, next to the highway at the exit Voorburg.

What inspires you in general?

For my collections I get inspired by collected objects that give me a certain feeling. With that feeling I can make sketches for a new collection. Furthermore, I also get inspiration from people on the street. I find people who combine different kinds of clothes together.

What place or city do you find inspiring?

The city New York has a vibe and is very inspiring.

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

As a young designer in my country it is really hard to start your own label. There are chances but it is difficult. You really need connections to break through. 

You participated to the FASHIONCLASH Festival last year. How was the experience for you?

The FASHIONCLASH Festival last year was great! It was a good experience for me. I got some enthusiastic and international reactions and reviews on my collection "Before Flying Back". Also, I had the chance to sell some pieces of the collection. Equally, I found it interesting and inspiring to meet other designers from different countries. 

What attracts you about the FASHIONCLASH platform?

During the weekend a lot of fashion things happen in the city of Maastricht. It is fashion in its widest sense. Besides that, the FASHIONCLASH Festival is a unique platform for young designers to proceed in the fashion industry. 

Your collection “the Son of Man” draws inspiration from the work of René Magritte. Could you please elaborate on your collection and its themes?                                                     

The collection "the Son of Man" has been inspired by René Magritte's famous painting. As the green apple has been put in front of the man's face, we don't know how he looks. Now many years later, from the perspective of a fashion designer, I wonder how this man will look like in 2014. 

I began by looking for accessories that reflected the feeling how the painted man by René Magritte would look now in 2014. For this collection I have gathered accessories from the painting that might tell more about this man. I also tried to connect my fabrics with the colour palette of the painting. I have tried to create my own "Son of Man". I believe this is a well-dressed man with a bit of a nerdy look. 

The man on the painting wears a bowler hat, long jacket with lapel and a shirt with a tie. In my mind this man is a religious man. Because of this religious connotation, I gave him a shirt collar that priests wear in the church. This refers to the shirt with a tie on the painting. Furthermore, I have added two hat boxes in my collection to store the hats of the "Son of Man". The fifteen pairs of glasses emphasise the nerdy look of the "Son of Man". Also, with the umbrella I played a small joke, just like Magritte did with the apply in front of the face of the man. I found the umbrella on a rainy day in the bushes near the railway station. 

In short, the weather in the Netherlands like the rainy days, all my collected accessories and the colour palette of the painting by Magritte form the inspiration for my collection "The Son of Man".

Describe your collection in three words.

Classic, timeless and surprising.

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

Yes. Since the age of five, I have had a thing with soft and colourful cloth. Until the age of 10 I was always touching a soft synthetic scarf in my hand while I was sucking my thumb. Maybe that is the beginning where my sense of cloth comes from. I think I was a very creative child, always busy with painting and drawing. I followed drawing lessons and combined my secondary school period with lessons at the Royal Academy of Art (KABK) in the Hague. After my secondary school I went to the Willem de Kooning Academy to study Fashion.

Can you remember the first piece you designed?

Yes that was a blue long dress with red roses.

  

What kind of feeling do you want to transfer with your latest collection/creation?

A classic men’s collection with a modern touch.

What is on your playlist when you are working?

Nothing. I always put the radio on when I’m working.

What book shaped you?

The book: Jocks & Nerds: Men's style in the 20th century by Richard Martin.  

Who is your favourite fashion designer?

Marc Jacobs.

What is the latest thing you bought for yourself?

A pair of shoes.

If your life were a song what would the title be?

Happy by Pharrel Williams.

What made you smile today?

The sun when I wake up this morning.

What is your definition of style?

Style is a way to say more about yourself or someone else without a conversation. Style is a way of living. In my opinion style is not one word it could be everything.

What has been the greatest experience in your ‘fashion’ career so far?

Last year I won the FASHIONCLASH Shoe Design Challenge powered by Invito. The price of the challenge is quite amazing. My menswear shoe collection I had designed was taken into production by Invito. At the end of May or in the beginning of May you can buy my shoe collection at Invito shops.

What can we expect from you in the future?

In the future I want to set up my own men's fashion label "MCFOOL by Malou Fool", and I hope to be able to live on it. Furthermore, one day I hope to get the chance to show my collection at the Amsterdam Fashion Week.

For more information please Malou Fool's website: http://www.mcfool.com/

MCFOOL collection at FASHIONCLASH Festival 2013
image: Peter Stigter