Dutch fashion designer Allan Vos is a source of inspiration when it comes to creativity and drive. His creations are one of a kind and definitely make an impact. We asked him to write exclusively for Attire Club an article discussing his work, inspiration and vision and here’s what the menswear designer had to say:
I am Allan Vos, a menswear designer from The Hague in the Netherlands.
Allan Vos by Photographer Mgr Madhatter
I was born in 1980 and always had a passion for making thing beautiful and beautiful things. I started as a shop window designer and stylist but decided that I wanted to learn to design clothing. I went to the Royal Art Academy in The Hague were I studied fashion design.
In my graduation year I got in contact with Cirque du Soleil and that was my first job in the theater world. From there on I worked backstage on costumes for so many fantastic shows and companies such as Disney Cruise lines and Stage Entertainment. I loved it and learned a lot. I also got in contact with Dutch celebrities who I dressed up for premieres and parties in my own designs. But that was women only and so many men came to me with the question why I didn’t design something for them as they always had to wear the good old, but boring, tuxedo. That made me decide at the end of 2011 to stop with the couture for women and to say goodbye to my theater work to start something completely new; designing a collection for men.
I love to mix cultures, sexes and historical details in my designs. I love to go a bit over the top now and then as well. I have designed dresses and skirts for men, but also hand-sewn glitter shorts with thousands of beads and pailettes on them. Next to that I have great jackets in wool or jeans in white to level the collection a bit so it is not too much. It is funny; because I use feminine elements in the designs, women love to wear my outfits as well. Something I had never thought of. The best boyfriend-shirt is the one with the superbig sleeves.
I design for a sporty dandy. That is why I can combine sport shorts and swim trunks with jackets and cardigans. It is a great combination; lots of guys love to wear their sport gear outside and go to the gym and go out to events, parties or their job well dressed with a suit and shirt. I am very happy with this combination of styles in the collections. My inspiration therefor comes from sports gear, from businessmen, historical costumes, films, music, womenswear… almost everything out there inspires me.
I hope to show the fun that I have in my designs. I like to use bead work and Swarovski stones next to materials such as rough cotton and jute. Right now I am working hard to get some of the designs produced. I only made three collections yet, but I get a lot of questions where they can find my clothes. Right now everything is made by hand especially for the client, I like to change that to get it more easily into shops and that is why I am in meetings with the right producers and fabric companies right now. I hope by the end of this year the collection will be online or in shops in the Netherlands first. Very exciting. It is even more work to search all the production facts out and see how that works, instead of coming up with a new collection. I still have to find a balance in that. But I have to say I like the business part as well; hard work, meetings, deals… It can all be creative as well. And it is for a good cause; To make people wear my designs instead of only looking at the pictures from the show…
The collection will be in stores soon.
As I have only started one and a half year ago my suggestion for starting designers is; just do it! It is a bad time to sell and produce maybe but if you and your company survive now, you will stay forever!
Allan Vos
More info at www.allanvos.com
Here are some of Allan’s creations:
PHOTO © PETER STIGTER
FILENAME IS DESIGNER NAME
AFW SS13
PHOTO © PETER STIGTER
FILENAME IS DESIGNER NAME
AFW SS13
AMSTERDAM FASHION WEEK SS14
" data-orig-size="588,882" title="VOS" data-image-title="VOS" align="left" data-orig-file="http://attireclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/6.jpg" data-recalc-dims="1" data-medium-file="http://i2.wp.com/attireclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/6.jpg?fit=300%2C300" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"TEAM PETER STIGTER","camera":"","caption":"AMSTERDAM FASHION WEEK SS14","created_timestamp":"1373892084","copyright":"PHOTO \u00a9 2013 TEAM PETER STIGTER - FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY - WITH CREDITS","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"VOS"}" data-large-file="http://i2.wp.com/attireclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/6.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024" />AMSTERDAM FASHION WEEK SS14 Photograph by: Peter StigterAMSTERDAM FASHION WEEK SS14
" data-orig-size="588,882" title="VOS" data-image-title="VOS" align="left" data-orig-file="http://attireclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/11.jpg" data-recalc-dims="1" data-medium-file="http://i2.wp.com/attireclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/11.jpg?fit=300%2C300" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"TEAM PETER STIGTER","camera":"","caption":"AMSTERDAM FASHION WEEK SS14","created_timestamp":"1373892084","copyright":"PHOTO \u00a9 2013 TEAM PETER STIGTER - FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY - WITH CREDITS","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"VOS"}" data-large-file="http://i2.wp.com/attireclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/11.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024" />AMSTERDAM FASHION WEEK SS14 Photograph by: Peter StigterAMSTERDAM FASHION WEEK SS14
" data-orig-size="588,882" title="VOS" data-image-title="VOS" align="left" data-orig-file="http://attireclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/12.jpg" data-recalc-dims="1" data-medium-file="http://i0.wp.com/attireclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/12.jpg?fit=300%2C300" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"TEAM PETER STIGTER","camera":"","caption":"AMSTERDAM FASHION WEEK SS14","created_timestamp":"1373892084","copyright":"PHOTO \u00a9 2013 TEAM PETER STIGTER - FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY - WITH CREDITS","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"VOS"}" data-large-file="http://i0.wp.com/attireclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/12.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024" />AMSTERDAM FASHION WEEK SS14 Photograph by: Peter StigterIF
" data-orig-size="882,588" title="VOS" data-image-title="VOS" align="left" data-orig-file="http://attireclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/7.jpg" data-recalc-dims="1" data-medium-file="http://i1.wp.com/attireclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/7.jpg?fit=300%2C300" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"acintosh)","camera":"","caption":"IF","created_timestamp":"","copyright":"17:21:17","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"VOS"}" data-large-file="http://i1.wp.com/attireclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/7.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024" />Photograph by: Peter StigterPHOTO © TEAM PETER STIGTER
FILENAME IS DESIGNER NAME