In a Koos van den Akker garment, fabric is always the focal point. Not just a single luxury fabric, but a riotous mix of fabric patches and panels combined into a surprisingly unified whole. According to the designer, his garments always "start with the fabric. Silhouettes come later."1 Though van den Akker apprenticed at Christian Dior from 1963-1965, his work demonstrates little interest in a precise fit, one of the traditional concerns of the haute couture. Nor is van den Akker interested in the interaction between garments and the human body, declaring that "shapes are not really what I'm interested in."2 Instead, van den Akker prefers to use his garments as an arena in which to explore the visual and tactile qualities of different textiles.
Blouse
c. 1976
Koos van den Akker
85.423.1
Gift of Devra Korwin