Tom Van Der Borght presented new luxury collection at Hyeres Festival, France

Designer Tom Van Der Borght presented his "Time for Love" collection at the 36th edition of Hyères Festival from 15 to 17 October 2021 in the south of France.  The collection was realised in close collaboration with Le19M, Chanel’s legendary “ateliers des Metièrs d’Art” and with the support of  Premiere Vision, the Paris-based international trade fair for professionals of the garment and textile industry.

As an independent artist, with a focus on fashion, textile, graphics, video, installation and scenography, Tom was winner of the 35th festival of Hyères last year when his universe was the essence of his inspiration, described as a kind of "take it or leave it".  For this new season, Tom invites us to enter his universe of wearable pieces, with his own twist on the notion of ready-to-wear.  At first glance, the colours and bold patterns appear tribal.  Not to be missed are vibrant knits, unconventional city suits, and sports-inspired separates for the non-gender specific, trans-seasonal collection.

The new collection entitled "Time for love" carries a message that clothing becomes a living metaphor of the connection between humans while seeking to make a transition between his two collections.

Note how pearls are used, like earrings attached to the clothes, patches of peaches on the green and purple. On one hand we find his love for sportwear and on the other hand his love for delicate materials and details.

To maintain his attention to details, Tom has collaborated with Maison Lesage, Hubert Barrere, House of Paloma and Maison Michel. Tom creates an important hat collection to share a message: the oversize hats are his answer to the Covid situation, he reckons. Rather than covering the mouth, the eyes are covered. For instance, one can find the iconic double hat on the first image above, which was a first in terms of realization for Maison Michel.

 

Tom considers sustainability is a responsibility that we have to take, it is something that has to come from the inside.

Not working on seasons and gender, Tom Van Der Borght does not specify who will wear his clothes. and prefers to create lasting pieces that one will wear for a long time. He believes, his version of new luxury is the future of luxury.

Tom Van Der Borght live-streamed impactful show at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in Berlin

Stuck indoors and suffering from zoom fatigue?  

We all need some positive inspiration during these unusual times and that’s what the Belgian designer Tom Van der Borght, 42, has given us - in the form of a dramatic live-streamed show with a difference featuring colourful, fanciful hand-crafted details on tribal silhouettes at the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in Berlin.

This Autumn/Winter 2021 menswear presentation held on 18th January was entitled “Seven Ways To Be TVDB / Act 3: A Hopeful Parade” encompassing 21 ensembles including 14 new looks as well as 7 reworked looks from Tom's “7 ways to be TVDB" presentation last autumn in the 35th Hyères Festival 2020, in which he won the Première Vision Grand Jury Prize in the fashion category and the City of Hyéres Public Prize, held in October 2020 in Villa Noailles, the cultural and art center of Hyères in the French Riviera.

In the Berlin catwalk performance this month, Tom continues to develop his powerful message through colourful, impactful and creative silhouettes, combining once again High-Tech Bricolage and haute couture savoir faire.  

Staged in collaoration with French-Spanish dancer, choreographer and director Blanca Li, Tom's audience-free show took place in a former power station (also known as "Kraftwerk")

The models moved along the catwalk as if taking part in a procession. They were met by a group of performers, who took on a variety of forms - from workers with the face of the designer to muscular, fantastical-looking figures of horses. 

The climax of the show reflects Tom Van der Borght's artistic vision of an inclusive universe.

"The Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin always means the "next step" for Hyeres festival winners and I'm very excited and happy to take part. I cannot wait to share my larger collection with the audience. 

"Especially in these times, I think it's important to share an artistic vision of hope and non-conformity. For me, limitations are always the best opportunities for creativity, so I also consider the concept of a digital performance as a great chance to show fashion in a different way and context. I really love that, thanks to the livestream, everybody will be able to watch the show, and not just invited people, like it would be under regular circumstances. I believe in my progressive vision and that my message of hope and loving yourself will come across strongly", commented Tom Van der Borght.