No Reference - Christophe Coppens

Last year, the Belgian Coppens was the first winner of the H+F Fashion Award presented to him by Han Nefkens. The award, a €20,000 cash prize, was given in order to realise a special project.
Coppens took the award as an opportunity to buy his freedom: to let go of all his usual sources of inspiration, to ignore what he and his colleague designers have created before and to forget what he is usually good at. He questioned his own work and went back to square one. Abandoning all baggage: No Reference.

The Couture Process Made Visible
Coppens already worked on his new accessories collection in his Brussels studio before taking it to Amsterdam. He finished it at Platform21, inside an installation that blended museum-style presentation and workshop, with accessories displayed as work in progress.

Visitors witnessed the last part of a process full of blood, sweat and tears. Those who are handy with needle and thread were even invited by Coppens to help on the days when he was present.

The creative process, normally kept strictly hidden from the outside world until the accessories are presented in Paris, was hereby made public. We looked over Coppens’s shoulder at the handicraft of couture – the term refers to the art of sewing – and the designer’s specialisation and concentration.

www.christophecoppens.com

www.hfcollection.org

No Reference - Christophe Coppens took place from 21 November 2008 - 18 January 2009.