Dutch designer Enzo Keuning, working between London and Amsterdam while studying for his MA at Central Saint Martins, has been unveiling his pre-collection 〈Take Me, Nature, I'm Your Bride〉 one look at a time since July. The collection is made from real fresh flowers. At its heart is a translucent top where preserved flowers are set whole inside silicone. Yellow petals dot the bodice, flowers fill even the shoulder pads, and the hem unravels into fringe. A matching skirt with purple and yellow flowers against a blue base completes the set.
He describes the work as an exploration of how the systems of order found in nature, engineering, and cultural traditions can be transformed into new forms. So traditional Dutch dress runs alongside the flowers. The silicone top comes from the kraplap, the chest panel of Dutch folk costume, and the metal headpieces worn by the models remake the oorijzer once worn around Dutch women's heads, rebuilt from discarded band saw blades with a metalsmith. Tradition and nature meet inside industrial materials.
A dress assembled by hand from hundreds of interlocked leather pieces with no sewing at all is also part of the collection. Translucent leather trousers and a waxed cotton jacket carrying flowers in his original machine embroidery follow. For each look he posts the finished piece alongside process shots. The traces of pressing flowers and pouring silicone by hand are left visible.
This collection is the result of months of research and experimentation. The key was a preservation technique to keep fresh flowers from wilting, then sealing them completely in silicone. As the title suggests, the work carries a duality: wearing nature as it is, while preserving it forever. Would you wear these clothes, or hang them on a wall?
He describes the work as an exploration of how the systems of order found in nature, engineering, and cultural traditions can be transformed into new forms. So traditional Dutch dress runs alongside the flowers. The silicone top comes from the kraplap, the chest panel of Dutch folk costume, and the metal headpieces worn by the models remake the oorijzer once worn around Dutch women's heads, rebuilt from discarded band saw blades with a metalsmith. Tradition and nature meet inside industrial materials.
A dress assembled by hand from hundreds of interlocked leather pieces with no sewing at all is also part of the collection. Translucent leather trousers and a waxed cotton jacket carrying flowers in his original machine embroidery follow. For each look he posts the finished piece alongside process shots. The traces of pressing flowers and pouring silicone by hand are left visible.
This collection is the result of months of research and experimentation. The key was a preservation technique to keep fresh flowers from wilting, then sealing them completely in silicone. As the title suggests, the work carries a duality: wearing nature as it is, while preserving it forever. Would you wear these clothes, or hang them on a wall?
FAQ
What materials are used in Enzo Koening's 〈Take Me, Nature, I'm Your Bride〉 collection?
Real fresh flowers are preserved and set entirely in silicone. Yellow petals and purple blooms are embedded in translucent silicone tops and skirts, with flowers filling even the shoulder pads.
Which school is Enzo Koening studying at?
He's pursuing his MA at Central Saint Martins in London. Originally from the Netherlands, he splits his time between London and Amsterdam.
How does this collection incorporate Dutch traditional costume elements?
The silicone tops draw from the 'kraplap,' a chest ornament in Dutch traditional dress. The metal headpiece reinterprets the 'oorijzer' Dutch women once wore, crafted from discarded bandsaw blades in collaboration with a metalworker.
