About the author
Local Vogue is a series of meetings with local fashion talents. These are people who decided to take a leap of faith, live the dream and start their own label. They design, create and show us that when you really want something, nothing is impossible. Previous Local Vogues can be found here.
I love how sometimes things are not quite what they seem. On first glance, he is the guy next door who you would never mistake for a creative designer. A closer look however, for instance at his two different socks, proves the contrary. Antoine Peters is one of the leading young Dutch designers in Amsterdam but couldn’t be more down to earth. He lives in the heart of the centre with his girlfriend, and is working hard on establishing his label.
An optimist at heart
His collections are always happy and the minute I stepped foot into his home, I noticed that this is simply the way Antoine lives his live. I was welcomed with a smile and his laugh and positive attitude were so contagious that I caught myself leaving his home with a smile that was just as big as his. Antoine immediately told me about the way he works when he designs. You see, he is a one-man show and does pretty much everything himself. Indeed a perfect match for Local Vogue, so I asked him a few questions about his life, his creative house and, above all, his work.
On first glance, he is the guy next door who you would never mistake for a creative designer
My Q&A with Antoine
What’s your favourite piece of clothing or accessory?
“That would have to be my leather jacket – I’ve had it for years. It belonged to my father and we’ve had it for over 20 years. The older the jacket gets, the more beautiful it becomes. My dad even wore it when I was baptized, so it kind of has a special meaning. Besides the jacket, I always carry a backpack (Antoine did a collaboration with Eastpak) and I always wear socks that don’t match.” The last thing he bought was probably some T-shirts: “I wear a lot of my own designs so I don’t have to buy that many garments. I do like the white shirts from Hema because they’re good quality.”
My favorite piece of clothing is a jacket my father wore when I was baptized
What’s the best place in Amsterdam to go for cocktails?
“I’m more of a restaurant kind of guy, so definitely PS restaurant; the food there is so good! I like to make cocktails in my own kitchen – I’m actually getting pretty good at it. And I really like drinks with vodka. But I’m not that much of a pub tiger or a beer drinker, as strange as that may sound. I do like to dance a lot, though, so I try to go to Paradiso or Trouw or De Kring every once in a while.”
Do you have any hidden talents?
“Definitely not cooking – I’m terrible at it! Most people don’t know that about me, but it’s true. But I do have a couple of hidden talents; I play the guitar and I have a synthesizer, so I can make my own music. And before I go to bed I always read something. One day I might read a comic book and another night it could be poetry. I also write my own poetry, but I would never show it to anyone. It’s definitely going to be another 10 years before people can read that.” If he could peek inside someone’s mind for one day, it would definitely be his girlfriend’s: “We’ve been together for so many years now that I’d be very interested to see how she thinks about certain things. It’d be fun!”
Last but not least, can you tell us a secret?
“I think those hidden talents are pretty secret, and I don’t have that many anyway. A secret could be that there are a lot of amazing collaborations and projects coming up in the future. I would love to expand my work abroad, markets such as Japan and England are very interesting. In the end, I would love for my label to be an all-round lifestyle brand, so it could go all sorts of ways. Who knows what the future will bring. As long as it’s a happy and bright future, I have nothing to complain.”
I have many hidden talents that very few people know about
Take a look through the gallery to see some of the crazy and fun stuff that Antoine has in his house, including his most treasured pieces in his closets. Antoine will also be exhibiting during a crossover experience to inspire and instigate a discussion and dialogue between art, design and fashion in various locations in Amsterdam between July 1st and July 17th at SALON/2. So if you’re around, make sure to take a look!
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