Igor Dieryck

Paris-based Belgian designer Igor Dieryck clinched the Grand Prix du Jury at the 38th edition of the International Festival of Fashion, Photography, and Accessories — Hyères. Igor has carved a niche for himself by blending imperial elegance, corporate sophistication, and urban street edge in his creations. His winning collection, titled ‘Yessir,’ drew inspiration from his experience as a hotel receptionist, exploring diverse human interactions and the role of hotel staff within their establishment. Dieryck, currently a junior designer in menswear at Hermès, sat down with hube to share the conceptual aspects that fuel his designs.

hube: Your designs are layered with meaning. In Duty Calls, you investigate political games by employing royal elements and imperial silhouettes with a streetwear aesthetic. What is the role of street style (and subcultures in general) in your artistic practice?

Igor Dieryck: Streetwear is always very present in my work. It’s funny, because it’s actually never the main theme, but it always ends up being a really important part of all of my collections. For example, in Duty Calls, I worked around the way people in power dress. So, the way politicians dress, the formal attire of kings and queens, the way that power is expressed through clothing… People in power never use streetwear to do that [express power], and that’s why I decided to use streetwear elements, to try to express power with streetwear garments. Similarly to my new collection, in Duty Calls streetwear is not seen as something elegant, but I wanted to use streetwear in the same way we use uniforms to express something elegant. I think that expression is a really big part of my work.

h: Your collections reflect on concepts like political power. Could you share some insights on your approach to dealing with these subjects and how you bring them to life through your designs?

ID: People usually ask me if my work is political. I say that designing garments is political, of course. I think that putting garments on, choosing an outfit, is also political. When you select a certain type of garment, like a white shirt, it expresses something about the way you want people to perceive you. I think fashion in general is political. But my idea is more to raise questions. I like the idea of people seeing my work and questioning themselves. It’s not really about my work being like, “oh, you have to believe this,” it’s not saying this is right or this is wrong, I see it more as something in process. That’s why I don’t feel that much pressure talking about this theme, because for me it’s still something in process that I am questioning. In the YESSIR collection, when I spoke about people who are often invisible, everyone assumed I was saying, “oh, you have to put people in the spotlight,” but at the same time, a good hotel worker knows that he must be a bit invisible to be a good worker. It’s also part of the system. I like this idea of things not being black and white. My ideas are constantly evolving. That’s why I don’t feel so much pressure when it comes to talking about political stuff, because for me, everything that surrounds me is pretty political.

h: You have an academic background in mathematics and science, in what ways have these disciplines shaped your creative process? How do you perceive the connection between science and art? 

ID: As you can tell from my earlier answers, I think I’m someone who works from intuition, but who also has a very analytical side. I like the idea of having a subject and, in a very scientific way, trying to analyse it and see the different layers and levels on which I can read it. I think you can tell from the way I work and the way I present my work that I’m a very rational and analytical person. This is also evident in the clothes I make, because I know there’s a search for balance in all of my collections. Of course, there are big shapes and flashy colours, but I am always trying to balance these so that there is a feeling of harmony. My education really influenced my design process. Some of my friends create in a freer way that is very artistic, and while I love and admire it, it doesn’t really work for me. I have a very organised, rational way of creating a collection. It might sound boring, but at the same time, I know that this approach is what makes my work my own.

h: How do you work with colour? Do you take an intuitive approach, or is your selection more deliberate? 

ID: My work with colour is probably the most intuitive part of my practice. I’ve always had a very strong feeling for colours, it’s something that comes really naturally to me. I don’t overthink it. In this collection, it was really important for me that every look had a different colour so that you could see that it was talking about different people. When you look at the colours, they’re different but they all sit together in one collection. That was what really interested me, working out how to use colours that are very flashy and not in the same tone to make a harmonious and elegant collection.

h: Every art form has its constraints, and in the realm of fashion, the human body represents one of these limitations. Does the human body, with its proportions and flexibility, play a role in shaping your creativity?

ID: The body totally influences my creativity. I think it does for every designer. It would be weird if it didn’t, because garments are always placed on a body. Even if you make very sculptural, unwearable pieces, I think it’s important to keep the body in mind, even if it’s just to take distance from it. Every designer is building on the body, so they are influenced by it and interested in how to play with its proportions. The body is very challenging, and I think that’s what makes design so interesting. The body is not a material that you can mould into something, it’s something that’s already moulded. The designer has to work with this very complex figure, which also moves and which is the same but different across every person. It’s definitely part of the challenge of fashion, but it’s also what makes it interesting. You have a body, a form, to start from, and you are then trying to modify it or make it more beautiful. Every designer does something different to it. 

h: Which contemporary artists are you currently keeping an eye on?

ID: Kati Heck. She’s a German painter based in Belgium who combines hyperrealism and very surreal elements. I like the idea of making something super realistic unreal, I am interested in this border between what is real or what is not. I play with these borders in my own work. I try to work with things people know, but always with a hint of absurdity that makes you question the things you know and the position or meaning of the design. I think she does something similar in her paintings, and I think that’s very interesting, this playing around with reality.

h: In your opinion, how might future technology change the fashion industry? What are your thoughts on digital fashion?

ID: In fashion, I think a lot is going to have to change in the next 10 years, or even in the next five, because the whole system is already going so fast that it feels like it’s becoming unreal in a way. I am not a very digital person. Of course, on social media I’m pretty connected, but I would say in my own way of working I am not very digital. I think it comes from studying at the Royal Academy in Antwerp, where you’re more focused on drawing with your hands on paper. I’m still very connected to that, I think it’s really how my ideas start and it’s still something very important to me. So, to be honest, I don’t feel very connected to digital fashion, but I’m sure it will take on more importance in the coming years. It’s hard to say whether digital fashion will be the next thing—maybe it will be something, maybe it won’t be. Regardless, it will be an interesting process to watch as it evolves. But for me as a designer the focus remains on the real garment.