Michael Van Der Ham

MICHAEL VAN DER HAM SPRING/SUMMER 2013

Born in the Netherlands, Michael van der Ham is a graduate of the MA fashion course at Central Saint Martins and has been showing his collections at London Fashion Week since 2009, and is one of the recipients of the British Fashion Council’s NEWGEN sponsorship. He currently is nominated for Emerging Ready-to-Wear at the British Fashion Awards. In June 2012, Van der Ham debuted his first Resort collection, a range of dresses, skirts and tops bringing his elegant silhouettes and unique blend of fabrics and textures to the fore. Van der Ham was approached by costume designer Suttirat Larlarb and director Danny Boyle to design 250 costumes for one of the sequences of the Olympic Opening Ceremony in July 2012.  Michael van der Ham’s Spring/Summer 2013 collection takes inspiration from Catalan artist Joan Miró’s paintings and graphics, as well as Malian photographer Malick Sidibé, famous for his bold, confident studio portraits taken in 1960s Bamako. A wide range of vintage embellishments, embroidered fabrics and other textiles are also referenced in the collection. This season, Michael van der Ham continues his signature alchemical blends of disparate fabrics and textures to create garments that are greater than the sum of their parts. Opening looks feature layered and pleated dresses made from pure silk organza and crepe marocain prints in bold brushstrokes and pencil marks. Natural fibres are contrasted with panels of a plastic-mix raffia boucle and clear plastic sequin-embroidered silk cloques.