Kris Van Assche

A key figure in contemporary creation, Kris Van Assche has, for over two decades, explored the intersections between fashion, design, and art through a minimalist and introspective lens. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp in 1998, he moved to Paris and began his career alongside Hedi Slimane at Yves Saint Laurent, later following him to Dior Homme, where he honed his vision of modern tailoring.

In 2005, he launched his eponymous label, KRISVANASSCHE, establishing a sharp, conceptual style influenced by urban culture and formal rigor. Two years later, he was appointed Artistic Director of Dior Homme, where he developed a distinctive silhouette combining classic tailoring with streetwear codes, redefining masculine elegance throughout the 2010s.

In 2018, he took the creative helm at Berluti, breathing new life into the storied house by blending traditional craftsmanship with a bold, contemporary aesthetic centered on color, materiality, and artisanal precision. Over the course of three years, he designed a wardrobe of expressive refinement rooted in the art of patina and architectural form.

Following his departure from Berluti in 2021, Van Assche embarked on a more personal and reflective chapter, balancing mentorship with creative exploration. This new direction finds a singular resonance in his collaboration with François Laffanour, who invited him to venture, for the first time, into the realm of collectible design.

Presented in 2025 at Laffanour | Galerie Downtown, the exhibition NECTAR VESSELS BRONZES marks a pivotal moment in his career. Conceived as a collection of sculptural objects, the series of fourteen bronze vases—developed over two years—reveals a sensitive and meditative practice, oscillating between floral fragility and elemental strength. Stepping away from garments, yet remaining true to his creative language, Kris Van Assche delivers here a contemplative body of work shaped by slowness, texture, and emotional resonance.

Through this first foray into bronze, he engages in a new dialogue with light, material, and form—echoing earlier explorations such as his 2017 reinterpretation of Isamu Noguchi’s Akari lamps for Dior Homme, or his 2019 collaboration with Berluti around Pierre Jeanneret’s furniture. These projects, like NECTAR VESSELS BRONZES, form bridges between his past practice and this sculptural evolution—where design becomes a form of silent poetry.