Campaigns for Dior and Prada, among others, and publications in the most prestigious fashion magazines: Willy Vanderperre’s CV reads like a who’s who of the international fashion world. He has been the companion of our compatriot Raf Simons for many years, the designer who made waves at Jil Sander, Dior and Calvin Klein and now helps design the lines at the equally prestigious Prada. Vanderperre effortlessly translates the look of Simons’ collections into images that are more than just promotional photos. They are works of art in themselves, often in collaboration with Peter Philips, internationally renowned make-up artist and longtime artistic director of Dior Make-Up. No wonder that the authoritative website Business of Fashion counts all the above men among the 500 most influential figures in the international fashion world.
But Vanderperre, who grew up in Menen, West Flanders, does more than just make fashion reports with top models: celebrities also find their way to his camera. So he pretended Love Magazine a delightful portrait of Liv Tyler; Cate Blanchett posed on behalf of Another Magazine in front of his lens. These are portraits in which the star in question demands all the attention, often against a neutral background.
A minimalist, that is how he is often described. It makes him laugh a bit. “That always comes back. I have never been the fashion photographer of the bursting laughter and the jumping girls. Especially in the beginning I made static images with a white background, in which I tried to evoke emotion. But I dare say that I am more versatile than that.”
Can we call him a photographer who captures the last days of youth and the emergence of adulthood? “I think that is a very nice compliment. I want to capture the innocence that fades and corrupts. That’s what I like about youth. Their insecurities and purity are interesting and touch me. Of course, at my age you no longer understand youth, it would be pretentious to claim that you do. That is why I try to use my photos to give an idea of what is going on in their world.”
It is somewhat surprising that the young Vanderperre, already enormously fascinated by photography, first enrolled in the fashion department of the Antwerp academy decades ago. “Fashion in the late 80s was very visual. Every rock star I was a fan of was dressed in high fashion. The Antwerp Six were just breaking through at the time… all very impressive. I was flamboyant in what I wore and thought, ‘I can do that too.’ (laughs) Moreover, I wanted to leave Menen and I could not go further than Antwerp.”
At the academy, he and fellow student Olivier Rizzo become a couple. The beginning of an incredible collaboration that continues to this day – he as photographer, Rizzo as stylist. After a year at the academy, he notices that creating mood boards suits him more than drawing patterns. And so he switches to photography. He recorded Rizzo’s academy collections, although it was only later that they took the step to collaborate structurally.
In the beginning of that collaboration, everything happens somewhat improvisationally. In his living room, Vanderperre takes photos with model Robbie Snelders, Rizzo does the styling, Peter Philips becomes a make-up artist. “There was never a big plan,” says Vanderperre. “That is also the advice I give to young people: do what you want and say what you need to say. It was big fun, sure, but we also took our work very seriously. We felt we had to share it with the world.”
Several photos are sent to international magazines. There is certainly no shortage of courage. “I called Vogue Italia and said: I am a photographer from Antwerp, I want to work for you. Bee ID and Vogue Hommes I managed that, so I gave it a try, huh? But of course that didn’t work there.
‘Maybe I should get an agent after all,’ I thought at the time.”
Vanderperre still loves working with the man with whom he shares joys and sorrows in addition to the studio. Isn’t that difficult? “It’s easy to communicate; few people I work with speak my language. But at the same time it is difficult. We have to keep challenging ourselves so that it remains interesting. Every time we think: ‘this will be the best shoot ever!’ I’m still very nervous about those first photos. Olivier must be in awe of it.”
Vanderperre therefore likes to emphasize that the exhibition he is now having in the Antwerp Fashion Museum is just as much Rizzo’s exhibition. “We have only chosen work that we have made together. It is a celebration of myself, Olivier and Raf.”
Vanderperre and Simons, the names are inextricably linked in their fascination for everything street culture and youth. The collaboration with Simons was always very spontaneous, he says. “Before we did a shoot, we always went for something to eat. Then he left us free to do our thing.”
A good example of this is the portrait he made of model Robbie Snelders, with a Mickey Mouse drawn on his face. Did he know then that it would become a classic? “Not that, but Raf, Peter and I felt that it was punishment. The childlike innocence of Mickey Mouse on a teenager is what made the image real. It was first used in the dummy van V Magazine to find customers and investors. That image has really gone around the world.” It shows how much the trio Simons, Vanderperre and Philips have shaped the fashion world.
During the three decades that Vanderperre has been active, the fashion world has changed quite a bit. Less fun, more business, it seems. Does he still like it? “Certainly, although the codes have indeed changed. The product has become more important, you get less time… but it continues to inspire me. I want to make an image that touches someone, that they look at for more than ten seconds. I still feel excitement when I work. It used to be hunger, now it’s excitement.”
WILLY VANDERPERRE prints, films, a rave and more…
In addition to the exhibition, there is also a rave and musical nocturnes
and soundscapes, and film screenings in collaboration with De Cinema, from April 27 to August 4 in MoMu, momu.be
Tags: Fashion photographer Willy Vanderperre big plan young people
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