EXCLUSIVE: Kris Van Assche on Gearing Up for His Milan Design Week Debut

Why It Matters

Van Assche’s crossover from luxury fashion to high‑end product design broadens his brand equity and highlights a growing trend of designers diversifying across creative sectors, potentially reshaping consumer expectations at design weeks.

Key Takeaways

• First bronze sculpture debut at Milan Design Week
• Collaboration with Laffanour and Fodor Foundry
• Limited edition of eight per design
• Serax "Rosamar" draws on personal memories
• Designer commits to multi‑disciplinary projects

Pulse Analysis

Milan Design Week has become a proving ground for creators who blur the lines between fashion and product design, and Kris Van Assche’s entry underscores that shift. Known for steering Dior Homme and Berluti, Van Assche leverages his runway sensibility to craft "Nectar Vessels Bronzes," a series that treats sculpture as wearable architecture. By situating the installation within Fondazione Sozzani’s cultural venue, he taps into the week’s high‑visibility platform, inviting both design connoisseurs and fashion followers to engage with his sculptural narrative.

The "Nectar Vessels" collection showcases a meticulous development pipeline: hand‑drawn sketches, 3D‑printed prototypes, and final casting at the historic Fodor Foundry. Each bronze piece features a matte powdery lacquer exterior contrasted with a polished, pink‑gold interior that catches light like a nectary. Produced in an edition of eight per shape, the limited run creates scarcity that appeals to collectors and reinforces the series’ artistic intent as a "moment suspended in time." This technical rigor and aesthetic duality position the works at the intersection of fine art and luxury design, expanding Van Assche’s market reach beyond apparel.

Beyond sculpture, Van Assche’s partnership with Belgian brand Serax on the "Rosamar" ceramics line, plus collaborations with Fred Perry and Anta Zero, illustrate a strategic diversification. By translating personal narratives—such as childhood summers in Rosamar—into contemporary objects, he taps into the growing consumer appetite for story‑driven design. This multi‑disciplinary approach not only safeguards his relevance across fluctuating fashion cycles but also signals to peers that cross‑category ventures can generate fresh revenue streams and reinforce brand heritage in the evolving luxury ecosystem.