Participated in the 38th edition of the International Festival of Fashion, Photography and Accessories in Hyeres. Igor won three fashion categories, the Grand Prix of the Jury Premiere Vision, the Le19M Metier d’art Prize, Public Prize City of Hyeres.
A well-known Festival in Hyeres had its 38th edition. It’s the International Festival of Fashion, Photography and Accessories in Hyères, located at Villa Noailles. The Festival happens once a year during October month. The finalists are chosen through an application where they’re casting creatives from various parts of the world.
One of the finalists stood out the most. Winning the 3 fashion categories, the Grand Prix of the Jury Premiere Vision, the Le19M Metier d’art prize, public prize city of Hyeres. Igor Dieryck is a Belgium-born and taught, and studied at the famous university, Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. Igor being one of the last students of Walter Van Beirendonck, who left the school in 2022 as a teacher and the artistic director.
This year the finalists from the various categories were judged by Charles de Vilmorin, who founded Charles de Vilmorin, introduced as a designer judge. Other judges include Hubert Barrere, Daphne Burki, Pierre de Maere, Babeth Djian, and Flora Fishbach. Sophie Fontanel, Antoine Gagey, Bilal Hassani, Alice Moitie, and Jenny Hytonen.
With the busy schedule, after he was announced as a winner of the three categories, Igor was able to reply as soon as he could. In a very humble manner, he talks through the experience in Hyeres and his personal occurrences.
ID: Hi, so sorry to respond so late. It’s been an extremely busy week, and I’m doing voice memo because as you can imagine it’s easier for me and it goes by a bit faster, than writing down the interview. Thank you so much for accepting this, by the way. My excuses for my voice as you can imagine the weekend was pretty hectic and it’s a bit crackling. I assume it won’t be a problem for the interview.
France-France
October
Voice Memos Recorded on Instagram
ID: Igor Dieryck
AD: Alisa Dylevy
AD: I bet you said this already a thousand times, but for those that did not hear those thousand times could you please talk about your collection?
ID: My collection is called “YESSIR” it was based on my experience as a receptionist at a hotel. While I was studying at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, I used to work as a receptionist. The hotel lobby is a really really particular atmosphere where people from totally different social backgrounds have interactions together. I wanted to have this feeling in my collection, that actually every look in my collection represents someone different. Even though the looks are extremely different it was important for me that there was a red thread connecting me, even though these people might never have interactions with each other. As the receptionist, you feel a certain energy from the people with totally different backgrounds from each other.
AD: What was your experience like at the Hyeres Festival?
ID: The experience at Hyeres was really amazing! I had the chance to meet incredible young creative people who have big ambitions. It was actually really really amazing and a big hour to be able to share the catwalk with them. I was impressed by most of the collections. Really great to share about our own experiences and I think that we’ll all grow together in the industry. It was surely a nice moment and this is for sure what I’ll remember from the festival. Maybe not the festival itself, which was really fun but mostly very stressful and busy but mostly of the time prior to the festival sharing time and moments with all of the finalists from all over the world. This was really the best experience for me.
AD: How did you find out about Hyeres?
ID: I found out about Hyeres when I was 14, I was actually watching a TV show that doesn’t exist anymore about fashion. They did a little interview in Hyeres and I was so impressed by the work I really loved the feeling and the idea of being in the South of France, talking about fashion in a very serious way but not that serious. I don’t know what to say like, the festival is very serious but we were there to enjoy and share a beer and enjoy the sun. I really love that feeling. It’s funny because I saw it 10 years ago and now experiencing the festival. The festival was exactly how I imagined it. It was actually really chill and really nice to have all of those people mostly from Paris. Who are sharing time together in an unconventional way and I really enjoyed that.
AD: What does it mean for you to win three out of five categories?
ID: Did not expect it at all. I was actually having fun with my friends just prior to the ceremony. I was not that focused. Then it happened. The first prize was a public prize even though there was no prize money it was just really nice to be recognised from a wider audience. I think every designer’s goal is to reach people. I was really happy that my collection could talk to so many people in the audience. It was an important part for me. The second prize was the Matiers prize, the Chanel Matiers. It was also a really big recognition. It was giving me the signal that I was able to use the most refined handcraft that was the Chanel Haute Couture in Paris. Making it something into my own and this was a really big prize for me in that sense, it was the perfect match between the craftsmanship and artistic vision. I was really thankful to have it. The final prize, the biggest prize, the grand prix de jury, was such an honour. Especially that we had the chance with the jury that we had to share so much, about my collection and my work. I was happy that they understood my story and my message. It felt as the festival was a big challenge for us but it also felt as a challenge for them to really get into everyone’s mind and vision. It was such a joyful moment for me to realise that the jury totally understood what I wanted to share. Hearing those kind words from Charles made that moment even more special, even more great.
AD: Does the country you’re from affect your creations/collection?
ID: Sorry, I was reading the question.
The country where I’m from totally affects my collection. I think Belgium is such an interesting but also complicated country. It has a really important culture but at the same time, it’s a country a part of every other country in Europe, through the years. Our culture is really intricate and very complex but not as strong as the French culture or the Dutch culture. It’s a big source of inspiration for me because I think of myself also as very complex sometimes. All of those that make Belgium interesting are a really big source of inspiration for me. Also, I actually work with Belguim-based companies, on my collocation. I try to push Belguim fashion as much as I can so I took my fabrics from Belguim suppliers, I worked with Belgium brands like Labels, Flakes, and Kimono for my sunglasses. It was pretty important for me to push my feelings as much as I could. Like I said, it’s a country, where a lot happens but sometimes it doesn’t go out of the country to share. It was important for me to bring all of the Belgium’s best and bring it to Hyeres, and share it with the international press.
AD: As many may know, you studied at the legendary Royal Academy of Fine Arts, how did the experience of studying there affect you?
ID: My experience at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts was actually pretty good. The school is a big name in the fashion history books, I would say. But it’s also known today to be a kind of a hard school. My own experience was actually pretty good. I was really well led by the teachers to evolve in my own way. I think what makes the Royal Academy really interesting is that in comparison to other schools, they don’t really teach you the full curriculum, starting from A to Z. They actually lead every student to choose their own path and develop what they like most. For me, it was a very reprise way of working, a very tailored and rational way of working. I think that the teachers saw that in my work and did not try to push me into doing something else, but tried to to push me to talk in my own ways. In that sense, my experience at the Royal Academy was really good because I was able to do what I liked and push it as much as I could. As I said it’s a very intense school, a lot of work. I would advise people who really have a big love and passion for fashion and really want to share their work as well as develop. I think if you want to apply to this school you surely need to feel ready and prepared for it.
AD: What textiles do you more often use in your current collection? Is there any process behind them?
ID: As my collection, was really tailored it was important to me to use a lot of very classic tailoring fabrics because I was really trying to play around with those codes and create new shapes. Using a very classic sometimes almost old-fashioned fabric, that is not really attractive for everyone. This was really interesting for me, I like the idea of a fabric that people say ‘oh my grandma or my grandpa type of garment’ but then bringing it into a shape that made it very modern and new. I think it was a really big challenge for me but it is also the way I like to use fabric. I like it when people see a fabric they recognise. For me, you have to see that my pants are pants and that my wool is wool. As a lot of designers are trying to mimic and do something else for me. It is very important the origin is recognisable in the final piece.
AD: Do you have any idea how you’ll use the 20k euros you got? No pressure
ID: As I have to do a new collection for my last year, I think the 20k will go entirely into the collection. Also, into paying my bills. I just arrived in Paris and as you can imagine the Paris life is pretty expensive. I think I’m going to put all that money into my apartment and my bills. And of course, into the next collection I’m going to produce for the festival. It’s not very exciting, unfortunately. I wish I could have bigger dreams with it but I think as a lot of young workers and mostly in fashion we have all challenges with payment for everything. I think I’ll stay pretty rational with the use of my money.
AD: Any last words?
ID: If I had any last words, it would be actually an advice to the younger generation. I would say apply for prizes such as Hyeres and to the school you’ve dreamed of. I think it’s very important not to block yourself because you feel like it’s too big. I would say just try it and if it doesn’t go the way you like it, it will be a nice experience anyway. As I said before, the key element in Hyeres was to meet people. I think it will stay that way, of course, I was happy to win and that so many people could connect with my work. But the best part of Hyeres was just the two weeks of preparations where I shared so many great moments with all of those young people, that I know will evolve and have an amazing career. I hope I have the chance to work with them in the future.
So I would say to everyone, apply for prizes, just go for it.
END OF THE INTERVIEW
Igor Dieryck Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/igordieryck/
Photo Credits: Clementharpillard, Jerome Van Belle
Thank you to Villa Noailles for having us!
Even though this interview mentions Igor Dieryck, we would like to congratulate all of the other finalists and mention them below:
Winners of Fashion:
Winner of THE GRAND PRIX OF THE JURY PREMIÈRE VISION
Igor Dieryck-Belgium
Winner of THE LE19M MÉTIERS D’ART PRIZE
Igor Dieryck-Belgium
Winner of the MERCEDES-BENZ SUSTAINABILITY PRIZE
Petra Fagerstrom-Sweden
Winner of L’ATELIER DES MATIÈRES PRIZE
Petra Fagerstrom-Sweden
Winner of the PUBLIC PRIZE – CITY OF HYÈRES
Igor Dieryck-Belgium
Winners of Photography:
Winner of the 7L PHOTOGRAPHY GRAND JURY PRIZE
Thadde Comar-France/Switzerland
Winner of the AMERICAN VINTAGE PHOTOGRAPHY PRIZE
Souleymane Bachir Diaw- Senegal
Winner of the PUBLIC PRIZE – CITY OF HYÈRES
Kin Coedel- Hong Kong
Winners of Accessories:
Winner of the GRAND PRIX OF THE ACCESSORIES JURY
Gabrielle Huguenot- Switzerland
Special mention of the ACCESSORIE JURY
Christiane Schwambach-Germany
Winner of the HERMÈS FASHION ACCESSORIES PRIZE
Victor Salinier-France
Winner of the PUBLIC PRIZE – CITY OF HYÈRES
Victor Salinier-France