Class of 2021: Daniel Vass created a collection of clownery because ‘I figured I’d do something stupid’
This is A HOT MINUTE WITH, a quick-fire interview series championing all the rising talent catapulting into fashion, art and music’s fickle stratosphere. From pinch-me moments to bad dates and even worse chat-up lines, think of it as an overindulgent conversation – like the ones you have in sticky club toilets at 4.A.M. Except these guests don’t regret the overshare…
For his graduate collection, Daniel Vass went into full-blown clownery mode, and in the age of Boris and Trump, doesn’t it just seem fitting?
Filter by EMILY JANE SCOTT x CHECK-OUT
NAME DANIEL VASS
AGE 22
LOCATION London, England
COURSE BA Fashion Design Technology: Womenswear
UNIVERSITY London College of Fashion
STAR SIGN Scorpio
DESCRIBE YOUR DEGREE IN THREE WORDS Dog eat dog.
Jeffrey Thomson: Hey Daniel. Tell us about your final collection - what was the inspiration behind it?
Daniel Vass: The collection is full-blown clownery, I just wanted to make something that would make people smile or even laugh, or just something they can have fun with. I also wanted to have fun designing the whole thing, so I figured I’d do something stupid.
JT: How did you find studying at the LONDON COLLEGE OF FASHION? What was the experience like - was it what you expected or completely different?
DV: Ugh, I knew I would have to answer questions like this…I would say I enjoyed the first two years, but then Corona spiralled in and uni turned into a shit-show. The online lessons were merely enough to keep us (or me) motivated, and we couldn’t use the facilities so we were stuck at home trying to draft patterns on the floor. About the expectations, I didn’t have any going into it, just to avoid disappointment.
JT: Did you always know you wanted to study here?
DV: I didn’t know I wanted to study there, I just knew I wanted a change and I wanted to move away from home. My friend was already studying there and enjoyed it very much, so I thought, why not?
JT: When looking back on your first project and now to your final collection, what springs to mind?
DV: Hahahaha, my first project was an abomination. I think first year Daniel would be very surprised if he saw my final collection, but I think he would be happy.
JT: What’s the biggest misconception about studying fashion?
DV: That it’s glamorous, it’s not. It’s a lot of sleepless nights with tons of caffeine and nicotine.
JT: If you could go back, would you have done anything different?
DV: No.
JT: What advice would you give to those thinking about studying fashion? Is a formal fashion education for everyone?
DV: Don’t study fashion if you are not ready to sacrifice some of your time that you would spend socialising, also if you don’t like sewing, you are going to have a bad time.
JT: What’s your biggest fashion faux pas?
DV: Some of my full leather rave outfits were not it, I’m not going to elaborate on them…
JT: The best thing about studying in London?
DV: Being in London.
JT: And the worst?
DV: The prices.
JT: When you’re rushing towards a deadline, what keeps you going?
DV: Caffeine pills or alternatively the hatred towards the brief
JT: How are you celebrating post-graduation life?
DV: I’m in this post-graduation bliss where hedonism took its place. I have no say in what I’m going to do, I just go with the flow for now.
JT: What’s next for Daniel?
DV: A nice trip to Iceland, I’m going on a round trip around the whole island with my friends, really looking forward to that.
JT: And lastly, what does fashion mean to you?
DV: I feel like people put too much pressure on the word. Fashion got lost in capitalism.
See more from Check-Out’s Class of 2021 here.
Directed by AGUSTA YR
DP MAX ROLLASON
Make-up by BO QUINN
Shoes by ANGÉLA KUDOR
Knit by FAYE SIMISTER
Sound by DÁVID VÁRHEGYI
3D by AGUSTA YR
Additional 3D by DÁVID VÁRHEGYI
Models MÓNICA M. LLONCH, ANNA SCHNEIDER, ANGÉLA KUDOR
Actor LOGI THORVALDSSON
Special thanks to ZSÓFI TÖRŐ for helping with ruffles
Pie Master General ANNA SCHNEIDER
Balloon Master General Elísabet Thora