by Sara Bertoni

Friday 27th of July Daryl van Wouw showed his Spring Summer 08 Collection during AIFW. At the up beat tunes of DJ Joost van Bellen, Daryl showed both a women and men's collection under his name. The colorful, often unisex collection with matching accessories is tough with an edge for men and sexy and recalcitrant for women. Daryl even designed an accessory line with earrings, bags, sunglasses and even sneakers. His collection is inspired by the mid-eighties with a touch of Asian folklore.

Daryl infact takes his inspiration from a mix of cultures, styles and tastes which can be found in major cities such as New York, Paris and London. His approach to design is very much in keeping with today's independent, cosmopolitan lifestyle, and immediately evokes the words streetwise and melting pot.

It is difficult to place Daryl's collections in any particular category, not least because he himself clearly eschews 'pigeonholes'. Daryl van Wouw graduated from the Arnhem Academy of Art in 2003. Later that year, the collection he had produced for his final exams was nominated for the prestigious Robijn Fashion Award. Daryl van Wouw Daryl has traveled around the world to learn and work with big designers. He has spent time with a number of leading fashion houses, including Donna Karan in New York, Mart Visser and Zero Maria Cornejo. In 2004 he became a postgraduate student at the Fashion Institute in Arnhem.

Daryl has presented his collections to the international press at the Amsterdam International Fashion Week, Antwerp Fashion Week and New York Fashion Week. The unusual and striking combination of styles quickly earned Daryl the nickname 'street-couture designer'. His innovative and creative way of designing has brought Daryl impressive clientele like Converse and Swatch. He is well known for his own personal style: he is always hanging around with big headphones, so it is very easy to recognize him!

For more information: www.darylvanwouw.com