Inside the Frame
Review of RVDK Ronald Van Der Kemp Spring 2026 Couture Fashion Show
By Mackenzie Richard Zuckerman
Ronald van der Kemp has never followed the traditional rules of couture – but this season, he reshaped the format altogether. In one of the most intimate and quietly radical presentations of the week, he stepped into the center of the show space, camera in hand and meta-glasses on, turning his runway into a live photo shoot. One by one, models entered and stood before a white drop cloth as Ronald directed and photographed them in real time. The audience became witness to a performance that blurred the roles of designer, image-maker, and viewer – an insider’s portrait of fashion that felt both spontaneous and reverent. It was couture not as spectacle, but as dialogue.
The pacing, like the setting, was intentional. By slowing the show down, Ronald invited a different kind of attention – one rooted in presence. The intimacy of the setup asked viewers to engage more deeply, to notice gesture, material, and mood. And at a time when many collections compete to outscale each other, this one felt like a rare moment of stillness. It asked a quiet but necessary question: In a season obsessed with momentum, what happens when a designer brings us into the frame instead of just pushing it forward?
THE COLLECTION
THE VIBE
Intimate Spectacle & Craft that Cares
The clothes themselves carried that same sense of intention. As always, van der Kemp worked exclusively with existing materials – sourced remnants, forgotten textiles, leftovers from other lives – yet nothing about the result felt compromised. If anything, the constraints became catalysts. There was remarkable range in the collection: sculptural daywear, daring silhouettes, and a set of elegant, restrained evening gowns that revealed his deft control of line and fabric. Texture, not trend, led the way. Each look felt wholly distinct, but together they formed a cohesive, cinematic rhythm – enhanced by the slowed pacing of the presentation and the way each model stepped into the white backdrop like stepping into a frame.
Within that constructed stillness, the garments could be seen with new clarity. A metallic off-shoulder gown glinted with movement; a high-collared jacket cut from patchworked brocade looked both antique and modern. Ronald’s active role – photographing the show himself – transformed the energy in the room. This wasn’t a designer backstage orchestrating outcomes. He was in it, quite literally behind the lens, framing each look with a personal gaze. It was a subtle tribute to the image-makers of fashion’s past, and a reminder that creation is an act of presence. The models weren’t just walking – they were participating in the making of something. The audience, too, became part of the rhythm. The intimacy of the format reframed what couture could be: not just shown, but shared.
THE DIRECTION
THE QUOTE
I wanted it to be really personal—about how I feel, about my love for the old creators, and about doing it all with what already exists, just in a different way.
– Ronald van der Kemp
THE WRAP UP
In a season full of spectacle, van der Kemp’s collection offered something more elusive: connection. It reminded us that couture can still surprise, not by escalating, but by drawing closer. The intimacy of the show allowed the emotion in the garments to rise – each look became a gesture, each image a conversation. It was a performance, yes, but one rooted in a real belief: that fashion still has the power to move people, not just impress them.
What van der Kemp offered wasn’t just a collection, but a vision. A belief that everything we need already exists. That newness is a matter of framing, not invention. That optimism, when paired with rigor, can be its own kind of provocation. His materials were repurposed, but the message was clear-eyed and current. In photographing the show himself, he didn’t just pull back the curtain on image-making – he brought the audience into it. Couture here wasn’t about control or distance. It was about presence. And in that presence, van der Kemp reminded us that creation is most powerful when it’s shared.
