On survival, craftsmanship and the beginning of a label. A collection shaped by making, questioning and the search for meaning within fashion.
The Spring Summer 2011 collection Le Rescapé marks the starting point of JANBOELO as a fashion label. Developed as a graduation collection at the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht, it brought together years of making, questioning and refining into a single body of work.
What began as a study into clothing and construction unexpectedly gained wider attention, leading to press, visibility and the decision to continue beyond the academy. In that sense, this collection is not only a conclusion, but also a beginning.
At its core, “Le Rescapé” revolves around survival – not in a literal sense, but as a state of being. The wearer is someone who has endured, carrying traces of a past that remains undefined yet present.
The men and women in this collection exist somewhere between strength and fragility. There is a tension between protection and exposure, between control and movement. Rather than telling a fixed story, the collection suggests one – leaving space for interpretation.
The title reflects this duality: someone who has survived, but is still marked by what came before.
The collection is rooted in a strong couture foundation, with a clear focus on craftsmanship and detail. Garments are constructed through layering, hand-finishing and a combination of techniques that balance structure with fluidity.
Materials such as leather, silk, wool and chiffon are used throughout, often in contrast with one another. Heavy elements such as metal are offset by transparency and movement, creating garments that shift depending on how they are worn.
Details play a central role — from hand-applied embroidery and studs to subtle closures and constructed silhouettes. Some elements remain intentionally understated, almost hidden, revealing themselves only upon closer inspection.
The silhouettes are expressive and at times dramatic, yet always grounded in wearability. Strong shoulders, elongated lines and layered constructions define the overall shape of the collection.
Garments are designed to move with the body, rather than restrict it. Pieces such as extended shawls, flowing layers and structured outerwear create a dynamic interaction between form and movement.
There is a constant balance between volume and control — between garments that envelop the body and those that define it.
Alongside the making process, this collection was shaped by research into the fashion system itself. Interviews with figures such as Suzy Menkes and Didier Grumbach informed a deeper understanding of the distinction between haute couture and prêt-à-porter.
This exploration raised questions about value, perception and terminology within fashion — what defines couture, and how does it relate to the way garments are made and worn today?
Rather than providing fixed answers, the research became part of the foundation on which the collection was built.
Photographed in Paris by Gilbert François, the collection was placed in a setting that reflects both its aesthetic and its conceptual foundation. The imagery reinforces the atmosphere of the work — timeless, slightly distant, and grounded in material and form.
Following its presentation, “Le Rescapé” received significant media attention, marking a turning point. What started as a graduation project evolved into the beginning of an independent label.
This moment set the trajectory for everything that followed.
Looking back, “Le Rescapé” contains many of the elements that would continue to define the work: a focus on construction, a tension between strength and vulnerability, and an ongoing interest in what clothing represents beyond appearance.
It is both an ending and a point of departure — a collection that holds the origin of a much longer line.
“It wasn’t meant to start something — but it did.”