Jan-Jan Van Essche was born in Antwerp, where he has his design studio. He graduated in 2003 from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. In June 2010 Jan-Jan launched his first eponymous label as an annual wardrobe. COLLECTION#1 - “YUKKURI”, Japanese for “take it easy” or “slow”. This title also became his intrinsic and conceptual approach as a designer for contemporary clothing. The collective human culture is an essential source of inspiration for Jan-Jan Van Essche when he creates new clothing. Each new design is a real attempt to open up new perspectives and dare to engage in contradictory dialogues. With each collection, traditional patterns from different ethnic-cultural backgrounds are carefully studied and then interpreted in the individual language of the designer; the art of Jan-Jan Van Essche constantly vibrates between poetry and simplicity. He previously worked together with Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui on a.o. Icon (GöteborgsOperans Danskompani) and Satyagraha (Theater Basel).