The people behind Essentiel Antwerp
La Rose
We had the pleasure of chatting with the talented La Rose Kifu, who recently finished her styling internship at Essentiel Antwerp. Find out more about her life as a fashion intern and how her career path into fashion almost seemed predestined.
You just finished your internship at Essentiel Antwerp, how was it?
La Rose — It was an amazing internship, especially working with a passionate, fun, and creative team. You could really feel the positive vibes and energy. The welcoming nature of the team fostered a familial atmosphere that quickly made me feel at home. I immediately felt part of the team and I loved it. I chose to pursue my internship at Essentiel Antwerp with the aim of gaining exposure to new experiences and venturing beyond my comfort zone such as living in a city abroad. I'm very grateful that I was given this chance to learn more about fashion design.
On top of it all, I was already in love with the brand before my internship, like how could you not! The color explosions, the boldness, the expression, it's just an amazing brand. I could find my own colorful design style back in Essentiel Antwerp and that's how I knew I was at the right place. You could say that doing my internship at Essentiel Antwerp was really like a dream coming true.
How did a typical day look like for you?
La Rose — There was no "typical" day at the office. Every day was different and I loved that I got the chance to work with everyone at the office. My internship necessitated a high level of flexibility. For instance, I might have started the day measuring samples for Martha or Lotte (designers) but ended up assisting Valeria (photographer) in the photo studio downstairs. From woven and print, knitwear and jersey to accessories, as a styling intern I was lucky to get a glimpse of every facet of the styling process. I can guarantee you, no day was the same at Essentiel Antwerp.
"I was already in love with the brand before my internship, like how could you not! The color explosions, the boldness, the expression, it’s just an amazing brand."
What are you studying at the moment?
La Rose — I'm studying Fashion Tailor at ROC Tilburg in The Netherlands. As a Fashion Tailor specialist, I'm involved in all facets of making clothing. I develop clothing, draw the technical drawing, and make patterns, and make/sew a perfectly finished and fitting garment. I'm basically responsible for new working techniques. This is my final year, I'm now designing and producing a complete collection. After that, I'm officially graduated.
So you clearly have a creative mindset. Were you able to let your creativity flourish at Essentiel Antwerp?
La Rose — YES, for sure! Because I study fashion tailor, I was given the opportunity to design something for Essentiel Antwerp during my internship. I got the chance to start from scratch: from research and technical drawings to the actual design of the dress - I was super thrilled with the result: an embodied dress in green sequins. To see my design being loved by so many was truly gratifying.
"As a styling intern I was lucky to get a glimpse of every facet of the styling process. I can guarantee you, no day was the same at Essentiel Antwerp."
Where do you find your inspiration?
La Rose — I find my inspiration in fashion in various sources. With my Congolese origin, I am obsessed with African fabrics. The fabrics, the boldness and the bright colors are simply heart-warming. My Congolese grandmother used to send me African fabrics when I was younger. She was also a creative women who designed her own clothes. She's at the base of my interest in fashion. Moreover, I am named after my grandmother and in our culture, we believe that when you're named after a person, you also inherit that person's traits. This makes it extra special to see how I am now just as creative as my grandmother.
What's next for you?
La Rose — I will be graduating later this year and I'm ready to spread my wings and eager to put my skills and knowledge into work. I'm thinking about starting my own clothing line as I will be a Fashion Designer once I graduate. I am full of ambition and this experience has been invaluable. I have a lot of plans for the future and I'm excited to see where my journey will take me. What I especially want is to bring people together who work on developing their creative talents. "Celebrate life, celebrate yourself" — that's my motto.
"Celebrate life,
celebrate yourself"
— that's my motto.
