Pride The Hero on W Amsterdam’s PRIDE Float was fashion designer David Laport
Pride is all about honoring the superheroes of the LGBTQ+ community who bring it every single day, standing proud and confident, staying fierce and fabulous no matter what. For this year’s Amsterdam Pride Parade, fashion designer David Laport didn’t want to just celebrate his community – he wanted to give these heroes real capes (and sparkly ones at that!).
We go behind the scenes with the runway designer as he creates the bold, geometric looks for W Amsterdam‘s Pride float, and gets right into the action as the “couture superheroes” party down the city’s vibrant canal.
How did you become interested in fashion design?
David Laport: My interest in design and creating things started as a young kid. Only at a later age, I realized fashion design was my main interest because it’s a combination of design, people, and movement. But still, I love the combination and working with different disciplines.
What was the process of designing the looks for the Pride float, from start to finish?
DL: The theme of Amsterdam Pride was superheroes and my design aesthetics are a combination of ready to wear and couture. I wanted to combine these elements for the Pride float so we came up with Superheroes Couture.
In addition, I have a great love for pop icon David Bowie, he is known for being gender fluid and I love his outstanding style. The famous David Bowie makeup served as a color pallet for the boat.
How did W Amsterdam fuel the inspiration for your design?
DL: W Amsterdam is located in the amazing Central Amsterdam. This was an important starting point in my design process – the beautiful bustling high-end environment in the middle of the city center. Besides that, it’s also known for its beautiful architecture and the international ambiance, which seamlessly matched my design ideas and concept for the float, and has an important relationship with my work.
What are some of the surprising or unexpected specific elements of your designs?
DL: We worked with innovative materials and outspoken silhouettes. We used high-end materials such as peacock feathers, leather, lurex and silk, and pleated fabrics. And we used the famous make-up of David Bowie with the colors; silver, magenta, pink-orange. This combination of materials and colors worked great with the overall aesthetics of the float and W Hotels.
What does Pride mean to you?
DL: Pride is very important to me because we have the luxury in this country that we can be who we want to be, and do what we want to do. And that’s why I think it’s amazing that W Amsterdam pays so much attention to Pride!