We already let Bas talk about the costumes he designed for the Rock ‘n Rave Circus, but now the time has come to answer some personal questions. He won’t get off that easily!
You rode an elephant. Dressed like a clown. With a pack of screaming people around you. In a crowded city centre. With clinking trams. What was it like?
Who can say they rode an elephant through the Kalverstraat (the busiest shopping street of Amsterdam)? It was hysterical! I must say I was a bit in shock, because I had been working non stop on the costumes for three weeks and when I had just finished them I had to jump on an elephant. It was a lot of fun, but also very scary for there wasn’t really something to hold on to. And when Suzy the elephant lifted her leg, it felt like I would fall off. But I had to play my role of course, and looking like a scared sissy wouldn’t make the ordeal any better. I tried to make contact with her by petting her, but she just felt like a living stone. Really weird.
Is there another animal that you wish you could ride on?
Well, the whole idea or fantasy of interacting with animals is always nicer than the reality. I mean, one of the most important figures in my collection of dolls is the hippo. In real life, the animal is dirty and has flies on him; it’s a completely different experience. I think a giraffe might come closest to the imagination. They are beautiful with soft skin, almost like velvet, and have long lashes. Riding one of those would be really nice I guess.
You are the designer of all the extravagant costumes for the Rock & Rave Circus. Besides that, you perform on stage as mix between a jar of strawberry marmelade and a clown. What are you wearing while getting your groceries on a rainy Monday morning?
On weekdays I have to work and ride my bike, therefore it is more practical to wear something normal. So probably some shorts, a long coat, firm boots and half a kilo of jewelery. Luckily some people still consider that shocking.
What are the biggest differences between Clown Bassie and Bas Kosters?
Clown Bassie is somewhat of a bitter and dreadful clown. I can be bitter at times but in general you might say I am the enthousiastic, happy type. Bassie has an attitude, is clumsy like hell and rhythmically out of focus, which I am obviously not. Furthermore I don’t picture myself being funny on stage, so Bassie had to be a more quiet character. Clown Bassie originated from a certain look; I used to document everything I did and always portraited myself. The unpleasant clown with his macabre face was born from some of those images. And I once made a costume of a really big clown that was carrying another clown. It was like a clown in a clown. That suit has become a metaphore for how I see my role in de Dutch fashion industry: a clown. No, it’s not just that, it has a double meaning. I do make jokes but I take my work seriously.
You grew up in Zutphen, which is not particularly the example of a creative environment. Do you get inspiration from your upbringing or do you react against that past?
There are actually quite a lot of artists and unconventional types in Zutphen. And they attract eachother, so back then I was part of a nice group of creative people. But in the end, everybody leaves in order to make something of their lifes. I don’t have a lot of vivid memories of my past, too many pills probably. But I do love nostalgia and use many images from my childhood memories for inspiration. As a child the world revolves around you, and now, my work revolves around me. When I was young I used to wear those knitted sweaters with the Pink Panther on it, and recently my mom knitted a sweater for one of my collections, with my face on it. That is a semi-literally translation of my childhood into my work. And because it is knitted by my mommy it is also a bit childish, I guess.
What really gets you annoyed at parties?
If people don’t feel it when you are coming through. The crowd should move like an organism and sense it when you want to pass them. I also very much dislike people that try to be ‘crazy’ with their pink plastic cowboy hats or boa’s. That is really wrong too.
What would you like the world to look like?
That is a difficult question, because – and this is a cliché – a lot of things happen for a reason. But I wish the world would be a lot cleaner. I hate those black circles of trampled chewing gum on the streets and poo in the parks that ends up on your pants. And wouldn’t it be nice if this fashion centre had a green rooftop filled with trees? We really need garbage men and cleaners, they are crucial in this world. Therefore I would never wish for everybody to be creative. That wouldn’t work.
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