Can you tell a bit more about yourself?

I once started in 1982 as a fashion student at the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Arnhem (now Artez, ed.). Dealing with machines was not for me, I broke everything. From childhood, I knew I wanted to draw, so I focused on fashion illustration. In the playpen I was already drawing and by the age of 11 I knew I wanted to go into fashion. It was instilled in me with four sisters and an elegant mother who made her own clothes. After completing my studies in 1988, my illustration work stood out, but I really broke through after a prestigious drawing job for Vanity magazine. In my time, that was the style bible for the fashion industry.

And then the ball started rolling?

It immediately became very serious. For a while, I was a regular illustrator at the Volkskrant, where I provided drawings for fashion articles. I also drew for Viva and for eight years for Vogue Japan; in Japan, the visual culture is much more drawing-based and that had a big influence on my work. Then I joined the Telegraaf (Dutch newspaper, ed.). What a time that was. I was Fiona Hering's (fashion journalist, ed.) sidekick and together we flew all over the world to attend fashion shows. And of course the after party’s, I was at Madonna's, for example.

How cool, what did you do at those fashion shows?

I made sure I had a spot by the catwalk and then I made quick illustrations. Even if I wasn't invited, I made sure I had a good spot, if necessary by climbing over a fence. After the show, these illustrations were flown to the editorial office as quickly as possible, because there was no internet yet. Crazy, isn't it?

You can hardly imagine that any more. Did you know enough about fashion to do all this?

Actually no, I was just a rookie. I was sitting with fashion journalists from all over the world, which was exciting. In the car on the way to a fashion show, Fiona would quiz me making sure I was using the right jargon. In turn, I taught her a lot about materials. We were a good duo and we are still friends.

How is it that you are still drawing with all the new techniques out there?

Illustrations are so much more than a photograph. With an illustration you interpret, you make sure people can taste the atmosphere. My heart still beats faster when I manage to strike the right chord with an illustration. An illustration I recently made of a Victor & Rolf fragrance will be published in a magazine. Sometimes my illustration also appears on the product itself, that way, it sometimes even becomes a kind of logo.

So you still draw by hand?

Yes, I am sometimes ashamed to say that I still use classic drawing materials, but I still cut and paste and use pencils. I don't do anything digitally. Working by hand gives me immense satisfaction. I can still renew myself. With drawing I feel, drawing goes from the heart to the hand for me. In the department, I also see that students still find this important too.

Nice that you stay so true to yourself. Teaching is also a big part of your career. What kind of teaching do you do?

I started teaching Design Drawing as a freelancer seven years ago. That means I get students to draw what's in their minds. This is part of the process, just like collecting materials. By drawing, students think more about their design and it becomes less abstract. It is fodder for conversation, the drawing allows us to have a conversation about the colour and the model.

What do you enjoy about teaching?

I am still so full of passion about my profession that I enjoy conveying it to students. I am touched when a student makes a beautiful item and sometimes I even have to gear down my excitement. Meanwhile, I am also a permanent employee and teach from the first to the fourth year, so I have much more contact with students. I find it so beautiful to see the students grow over the years.

What typifies you as a teacher?

I am sometimes a softie and sometimes strict. I try to teach from the positive and focus on a student's qualities. But I can also find it stupid if a student comes to class with nothing.

What would you like to pass on to students?

Look carefully around you, approach art in the broadest sense and make anti popular choices. Sometimes, when I am at a loss for words, I find refuge in the Rijksmuseum. I then look at how clothes were painted. I can look at that forever. Highly recommended, but not around the corner, is the Vigeland Museum in Oslo. So visit lots of museums I would say.