It was a case of a lot of his mother’s fabric and not enough good menswear options that lead Marius Op’t Eynde to a position under the enviable guidance of Raf Simons last season. Born in Roermond, The Netherlands, Eynde joined the Fashion Department at Artez in Arnhem with an early vision to specialise in menswear, and ended his third year on a high; receiving a nomination for the Frans Molenaar Couture Award, which included showing at Amsterdam Fashion week. And now, add to that a placement with one of the most influential menswear designers of the last decade, and it’s safe to say you should probably make a mental note of the name Marius Op’t Eynde.

The whole print idea started when I saw a picture of a track cyclist in full speed (on a lovely Cinelli Laser) which resulted in a rather blurred image because of the motion

Print orientated, the designer describes his graduate collection as a “merger of the cycling as seen in the earlier days, when they would still ride in a classic jacket with the high tech cycling as seen today.” Putting his own twist on the Prince of Wales check, as well as the classic herringbone print, Eynde’s designs are all fully digital. “I was trying to capture the notion of speed,” the designer explains. “The prints are made up in vectors, and then digitally printed. It was the only technique possible to get the sharpness as it was intended.”

Dazed Digital: What inspired you to turn to design? 
Marius Op't Eynde: I've always been into arts, drawing and making 
things, which I think was promoted by my parents who took me to quite a few museums when I was little. I was already into fashion quite early - while still in high school I started designing printed t-shirts for some of my friends. 

DD: Print is a big part of your collection, what attracted you to it? 
Marius Op't Eynde: The whole print idea started when I saw a picture of a track cyclist in full speed (on a lovely Cinelli Laser) which resulted in a rather blurred image because of the motion. It inspired me to translate this blur into 
a gradient, as a more schematic representation.

DD: Which designers/what things have inspired your work to date? 
Marius Op't Eynde: One thing I still remember is seeing the McQueen S/S99 show on TV where the girl was getting painted by the robots. I Also admire Raf Simons’ work, of course. My other inspirations range from August Sander photographs to sports, movies and architecture. Materials are very inspiring to me as well; my designs are always very linked to the fabrics, such as the big orange parka, which is made in a 80% metal fibre 
fabric. 

DD: Where would you like this collection to take you? 
Marius Op't Eynde: This collection marks for me the start of my professional career. I would like to gain some more 'in the field' experience like I got with Raf Simons. I am also setting up my own studio. 

DD: What is exciting you at the moment?
Marius Op't Eynde: I'm working on an addition to my 
previous collection for A/W12, waiting for the results of a competition I applied to, and already overflowing with ideas for S/S13. I’m curious as to what the future will bring!