The Dutch designer whose childhood dream to dress a princess finally came true
Addy van den Krommenacker talks about getting his break on Tyra Banks’ TV show America’s Next Top Model and designing for Princess Irene of the Netherlands and her family
Picture perfect I come from a Catholic family – there were six children and (born in 1950) I was the fifth. We lived in a small town, Uden, and I hoped to one day leave Holland and see the world.
My mother had a shop where they sold everything from wallpaper to cigarettes and my father was a painter and worked at the back of the house. I didn’t like to play outside with friends. I just wanted to be on my own to draw.
At that time the newspapers carried pictures of royalty attending balls and the gowns worn on special occasions always impressed me. Every year I watched the Eurovision Song Contest to see the singers in their beautiful gowns. When I was five or six years old I was often sitting at the kitchen table drawing, usually pictures of princesses in beautiful dresses.
Passion for fashion My brothers didn’t study well and I thought maybe my parents wanted to have a priest in the family. When I was 13 I went off to study to be a priest, but I only lasted a year. I spent much of my time drawing and the priest told my parents that it was better I left – I wasn’t cut out for the priesthood.
I went to another school and studied hard and was the best in the class. I discovered I could sing well and got into a band. I liked to sing emotional ballads but it was too much for my voice and the doctor said I’d better stop.
I decided to follow my great passion and become a fashion designer. A fashion school accepted me, but when I told my parents they didn’t approve.