R Magazine, Ex-TeenArt_Issue 1_Authenticity Jul. 2014 | Page 30

At 44 years, Boyd Baten is designer at Divamp
couture, a label that he has created himself. When
he was younger, Baten used to paint, customise, and
modify t-shirts for his friends by using his hands. As
he said, he got the urge to create something with his
hands from his father, who is sculpture artist and art
teacher.
“During my study in Holland,” Baten said. “I was already
busy selling costumes to friends as well as to shops, this was
my main focus. When I was at art school in Barcelona twenty
years ago, I thought I knew better than the teachers themselves,
so I dropped out soon.”
Barcelona is the city where he actually works and lives with his
Spanish wife and their three children. “I met Mina here in Barcelona,
my first and only love.” Baten said. His wife is his biggest support
and she helps him in everything. They are both shop owners of Goodtimes-Barcelona. “For this brick and mortar shop, I design the clothing.
Spain is where my personality fits best.”
The very first piece he ever made was a shirt made from baseball knickers. “I cut the legs off and put them as sleeves. This must be 22 years ago
already.”
Baten does not have a specific person which he admires and gets inspiration from. “My inspiration normally comes from things or from nature,”
he said. “I am a strange designer. When I put my hand and mind onto
making something, always a beautiful thing comes from it. I mean
always!” He does not sketch or brainstorm or inspire himself on a particular thing or somebody’s work. “It just comes from itself, or does not come
at all!” he said.
What Baten loves most about designing is the fact that, as an impatient
person, he can obtain fast results by building his clothes without anybody’s help. “I am a kind of loner in this aspect,” he said. For his costumes,
he mainly uses PVC (Polyvinyl chloride). “For my other brands any other
fabric is good.”
So far, his work has been exhibited on the biggest shows in Spain:
Cybele in Madrid and Gaudi in Barcelona. His main focus is now
abroad.
Baten hopes to become successful in the future. “Young people
really love what I do and can connect to it. They write me about how
I inspire them. This is a really big and motivating boost for me.”
A friend sent him some pictures a while ago to show him things
from art classes that were really inspired on his clothes. “I loved
it! I think it’s nice to be a fountain of inspiration to younger
people. It keeps me driving!”
Apparently, the love of art is hereditary in Baten’s family.
“My daughter surely has an eye for art, I know she has it in
her, but she needs to find her turn herself,” he said. “I told
her I could show her, but you know adolescent people,
they don’t take things from their dad!”

TEEN’Art Magazine - Future

He has a good advice to anyone who would like
to follow his path. “Don’t look too much at what
someone else does; don’t try to copy and you
will find your own way and personality.”
Graphiste: Andréa Deloche