BRANKOPOPOVICBLOG: Lichting 2021 - Amsterdam Fashion Week

Marco Blazevic

True to tradition, the Lichting show took place during Amsterdam Fashion Week. The class of 2021, or the Lichting of 2021, was presented on Saturday 3 September in Capital C in Amsterdam.

For several years now, more and more graduates are taking alternative approaches to fashion. Dutch study programs are giving students more and more freedom to experiment with design methods. This results in various projects, such as digital collections, installations and multimedia projects. This was clearly visible in the 2021 presentations. The first part of the presentation was a route along installations in which students briefly talked about their work. Although a bit messy in the setup (also due to Covid-19 restrictions) and difficult to follow, this is a very nice way of getting acquainted with various researches and results. The second part was a traditional fashion show with varied collections. Although it is always nice to admire the creations on the live models, it would have been nice to hear the designers' stories here as well. All in all, the whole event was an experience of positivity and optimism of the new generation of designers who, despite the challenges, know how to give hopeful proposals to the (fashion) world.

Roxane Mbanga

Lichting 2021 has not one, but two winners this year: Roxane Mbanga (Rietveld) and Marco Blazevic (ArtEz). Both won a cash prize worth 5,000 euros and the promise of their own fashion show during Amsterdam Fashion Week 2022. This year the jury consisted of Borre Akkersdijk, Guillaume Schmidt, Amber Jae Slooten and Margreeth Olsthoorn. This year the jury consisted of Borre Akkersdijk, Guillaume Schmidt, Amber Jae Slooten and Margreeth Olsthoorn.

Mbanga presented Noires, including the video work Naked Underneath, impressive multimedia installation that combines a book, videos, sound, garments, sculptures and tapestries. Blazevic showed the performance 'The Humble Hustle', in which models moved through the audience. The project is a monument for the people who are on the fringes of society and the 'hustle' to rise above their situation.

In addition to the winners, there was much more promising talent to admire. Such as the impressive DeFlower Me by Filip Bejek, who daringly delved into the darkest regions of his personal life. Rachel Klok and Stef Reijnierse presented collections with well executed constructions and cuts. Rosa Meulenbeld presented a fully digital collection entitled 'Jesus' Vagina' with which she explores the limits of the grotesque body. Isabela Verhagen presented handwoven jackets, each of them showing consequences of the climate change. The jackets are presented with a installation consiting of moving machines made of Meccano. Joep Meuwissen did not only showed well constructed garments, he also want to tell a story about the growth and the developement of an individual with multicausal problems that focus on the mental disorders.
And there were also projects by Chiara Frenzel, Sybrand Jansen, Welmoed Bosch, Katie Tubbing and Dijk Studio, of the duo Anwem Xu & Jiahao Li. See the photo report below.