BRANKOPOPOVICBLOG: Fashion + Design Festival Arnhem 2022

Lu Lin - Reading My Panties

From 3 June to 3 July, Arnhem was a place for lectures, workshops and other events in the field of fashion and design thanks to Fashion + Design Festival Arnhem 2022 edition. With more than 50 events spread over more than 40 locations throughout the Center and the Modekwartier. In collaboration with partners such as ArtEZ, Focus Filmtheater, Luxor Live, Museum Arnhem, Rijn IJssel, Rozet and State of Fashion, FDFA presented a wide range of exhibitions, installations, lectures, workshops and films about fashion and design during the June fashion month.

An important part of FDFA'22 was the City Exhibition Pronkstukken (Showpieces). No fewer than 33 Arnhemmers responded to the call made by the organization prior to FDFA'22 in the Gelderlander. These people were portrayed by fashion photographer Boris Lutters with a design that was valuable to them. Sien Wassenaar prepared their stories for FDFA, after which the portraits and stories could be seen in shop windows throughout the center and the Modekwartier.

The exhibition Waardevol (Valuable) was on show at five locations in Arnhem Center; five designers were selected from an Open Call who contributed to FDFA'22 with an exclusive installation. These are Lu Lin, Mirte Engelhard & Maaike Broos, David Paulus, Hans Hutting & Theodoor Adriaans and Juliana Bello from upcoming fashion brand GARCIA_BELLO.

Within the framework of Waardevol, the documentary Draag Je Verhaal (Carry Your Story) by designer Mirte Engelhard and filmmaker and cultural anthropologist Maaike Broos premiered. This documentary fitted seamlessly with the installation by this duo, which was shown in the hall of Focus Arnhem during the festival. The installation 'We Stand In Love' by the Queer Needlework Circle attracted enthusiastic craftsmen weekend after weekend, and made national news with an article in the Volkskrant and an item on Radio1.
"The WE STAND IN LOVE quilt came in response to a series of anti-lgbtq+ violence in our country last year. With the Queer Needlework Circle we’ve worked towards a physical message of communal love, within the queer-tradition of making quilts (it was inspired by the AIDS memorial quilts @aidsmemorialquilt). In order to enhance the message, we invite the public to sit down and embroider sequins, rhinestones and decorations onto the quilt."

During FDFA'22 you could visit a number of free exhibitions in Rozet, including BINHE by Zyanya Keizer, Liesbeth Sterkenburg and Luc Aarts. A project that explores the complexities of navigating cultural appropriation within fashion and focuses on creating a Couture collection together with Dutch designers and various partners in Mexico.

As usual, Klarendal quarter filled to capacity during the Nacht van de Mode, and Stockdagen Arnhem also attracted many visitors to the city center and the Fashion Quarter after two years of silence. The Red Carpet Event of Platform Binnenstad Arnhem and FDFA was a great success in the closing weekend of Fashion + Design Festival Arnhem.

Fashion + Design Festival Arnhem (FDFA) is a platform for designers and (creative) entrepreneurs associated with Arnhem. During the Arnhem fashion month, from 3 June to 3 July, designers, entrepreneurs, fashion/design events and cultural institutions present what they have to offer. Social developments are shown in an accessible way through fashion and design and visitors can be inspired by the creative wealth that Arnhem has in this area.

www.fdfarnhem.nl