Sofie Letitre - Elevate

The video is directed by Belgian director Tobi Jonson and inspired by Rilke’s poem ‚The Panther’. Featured in the video is work by fashion designer Jef Montes.

"Being strong and fragile at the same time. As a person, as a woman and as a man. I am really proud of how the video turned out. The symbolism and overall atmosphere of the video is breathtaking to me.” - Sofie Letitre

"What position will she take in this timeless, desolate place being surrounded by men? Lover, mother, ruler... Who needs who? Do we live to fill each others inner void? Or is it the other way round? I think it’s the balance between the others and you. ‚The Panther’, a poem by Rilke, was a big inspiration for this video." - Tobi Jonson

10 years of Lichting

Bastian Visch

Exposition: an overview of 10 years Lichting 

During the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Amsterdam all winners of the past 10 years of the Lichting where showcased. In this exhibition there where also looks from also other finalists, making it a nice trip down memory lane of the last 10 years of the one of the most relevant platforms for Dutch fashion talent.
To name a few names; Bastian Visch, David Laport, Marije de Haan, Duran Lantink, Ann Boogaerts, and Sanne Schepers who is now one of the creative minds behind the successful brands FUTURA.

Jef Montes - Resolver

On Friday, January 15, Jef Montes presented his collection 'Resolver' during the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Amsterdam. With this collection he aimed to make a personal statement about the current state of fashion industry where speed and empty hypes predominate.

For this collection he developed innovative, water-soluble material made ​​of polyvinyl alcohol in collaboration with the Textile Museum Tilburg.
This material is developed in a combination of black and white yarn and has been featured in most of the collection. The unique material has been processed to rigorous silhouettes which are composed of circular and rectangular pattern parts.

During the show talented Jes Montes presented his collection with a performance where water was thrown on models on the catwalk. The initial silver dresses slowly melted away from their bodies, and the black weft yarns as gossamer ladders emerged. The clothes were destroyed and often almost completely disappeared.  The poetic statement combines innovation, performance and fashion into a balanced whole.

http://www.jefmontes.com/

pictures are by Peter Stigter

Jef Montes - Valero

Jef Montes presented his new collection VELERO at Looiersgracht 60 in Amsterdam.

Innovative high-tech materials and expressive forms came together in a spectacular presentation in which water and light played an essential role. For VELERO Jef Montes was inspired by boats and the materials from which they are constructed. The collection contains materials like fiberglass, carbon, aramid, brass, nylon, silk wool, viscose and cotton. His fascination for the the sailboat was sparked by his grandfather, an old fisherman who makes miniature boats.
Fire and water play an important role within the materials. Jef literally made the materials explode and burm, and then decorated the burnt parts with Swarovski crystals. Experiments with water-soluble material and the creation of chemical reactions resulted in innovative fabrics.

The collection was created in collaboration with artists and product designers. Jef abstracted work of artist Simone Albers into graphic color fields, which are incorporated into a fabric that has been developed in collaboration with the Textile Lab of the Textile Museum in Tilburg. Product designer Lennart Bras designed the fabric for shoes, where nylon yarn and brass are processed.
The collection was presented with a catwalk show and followed up with an exposition. The catwalk was covered with a layer of water, which created the reflective effect. The spectacular opening piece showed hoe Jef plays with materials and innovation. The model threw a water-soaked towel around her shoulders and then the dress she wore dissolved and melted down her body, revealing the dark blue dress beneath. The melting of the first layer caused an abstract oil slick.

www.jefmontes.com

photography: Peter Stigter

HURRAY! MoBA13

Hurray! to HURRAY! exhibition with wonderful selection of emerging talents.
To mark the 60th anniversary of ArtEZ’s Fashion Department, Lidewij Edelkoort has invited 60 students from Europe’s best fashion schools to take the pulse of emerging design talent.

- ArtEZ (Arnhem): curated by Lenn Cox will
- Polimoda (Florence): curated by Linda Loppa
- Royal Academy of Fine Arts (Antwerp): curated by Walter van Beirendonck
- Central Saint Martins (London): curated by Louise Wilson
- Royal College of Art (London): curated by Iain Webb

Lidewij Edelkoort has selected ten additional students from AMFI (Amsterdam), HKU (Utrecht) and KABK (Den Haag).

http://moba.nu

The Creative Kitchen, curated by Lidewij Edelkoort

For more images scroll down!

SALON/ KANT

Edwin Oudshoorn

SALON/KANT (Lace)

As in tradition of SALON you can discover beautiful work and installations throughout various locations in Amsterdam. For this 14th edition the focus is on lace.

SALON/ investigates kant (lace) as a bridge between design and society, reliving its history and addressing its contemporary value. The craftsmanship and cultural heritage of lace form the central focus of interest within the exhibition.
Here are impressions from two locations. The first part is SALON Kant at Museum het Grachtenhuis and Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder.

You can have a look at my picture report or see it live until 18th of August.

http://www.salon1.org/

Jef Montes at FASHIONCLASH Maastricht 2013

Jef Montes is a rising Dutch fashion designer, graduated in 2012 for my Fashion Design Bachelor at ArtEZ Institute of Arts in Arnhem.
At FASHIONCLASH Maastricht 2013 he presented a stunning new collection 'Encarnación'.

"My collection Encarnación is a sequel on my Dolores collection. Dolores was an ode to my great-grandmother.
Dolor in Spanish means pain. It stands for grieving, death and a purely catholic feeling. Encarnación triggers my inner child exploring the sea in Tarragona. My signature color is Lavender Blue and this equals the deep feel of the sea. As a starting-point for shape I inspired myself exploring fish in the sea. The moon-fishtail is a key shape in my collection. Next to the fishtail shapes I combined the prayer silhouette from the Dolores collection. These two shapes clash like a wave with a special folding technique. Collecting crying Madonna figurines inspired me to combine dry and shining textures. It's a combination of a silk satin duchess and woven glass-fiber. This material equals the wet feel of the crying Madonna. For detail I designed futuristic interpretations of embroidered buttons in combination with smock-work and different techniques of framework. To complete my full image I created bodysuits and embroidered berets worn as halo's. The icon’s I show are a vision called ‘’transparent pure girls’’."
http://www.jefmontes.com/

FASHIONCLASH Maastricht 2013 preview

designer Andreea Mandrescu
photography Mei-En Lien

FASHIONCLASH Maastricht 2013 31st of May until 9th of June 2013

FASHIONCLASH Maastricht celebrates its 5th edition and therefore the fashion event will last for nine days this year. Besides the regular program including fashion shows, exhibition and performances, an extensive side program will take place with pop-up shops, exhibition at ‘Museum aan het Vrijthof’, workshops and presentations held on several locations in Maastricht. For all the fashionista’s among us there are several pop-up stores in the city. To start with, there is the FASHIONCLASH pop-up store in collaboration with FEE conceptstore where one can find unique fashion, accessories and jewellery.

Moreover, you have the opportunity to see the 2012 film program of Berlin fashion Film Festival.

FASHIONCLASH Maastricht is an international and interdisciplinary fashion event mainly focusing on ‘young’ designers and artists, active within a broad range of disciplines. The event gives them the opportunity to show their work. The work shown, are related through a clear link with fashion: fashion collections, textile, photography, video, jewellery, accessories etc.
The event includes work by over a hundred talents from all over the world! Have a look at all participants here: Participants!

FASHIONCLASH Maastricht is accessible for everybody and offers something for everyone! Admission for the exhibition and most of the side program in Maastricht is free.
To attend the fashion shows, the FASHIONCLASH party and FASHIONCLASH @ Museum aan het Vrijthof exhibition one can buy a ticket. TICKETS

FASHIONCLASH Maastricht is a unique opportunity to discover new talents and get inspired by fashion in the widest sense of the word.

FASHIONCLASH Maastricht 2013 31st of May until 2nd of June: Fashion shows and exhibition at SAMdecorfabriek Maastricht.

FASHIONCLASH Maastricht Side Program: 1st of June until 9th of June at several locations in Maastricht.

Items selection on Dutch Design Graduates 2012

Anke Muijsers

Every year, Items, the leading Dutch design magazine, selects its favourite graduation projects from the art academies in the Netherlands and Flanders. The complete selection is published in a print edition of the magazine 'Items 4/5 2012'.
Items showcased the Dutch Design Graduates 2012 selection during Dutch Design Week 2012 at Strijp-S.
For me this was one of the highlighs of this edition of DDW.
http://www.items.nl/

MODEBELOFTE 2012

MODEBELOFTE 2012 at De Krabbedans in Eindhoven presents its 6th edition in a surreal Camera Obscura world of Niek Pulles: ‘Portal to a new World… enter the funnel’.

Fashion consultant and talent scout Carlo Wijnands, Member of the Advisory Board of the Amsterdam Fashion Week, selected the most promising talent from various graduation shows of Dutch and Flemish academies. Result is a broad and innovative overview of fashion debutants.
 Presented in the exceptional setting designed by Niek Pulles (HEYNIEK), MODEBELOFTE 2012 at the Krabbedans is a must for both fashion professionals as fashion lovers.
Selected designers represent the best from academies: KABK Den Haag, ArtEZ Arnhem, WdKA Rotterdam, Gerrit Rietveld Academie Amsterdam, FIA Arnhem Fashion Masters, ABK Maastricht, AMFI Amsterdam and Artesis Antwerp.

Designers: Yohji van der Aa, Miquel Boutens, Esther Kruyer, Josine Heuts, Yvonne Kwok, Jef Montes, David Laport, Bao Yao Fei, Djinn Zijp, Poul Brouwer, Gijsje Ribbens, Robis Seidran Koopmans, Eefje Wijnings, Sabine Staartjes, Yoram Tomasowa, Tess van Zalinge, Charlotte Greeven, Sanne Smits, Matthias Louwen and Morta Griskeviciute.

MODEBELOFTE is part of Dutch Design Week program.

High Fashion Low Countries Exhibition

Ever since the preview in july at De Brakke Grond, during Amsterdam Fashion Week, I was looking forward to the full High Fashion Low Countries exhibtion in Brussels.
I went to Brussels yesterday for the opening of High Fashion Low Countries exhibition. It is amazing!

The HFLC exhibition is open from 12th - 26th of October at MAD Mode And Design Brussels.

http://www.highfashionlowcountries.com/

Dutch fashion talent 2012 at Modefabriek

Yvonne Kwok

Young talent expert Carlo Wijnands once again presented his selection of 2012 graduated designers from the Dutch academies with the ‘Talent 2012′ platform.
This is one of my favorite parts of Modefabriek.
I have already seen most of these collections on the caltwalk but it was truly a pleasure to see the details such as the stunning hand work of Yvonne Kwok.

Lichting 2012

Lichting is always my favorite part of the Amsterdam Fashion Week. Lichting is a selection of the most promising graduates in Holland. All seven Dutch Academies are showing under one roof.
It was again a great show with loads of talent.

Selected designers
Brian Geradts, Jef Montes, Esther Kruyer, Nadja Wering, Miriam de Waard, Ilona Putkaradze, Sara Veenstra, Tess van Zalinge, Yvonne Kwok, David Laport, Poul Brouwer, Morta Griskeviciute, Judith van Vliet and Dagmar Lindeijer

This's year panel were: Marieke van Dongen, Orsola de Castro, Corinna Springer, Margareta van den Bosch
http://www.lichting.nl/


Yvonne Kwok from AMFI is the winner of Lichting 2012 supported by G-Star Raw!