Albums of 2016

Acreati x Forza Fashion House XMAS Pop-Up

Acreati x Forza Fashion House XMAS Pop-Up showcased young fashion designers and photographer from December 1 - 18 in the Entre Deux shopping centre in Maastricht.
On the last day, there was an inspiring talk with the fashion photographer Valentina Vos.

The pop-up featured an outspoken selection of independent fashion designers together with contemporary photography. With a special storytelling approach Acreati introduced a new shopping experience, where you get an insight on designers’ collections through photography and art.

Featured designers where both local designers from Maastricht region such as Bluedenîmes, Ebby Port, Roche Rouge and  STRIKKS and international brands and designers such as ESP, marlich, MEES, Verena Schepperheyn, Narrative Made + Ratna Ho, Studio Mulder and Tomcsanyi.

Featured photographers: Berber Theunissen, Luca Pernini, Jeremy Audet, Ingeborg ten Hoopen (artist), Paula Faraco, TJ Tambellini, Saskia Boer, Pauline van Beusekom, Cat Stevens, Nina Raasch, Naomi White, Peter Holliday, Ling Lin and Samuel Zeller.

http://www.forzafashionhouse.nl/xmaspopup
https://acreati.com/

Act! Cut! Play! premiered in Maastricht

On December 16 three brand new fashion films premiered at Lumière Cinema in Maastricht, and will from now on travel the globe in the international fashion-theatre-, film- and art world.  

Act! Cut! Play! is a new interdisciplinary talent development project that has the ambition to lift the quality of fashion films to a higher level. Three teams existing of a designer, theatre maker, and filmmaker from either the Netherlands or Flanders, where challenged to work together to investigate the possibilities and boundaries of their disciplines and the provided ‘format’ of the fashion film. With the incorporation of a theatre maker, the three teams where challenged to make the narrative an important element within the films.

Act! Cut! Play! is an initiative of FASHIONCLASH, Flemish Arts Centre De Brakke Grond and MoMu – ModeMuseum Provincie Antwerpen.

Ace & Tate flagship store in Maastricht

Dutch eyewear brand Ace & Tate keeps disrupting the optical market.

After the successful openings of flagship stores in Netherlands, Germany and Belgium, Amsterdam based eyewear brand Ace & Tate continues to grow.

Their physical stores are a logical extension of their online formula. The brand continues to open stores - after Munich and Antwerp, since last weekend also in Maastricht.

Ace & Tate stands out with their collaborations with other artists. For the store in Maastricht they invited the Dutch illustrator Gino Bud Hoiting to create a unique artwork. Inspired by Maastricht, he made a neon installation and mural paiting in his own comic-like style, playing with the city icons such as the Maas River and the St. Servaas Bridge.

You can find the store in the trendy Wyck quarter, in the Wycker Brugstraat 65

aceandtate.com

Fashion Film Festival Istanbul 2016

The second edition of the Fashion Film Festival Istanbul took place 26 and 27 November. The festival took place at the Zorlu Performans Sanatları Merkezi.

This was my second visit to Istanbul; now as part of the jury panel and in 2011 as a fresh student. In September 2011 I just started studying at the Maastricht Academy of Fine Arts and the Design and Istanbul was part of a study travel. I was 18 years old and just started to discover this new path in my life. Visiting Istanbul was one of the precious memories from my studies, making it my first far away travel destination. Everything was exciting! Istanbul was exotic but also a reconnection with my roots or let's discovering the Ottoman heritage that has left traces in culture on former Yugoslavia. In 2011 I had no idea where my future would take me, an most certainly I did not expect to return as a jury member. In many ways, it was an honour to visit Istanbul.

Femke Huurdeman, Winner Best Young Discover

This rather new two-day event focusing on the fashion film genre does not only include film screening but also a range of panel talks. The founder and festival director Tuna Yilmaz managed to organize an international encounter with relevant industry professionals such as fashion designer Gareth Pugh, photographer Michael Daks, director Senio Zapruder, video artist Harun Guler, fashion photographer Serkan Sedele and fashion film consultant Niccolo Montanari.

The festival closed down with the award ceremony, awarding 4 films in various categories.












And the winners are: 

● Best Fashion Film Award: In and Out of Control by Emir Eralp for NOWNESS


● ELLE’s Choice Award: Three Apostles by Koray Birand for Zeynep Tosun

ZEYNEPTOSUN FW16 from Koray Birand on Vimeo.

● Young Discovery Award: Pippin and the Pursuits of Life by Femke Huurdeman for Maaike Fransen



● Best Music Video Award: So Delicious by Peter Emmanuilov for Alvin & Lyle



SOME IMPRESSIONS FROM ISTANBUL

Award Ceremony

Life of Ornament by Viewmaster Projects

Life of Ornament is a crossover project combining cultural heritage and time-based media. Artist duo Persijn Broersen & Margit Lukács present two video works in which the renowned ceramic decals of Sphinx and the Société Céramique come to life. Projected large onto the historic Eiffel Building’s facades, the once motionless, decorative prints on saucers, cups, plates, and teapots transform into animated leitmotifs that flow into one another, creating new juxtapositions of the imagery. Using modern digital techniques, the ornaments ‘detach’ from the decorative dinnerware they embellish. The two video works – one highlighting floral prints, the other, landscape motifs – honour the outstanding design of Maastricht’s manufacturing industry and function as a contemporary animation, entwining different cultures and style periods.
Trailer Life of Ornament from Viewmaster Projects on Vimeo.

Life of Ornament runs parallel to the Eiffel Building’s renovation. In the evening, when refurbishing work halts, the two video works illuminate the scaffolding scrim surrounding the building. The projections will partly move with the different stages of the restoration.

www.viewmaster-projects.com

The Uncanny Valley by Philippa Price | Stella McCartney

Titled The Uncanny Valley, the mini fashion film is the first of the brand's new editorial series called "#StellaBy" in which artists are invited to reinterpret collections. Directed by surrealist artist Philippa Price, the film is a psychedelic (and creepy) trip through the Nevada desert making stops at a graveyard and Clown Motel, which is located in an area that served as a nuclear testing site in the 1940s.

Branko Popovic - Serbia Fashion Week

Branko Popovic - 'Best of Both Worlds' - collection at Serbia Fashion Week SS 2017 edition

The starting point in my work always refers to my Yugoslav roots and personal life experiences. In past years I have been drawn back into my Yugoslav heritage, finding inspiration in traditional clothing and folklore. Fascinated by question what it means to live in between two cultures I have been researching to develop a collection where I a feel at home.
With ‘Best of Both Worlds’ collection I had a desire to actually slow down and enjoy the process of the creation of a menswear collection. Based out of black, white and dark blue colors the collection consists of a mixture of graphical shapes and lines, combined with traditional costumes references. Focusing on material processing and details the collection is a contemporary approach to menswear, a clash between avant-garde and nostalgia.

Photography, Svetlana Braun

Serbia Fashion Week SS 2017

Neo Design

The spring/summer 2017 edition of Serbia Fashion Week took place in from November 7 - 12 in Novi Sad, the recently elected Cultural Capital of Europe for 2021.
With this new future perspective Serbia Fashion Week seems to have a more stable marriage with the city of Novi Sad.
Mrs. Svetlana Horvat has managed to settle a platform for fashion designers in Serbia and the Balkan region but has also made connections globally. Thank to partnerships with many fashion weeks from all over the globe she has created new paths for Serbian designers, in addition a selective group of relevant media has been accommodated during the event.
The schedule of the event features an extensive program with fashion shows of emerging and renowned designers from Serbia and abroad. But there is more to see and do; there are seminars, talks, showrooms and fashion film screenings.
Following the previous editions, the opening show again the hands of Srđan Šveljo, the Novi Sad based stylist and editor who curated a show based on Oscar Wilde. Under the title 'Heroes with Oscar Wilde' he gathered work of 25 menswear designers.

Following highlight of the fashion week is the young designers contest - the EFTDC (international designers ) and the FTDC (serbian designers). The winner of the FTDC, Neo Design by the promosing designer Nevena Ivanović won participation in the coming FASHIONCLASH Festival. Other finalists from Serbia where Jelena Đukanović and Katarina Romčević. International finalists where Polona Roblek and Nina Grubek from Slovenia and Strangelove from Belarus by designers Marina Smalygova and Victoria Tkacheva.

Strangelove

Following days the program varied in styles, international and local names, but also in quality. Among the favorites was Catch Michelle from Romania who surprised with her quirky surrualist collection, the colorful and arty brand Sarah Jessy Jones from Argentina and outspoken Betaomega from Czech Republic.

Betaomega

The local designers that impressed the most was Vasilije Kovačev, in particular with his menswear pieces. Ana Vasiljević presented a descent casual but creative collection that stood out with its minimalism besides all the womenswear that mostly contains eveningwear and gowns.
Furthermore worth mentioning where designers Bata Spasojević, Mladen Milovjević Baron, Zvonko Marković, Marta Miljanić and Bosko Jakovljevic. 

Mad Mood Milano

Last but not least - if I may say so myself - was my own collection 'Best of Both Worlds'. It was a great honor that Serbia Fashion Week gave me the stage to show my work in my birth country. In particular because my work has always been inspired by my former Yugoslav roots and experiences.

Sarah Jessy Jones

http://serbiafashionweek.com/en/

Take a look at some of the highlights.
All images by brankopopovicblog

Design Academy Eindhoven Graduation 2016

Aina Seerden

Design Academy Eindhoven graduation show during Dutch Design Week is each year one of my favorite places to discover design talents. In past years the projects have become even more relevant and engaging with societal issues.

In this post you can discover a selection of graduation projects.

For example 'Reborn' by Pleun van Dijk in which she provides a platform for ethical questions in relation to repairing of damaged body parts and desire to keep reconstructing ourselves until we are perfect.

Debora Dax's project 'A DRESS Transition' shows a
clothing collection designed for persons born in a male body who like to express their feminine side. "Finding and fitting woman's clothing can often end up as a disillusion for them: The shoulders are too tight, the sleeves too short and often the hips are too wide. Small adjustments in forms and measurements help them to minimize masculien body characteristics and to emphasize the feminine appearance without feeling restricted in their given figure."
'Safe Ground' by Snir Gedasi is a project that presents an aboveground modular shelter with an integrated playground for children in war zones. “All the elements come at a very low cost, allowing Non-governmental Organizations to easily invest in the mental and physical wellbeing of especially children in times of war.” 

Floriane Misslin impressed with the project 'Uni—Sex', which is a is a case study in which she distilled unisex fashion imagery to denote its visual language and cultural codes.
"Archived in a book the visual analysis observes how the male and female body is represented in an idealized context of gender neutrality. Considering the images connotations in paralell to sociology and fashion history, the study extracts elements of contradiction between the unisex statement and the visual language they use. Thus the project tempts to propose new codes for a unisex imagery fitting upcoming visions of gender" 

Another remarkable project is the 'Forest Wool' by Tamara Orjola's.In this project she presents stools and carpets made from processed pine needles left over from the timber industry. By crushing, soaking, steaming, binding and pressing the needles, Orjola extracts the pine needles' fibre and transforms it into textiles, composites and paper. The process also allows essential oils and dye to be extracted and used.

Olle Lundin presented the projects 'Body Behaviour' in which he explores the body performativity in high fashion advertising and 'Qwearing the Collection' in which he explores how a queer perspective can be used to change the experience of the museum and the art on display in it, therefore provoking further thought and analysis from the visitors.

www.designacademy.nl

Pleun van Dijk

Fabian Briels

Emma Wessel