MAFAD Graduation Expo 2019

Jolieke Kessels

MAFAD Graduation 2019 exhibition took place from July 4 to 7 at the building of academy. The exhibition featured graduates from fine arts and design department. Unlike the other academies in The Netherlands MAFAD graduation did include a fashion show. The Body design students will present their fashion show during FASHIONCLASH Festival in November.
The exhibition already provided a close look to their projects.
The graduates presented a variety of concepts based on sustainability, sportswear, slow fashion, craftsmanship and emancipation of menswear.
Julina Vanille Bezold presented a well-researched collection by presenting a sustainable design manifesto that aims to create a new awareness for the appreciation of clothing. By equating the new ancient holistic teaching of the Chinese Wu Xing concept with a holistic design approach, her collection contains five outfits that can all be worn in multiple combinations. In addition she created a film to show a glimpse behind the Wu-Xing philosophy, namely that everything in the world and in the universe is connected.
Michelle Cornelissen created an alter ego 'Michi'm' portrated as a Disney villian based on her personal characteristics, visualising the different identities behind a single person and the freedom to play with identities. Natalia Rumiantseva presented a collection of jewellery objects inspired by her childhood spent on a small farm in Russia and the relationship of all species in the world. Her project 'Can you kill the chicken?' touches on many aspects of our culture, society and emotions. 'We based our civilization on using animals and for centuries cruelty was and still is an integral part. However, what are the reasons for the cruelty and how do we preceive it nowadays in time of humanization and progress?' 
Jolieke Kessels combined traditional crafts with contemporary materials and techniques aiming to showcase slow fashion and a gettaway for the busyness of our lives.
The Body design department exhibition also featured work of Dana Lipka and Ashley Luypaers, both Lichting 2019 finalists and work of Max Niereisel and Empar Juanes Sanchis.

http://www.mafad.nl

WDKA Fashion Show 2019

Mirthe Alferink

On July 5th, the fashion design class of 2019 from the WDKA  (Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam) presened their graduation show at Ubik theatre. The show, organized by the students themselves, provided a charming insight into their mostly personal graduation projects. With themes as sustainability, LGBTQ+ community, internet culture, streetwear and sportswear the show provided a diverse approach to contemporary fashion design.
Chloë Severien presented a ready to wear knitwear collection based on re-usable yarn made from recycled PET plastic. By using fabrics as a medium to tell stories, Larissa Ishimwee gave voice to a group of illegal refugees of Amsterdam.
Robin Cuppens deconstructed the business suit, Susanne Vos presented the 'new look' based on sportwear and Axel Verwee made his collection by waisted tents from festivals. Mickey Nerrings presented the most outspoken collection based on voilence and bullying against the LGBTQ+ community. He translated this into the idea to use the scarecrow as a metaphor to scare away the bullies and fight against anti-gay voilence. Project that intruiged the most was Adobefashion by Rosalie van Pinxteren. With this project she explored the influence of internet culture on today's digital fashion and its role in our changing perception of reality. By translating photoshoped shapes into actual garments she questioned if we can still distinguish reality from manipulation and vice versa. In addition, she aims to show that fashion manifests beyond the physical world.

Instagram: wdkafashiongraduates
https://www.wdka.nl

Robin Cuppens

HKU Fashion Graduation Show 2019

Armia Yousefi

On June 26th, at in Utrecht, HKU fashion design graduates showcased their final collections.
'THE DON'T KNOW SHOW expressed perfectly the free spirt of the class of 2019. Designers who had approached their projects more experimentally showed the interesting proposals such as Esra Copur who with her project 'Programmed Society' analysed the society’s daily habits and routines in relation to consumer behaviour. She wants to portray people as programmed individuals who are constantly buying items because of the routine they got stuck in.  Or Iris Otten who showed a performance with models attached to objects, struggling with imposed restrictions. She visualised her project with a live performance and in a fashion film.  
Studio Noij (by twins Dafne and Nikki Noij) researched the role of the traditional cliches of The Netherlands such as tulips and windmills and the contradiction that these nostalgic symbols do not play a role in the contemporary Dutch culture.
Jiske Kosian addressed the mental issues such as burn-out epidemy. With her collection she aims to break the taboo surrounding negative emotions in particular in regard to men, and to address that vulnerability can exist without diminishing masculinity.
Sophie Wantia presented a playful collection 'Need to Play' as an antidote to the daily pressures, both in society as well as in design methods. While Laila El Alaoui got inspired by hyperreal tourism, Anouk van Kampen Wieling sent her models to a journey to Rockall in Atlantic Ocean, posing a question: How do you prepare for a yourney to nothing?
Armia Yousefi impressed with a personal collection inspired by his Persian heritage, mythology, politics and old photos of his parents' wedding. "The photos date from the late 1970s and were taken in Tehran during the revolution. I was inspired to design my own wedding scenario, and I made a collection that includes elements such as mythology, romance and mixed martial arts."

Featured fashion designers: Leila El Alaoui, Dewi Barend, Esra Copur, Kim Fransen, Janique Hamers, Melanie Hazeleger, Patrick Hiemstra, Eef Hietbrink, Dennis Huizinga, Anouk van Kampen Wieling, Teddy Kamper, Jiske Kosian, Studio E (Ellis van Loosbroek& Elise de Wit), Veerle Martens, Pam van der Meijs, Studio Noij (Dafne & Nikki Noij), Iris Otten, Loes Pennings, Sophie Wantia, Armia Yousefi

www.hku.nl
All images are by brankopopovicblog

Litter Cleaning - Schueller de Waal

SCHUELLER DE WAAL / SDW Studio presents

Collaborative Cleaning Initiative

‘Litter’ 

For Paris Haute Couture 2019/2020 the Dutch fashion design duo Schueller de Waal teamed up with Pik Pik Environnement to present its first Collaborative Cleaning Initiative named ‘Litter’, supported by the city of Paris.

On tuesday 2 July, on a public square, right in front of the town-hall of the 15th arrondissement, a group of 50 models, cool kids and volunteers started to clean the streets in an upbeat cleansing fashion performance. The models picked up trash from the streets, dressed head-to-toe in freshly made garments made from the studio’s leftover fabrics, deadstock and other remains from the fashion industry.

Cleaning (in) Haute Couture
 The act of cleaning served as an inspiration for both the presentation as well as a design principle. With the performance, the initiators aim to make a powerful statement on the current state of the industry and inspire for change. ‘Litter’ is the next step for SDW in unfolding their story of ‘Fashion Therapy’.
‘Litter’ elevates ‘the act of cleaning’ by combining different elements into a collective cleaning session. Rather than changing a location to meet the needs of a fashion show, SDW Studio created an intervention that has a positive effect on the location. Collaborating with local NGO’s (PikPik Environnement, Green Bird Paris) educating about garbage separation and conscious living as part of city maintenance, and fashion professionals (stylists, fashion journalists etc.) supporting the mission, SDW Studio dressed a diverse group of people in an eclectic range of cleaning uniforms.

Collection
Driven by the idea of re-using previous collections and giving them a new context, the collection translates the concept of ‘Litter’ into re-purposing. SCHUELLER DE WAAL re-purposes their body of work into a range of one-size-fits-all and multifunctional cleaning uniforms through various re-purposing design principles.
The foundation of the collection is the repetition of a singular silhouette, a workwear inspired overall. The symbolic meaning of ‘rolling up your sleeves’ to work defines the look and feel of the collection. Through belting systems the uniforms can be worn in various ways, creating different looks or silhouettes within a singular style.
The overalls are made from patchworks of leftover fabrics and past collections pieces. In order to give the eclectic mix of fabrics a uniform look SCHUELLER DE WAAL collaborated with textile artist Aliki van der Kruijs. Her research project ‘Afterseason’ investigates the potentials of waste ink from the textile printing industry. Aliki and SCHUELLER DE WAAL airbrushed a layer of purple pigment onto the uniforms into a unique range of prints. Working from the principle of avoiding to waste resources, everything touched by the airbrush technique has been used and turned into items of the collection. To fix the pigment on the fabrics, a reflective coating was applied, reminiscent of the reflective detailing of waste collector’s uniforms. When photographed with flash unexpected silhouettes within the overalls become visible.

Another tongue in cheek interpretation of ‘cleaning wear’ is seen in the ‘couture’ pieces made from non-woven cleaning cloth in the typical pink and yellow. The NGO’s logo t-shirts, that are normally worn as a uniform in their activities, have been customised with SCHUELLER DE WAAL shirting details. Pieces from previous RTW collections have been cut up and remixed into apron like shapes - featuring a clashing combination of workwear pocketing in luxurious fabrics. As the couture fabrics used were often just sample coupons or leftovers, not enough to create full garments, the fabrics have been re-created with office- and household materials. Aluminium foil re-creates a metallic brocade fabric and marker pens are used to redraw patterns of a floral jacquard. SDW deadstock has been turned inside out and bonded with silk organza leftovers, for a sculptural effect. Shift dresses turned into sleeves, and uniform pants and dungarees are patched with functional design elements.

Most of the cleaning uniforms were accompanied by safety shoes by the Dutch brand EMMA Safety footwear, known for their Corporate Social Responsibility mission. For the silhouettes mimicking couture references, SCHUELLER DE WAAL collaborated with footwear designer Marko Bakovic. A small series of functional safety boots are presented with fully rubberised uppers and soles made from dead stock pleather.

The soundscape of the presentation, a multi-lingual shout out to not litter, was designed by Bea1991.

Photography Team Peter Stigter

S(eeking) D(esign) W(ellbeing)

http://schuellerdewaal.com