DANIAL AITOUGANOV wins LICHTING 2016

On Thursday night the Dutch fasion scene gathered at the Gashouder to attend the Lichting 2016 show. After ten years of Lichting show this was the first time the Amsterdam Fashion Week scheduled the young talent award show on the opening night.

Fourteen fashion graduates presented their impressive graduation collections to an international jury of fashion professionals and of course the audience. Sometimes chic and wearable other times fantasy driven en over the top, but always outstanding en qualitative. There were two awards to be won; one winner to be chosen by the jury, the other voted for by the audience.

Danial Aitouganov graduated at AMFI became the big winner of the night. He presented five looks from his “The second sex – vol. II” collection, an expressive and colorful collection based on the idea of a forth feminist wave; a generation of women who with the right manner fight for their right. Daniel won the Lichting Award; a money prize of 10.000 euro to be used on the development of his work.

The audience’s favorite turned out to be Marlou Breuls, also an AMFI graduate. With her outstanding red hot collection, including a majestic dress made out of a carpet, she won the Audience Favorite Award powered by Converse, a money prize of €3.000,-.

Congrats to the winners!

Karim Adduchi Catwalk Fashion Show Amsterdam SS2017

Aaand fashion week is officially started! Illustrator, artist and fashion designer Karim Adduchi (1988, Imzouren, Marokko) opened a fashion filled week with his ‘She lives behind the courtyard door’- collection. Ignoring trends and other fashion codes Adduchi took us to a place where tradition and mystic determine everything. His designs represented hidden beauty and strength, as colors and patterns also referred to Adduchi’s Moroccan roots, his dreams and barriers. Lots of focus on detail, which is much appreciated after years and years of minimalism. Carpets, both fresh from the loom and antique, are draped and sculpted, combined and mixed, their heavy wool textures contrasted by the occasional shimmer of elaborate modern details. All pieces are handmade and unique; the carpets hand-loomed in Morocco, the seams hand-stitched by Adduchi. Drawing inspiration from his own heritage, reconstructing it and using this history to tell us about courtyards and the women living in them. Adduchi invited us to create our own story, handing us the material to dream and to follow him behind the courtyard door. Adduchi is a storyteller, and fashion is his way of communicating without having to speak. Oh well, enough words, just take a look at the image gallery above and you get an idea.

Backstage at Viktor & Rolf Haute Couture Paris FW2016

Take a look backstag at the Viktor & Rolf show yesterday in Paris. Hair- and beautyteams preparing the models, the dresses getting a last finish and oh, take a closer look at those beautiful fabrics.

Viktor & Rolf Haute Couture Fashion Show FW2016

Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren have kept everything from their old collections, even the leftover silver sequins from the collection that won the Dutch duo top prize at the Hyères festival back in 1993.

They repurposed those sequins, and scraps from collections across their career, for their fall couture collection, weaving their own fashion history into rag-rug embellishments on vintage trenchcoats, military jackets, sweatshirts and denim.

Their impulse was sustainability — and to challenge themselves to create something different from fragments of the past. There were bits from their “Blue Screen” and “Van Gogh” shows — fall 2002 ready-to-wear and spring 2015 couture, respectively.

Beyond the fabrics, the silhouettes referenced past Viktor & Rolf shows, particularly the bulging finale coats, recalling their “Russian Doll” collection.

The sweatshirts and military jackets were marvels of jutting ruffles and twinkling patches of vintage buttons and errant crystals, the patches repeating on cropped jeans and khakis. The show reached a dramatic crescendo with a clutch of trenchcoats that morphed into full-skirted ballgowns, scraps of tulle tinted into delicate dégradés.

The white gown that capped the display also winked to Viktor & Rolf’s next move: A collection of wedding dresses to debut in October during New York Bridal Week.

Iris van Herpen Haute Couture FW2016 Backstage

It was an unforgettable and magical show/presentation yesterday at Iris van Herpen in the l’Oratoire du Louvre, an 18th-century Protestant church. The Dutch designer stood her models on concrete plinths as Japanese musician Kazuya Nagaya brushed his golden Zen bowls, producing pings and drones that reverberated through the space. That magical vibe was also created by the use of thin fabrics and special textiles used fro frothy and ethereal dresses in the palest colors, the simplest a long sheath resembling morning dew on wet skin. We took a close look backstage at the show.

Iris van Herpen Haute Couture Catwalk Show Paris FW2016

Dutch designer presented a moment of calm, sublime beauty and futuristic fashion wizardry during the haute couture week in Paris. Her models stood on concrete plinths as Japanese musician Kazuya Nagaya brushed his golden Zen bowls, producing pings and drones that reverberated through the L’Oratoire du Louvre, an 18th-century Protestant church.
Sound waves were the idea behind the collection, specifically cymatics, the science of visualizing sound waves into geometric patterns. Yet one needn’t understand acoustic dynamics to appreciate Van Herpen’s representation: frothy and ethereal dresses in the palest colors, the simplest a long sheath resembling morning dew on wet skin.
Van Herpen explained that the latter dress was achieved by embedding tens of thousands of Swarovski in liquid silicone. She did the same with hand-blown glass bubbles, producing a trembling, shimmering, extraterrestrial tutu.

Van Herpens world is one of laser cutting, 3-D printing and fibers five times thinner than human hair. The striped organza for halter dresses, densely pleated and then arranged in rows and swirls had to give the impression of sound waves. They were stunning.

Fashionclash Festival 2016, this was day 2

Fashionclash Festival 2016 continued yesterday with a series of shows and performances and the celebration of the Fashionclash Talent Award. Take a look at an impresison of Day 2.

MENSWEAR TREND ss2016: Camouflage Cool

Standing out while blending in; it might sound like an impossible mission. Yet after you’ve clicked your way through our image gallery you’ll know just what we’re talking about. Dior Homme, Saint Laurent, Vivienne Westwood and even Valentino sent out camouflage printed looks for this season. Mostly parka’s guys can rock at summer festivals to come (army inspired, festival proof). Yet the camouflage print also appeared on shirts and backpacks. And as you can see it’s the coolest thing, combined with leopard prints and checks (Saint Laurent). Camo cool it is!

Fashionclash Festival 2016, This was Day 1

Fashionclash Festival 2016 continued yesterday with a series of shows and performances. Last shows of the day was the Graduationshow of MAFAD. Take a look at an impresison of Day 1.

Fashionclash 2016, Openings event

The 2016 edition of Fashionclash Festival Maastricht kicked off yesterday with Spot On!, a celebration of Diversity. The theatrical encounters expressed the theme of heritage with a clash of cultures and disciplines.
Direction and concept were from Joost Horward in cooperation with Nina Willems and students of Theatre Academy Maastricht, Nora Ramakers and Benjamin Abel Meirhaeghe.
The costumes were designed by Tiel Janssen and the ethnical costumes by students of the KABK (Royal Academy of Art, The Hague) and the Royal Academy of Arts Antwerp. There was also a preview of Fashionclash Festival participants.

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