Juliëtte Heijnen at FASHIONCLASH Festival 2015

Juliëtte Heijnen is an artistic designer based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. She was born in Roermond, and moved to Rotterdam to study after graduating from high school. In Rotterdam, her fashion journey began. This year at FASHIONCLASH Festival 2015, she will give us a fantastic performance at the exposition.

Juliëtte Heijnen Performance takes place Sunday June 14 at 14:00 and 18:00 (free entrance)

Q&A with designer Juliëtte Heijnen:

What does fashion mean to you? 
Fashion is a way of expressing myself. In fashion industry, you can be whoever you want. Fashion is a chameleon for me. It changes every day and I make my own rules in it.

How long have you been designing clothing? 
That’s a good question! Doodling outfits is something I already started doing when I was a child. But the real designing started 5 years ago when I came to Rotterdam to study fashion.

Chris van den Elzen at FASHIONCLASH Festival 2015

Chris van den Elzen is a Dutch designer, based in Utrecht. He focuses on shoes design - his accesorise look like futuristic art pieces. Chris will present his newest collection with Judith van Vliet at FASHIONCLASH Festival 2015 Show case.


Chris says: I always try to find a balance between High Tech and Hand-crafted element in my designs. I design shoes, accessories, jewelry and materials. Last June was my catwalk debut, together with Judith van Vliet I created the EXCIDIUM collection, I focused on the Shoes and Jewelry, Judith on the garments. The collection was presented at the Fashionclash festival 2014. But my shoes have seen more places than me at the moment and they are still traveling. From Amsterdam to Dubai, from Vienna to New York. What I would aspire is a show in London, being part of the official London Fashion Week Program.




Who are your artistic influences or inspirations and why?
My inspirations come a lot from the architecture and the living creatures around me. I love to combine Architectural with amorphous shapes. 

Finding your own voice is difficult, where and how do you find your personal creativity (before you start designing; during the design process)? 
That is an ongoing story, so many things spook to my mind, connecting those stories to create a concept goes automatic.

What was the most important thing your parents taught you, that you now bring into your work? 
Be yourself and push further then your boundaries, never give up if you really want something. 

Which item in your wardrobe really typifies you and why? 
My black neoprene sweater, why? because I like the futuristic feel of it, and it’s a minimalistic masterpiece. 

What is your most favorite accessory and why? 
My first necklace made from a left over piece of my graduation collection, just some sentimental values

Are you a people's person or a loner? 
Definitely a people’s person! 

What do you strive for in your work?
Passion and a perfect balance between high-tech and hand-crafts.

What makes your items different from others (What is your designing philosophy)? 
I always try to be pure, I don’t like nonsense and I try to make something that you want to treasure and keep even when you can’t really use it anymore. make it an art piece, a collectors item. 

Fashion needs to progress year in year out, how do you keep innovating? 
I always try to improve my skills and to perfect the fit and comfort of the shoes.

What is your ultimate goal? What do you want to achieve with your projects? 
My goal is to be an innovative and inspiring shoe designer.

What are your views on gender categorization in fashion ? (as in differentiating between male/female collections, is this necessary ?) 
I think gender in collections is fading, Gender is more and more disappearing, I think everybody needs to wear what they want to and feel happy about it.

Do you believe the western binary gender system (male/female) will eventually disappear?
Jup I do. I think it be great when it does. Can’t wait for that time to come. 

What are your thoughts on the idea that unisex is the new androgynous in fashion? 
I think there is still a big difference between androgynous an unisex.. I think Unisex clothing can be worn they way that person want to wear it/combine it… an androgynous person is a person who you can’t really define into an gender the first moment you see them. but It’s the moment you start to learn to know the person that counts, that’s what makes it the person. and I think an androgen person will look androgyn no matter what kind of clothing he/she wears. It’s all about the face/hair/body shape.

What has changed/happened since your last attendance at FASHIONCLASH? 
It feels like jumping into a wind turbine. loved every moment of the ride and it’s still continuing.

Why have you decided to participate at FASHIONCLASH Festival once again? 
Because they give you a real platform, love the vibes before, during and after the festival. I feels like becoming part of a family. A family that you take care of, that you love and that you treasure.

MLY by Emily Hermans

During the Designer Market, you will have the pleasure to discover the green label MLY by Emily Hermans and her newest collection, MLY & the Family.

EJ by Eva Vermeulen and Judith Jans

Eva Vermeulen and Judith Jans together form EJ. They met during their studies at the Design Academy in Eindhoven, and since then, have decided to collaborate. For the exhibition, they worked on the marks of the aging body and turned them into fashion accessories.

Previous work by Judith Jans

Hello Judith and Eva! Please introduce yourself. Who are you? Where do you come from? What is your field of specialization? 
We are Eva Vermeulen and Judith Jans and together we are EJ. During our time at the Design Academy Eindhoven we started collaborating and combining our various capabilities. In EJ we unite our visions in fashion, art and film.

Likeme(N) by Gertjan van der Linden

Gertjan van der Linden is a Dutch designer based in Noord-Brabant, in the South of the Netherlands. He launched his own label, Likeme(N) in 2011. Society and the interactions between individuals, groups and fashion are the main inspirations behind his work. At the FASHIONCLASH Fashion Shows, he will be presenting Inc(RED)iblE, a collection focusing on pointless violence in society. 

Hey Gertjan! Please introduce yourself. Who are you? Where do you come from? What is your field of specialization? 

I, Gertjan van der Linden, graduated from the Utrecht School of the Arts (HKU) in 2011 with a bachelor’s in fashion design. During those years, I focused on the relation between human identity and society. I observe the interactions of groups versus individuals, personal style, and the sign system of fashion. I created my own label, Likeme(N) in 2011. The aim of the label is to bring attention on the problems that society faces, by developing and realizing concepts that matter. All the concepts have a common thread: individuality, identity, nostalgia, and authenticity. Within those, a dark-edge is visible as well as a healthy dose of humour. My mission is to inspire society with my collections, so that people can be a part of it. At the same time, I try to warn them by showing what the “problems” are in society nowadays. I do this by elaborating on themes such as individuality, identity and nostalgia. 

Schaffenskraft by Daphne Hobbelen

Daphne Hobbelen is a Dutch artist who takes her inspiration from Munne, an artist that developed an interdisciplinary approach to art. Munne had the habit to wear overalls and store them in boxes for later use. Daphne got the idea to re-use those textiles and give them a new life. Her label Schaffenskraft (Creating's force) shows that recycling textile can lead to unexpected creations. Daphne will present Schaffenskraft at the FASHIONCLASH exhibition.

Picture by: Lisa Klappe

AVADEM by Anouk van der Meij

Anouk van der Meij is a 24 years old Dutch designer based in Utrecht. She founded her own fashion label, AVADEM, in September 2012. Her label stands for more comfort and spirituality in the (fashion) world. With loose fits and lots of layers, her goal is to make people wearing AVADEM feel happier in their own skin. Her collection will be presented during the Fashion Show Programme.

Hello Anouk! What inspires you in general? 
Spirituality, nature and our society.

What place or city do you find inspiring? 
Anywhere surrounded by nature and my studio are places where I find most inspiration. I haven’t found a truly inspiring city yet, because most cities are too crowded for me. I need the quiet to think, reload and get inspired.

What is it like to be a young designer in your city/country? 
Challenging, but I guess it’s the case in any city.

Would you agree if we claimed that you are obsessed with oversized clothing? Why? Why not? 
Haha, “obsessed” makes it seem like it’s a bad thing. I have to agree I love the look of oversized and loose fit pieces a lot. It has this nonchalance and toughness to it. But it’s not an obsession, more a lifestyle. AVADEM is all about combining fashion with comfort. I try to achieve this with oversized pieces and lots of layers to give some breathing space to the body.

Stieglitz by Pien Stieglis

Today we introduce you to Dutch designer Pien Stieglis and her label Stieglitz. You will be able to check out her collection at the Designer Market.


Hello Pien! What inspires you in general? 
I’ve always been impressed by the strong culture that exists within particular tribes. Thinking of ethnic groups, what strikes me most is the strength of the collective. I often think; where do I stand in this world that constantly changes, where you are confronted with new possibilities and choices daily? We hardly know what to do any more; a world with so many possibilities doesn’t necessarily make us stronger. When I look at, for instance the Mursi people in Ethiopia, I see a population that stands close to its own identity, which provides strength. For over decades they have been wearing the same colors and accessories. It is like everything has been set in stone, but at the same time is immutably beautiful. However, currently the existences of some ethnic groups are threatened. For this reason I want to be inspired by what is still present in the world. Our worlds, our ways of living stand so far apart. I therefore wish to combine both worlds in my designs and capture the beauty and simplicity of life, which will be symbolized in my collections. I hope that the Stieglitz tribe will represent, and make one realize, that the power of the tribes is still within us.