Fashion collective PRJCT22

Photography: Nataliya Maassen

PRJCT22 is a group of young designers and former classmates, who met during their fashion bachelor studies at AMD Düsseldorf, Germany. Bringing all their own different styles together to create something new, was an interesting challenge. Out of this was born PRFCTN_Acceptance of the Imperfect. The collection explores the meaning and importance of inner and outer beauty in our society. Outer perfection can be seen as a forgery, true beauty reflects the imperfections of the inner beauty. This collection aims to inspire acceptance of the imperfect and self-reflection. So, are you beautiful?

PRJCT22 will be presenting their collection at the Show Program on Saturday the 16th of June at the SAM-Decorfabriek.

What made you realize that you wanted to work in (fashion) design?
We all have different reasons to work in fashion, design or art world, but what we all have in common is, that fashion brought us together. Although we all have totally different styles we still respect and accept each other’s work. And the most important thing we all have in common; we inspire each other, and are inspired by other designers and artist. Inspiration is one of the reasons we want to work in fashion.

Gösta von Platen - Breaking Bodily Boundaries

Photography: Polo Lindström Muller

Meet Gösta von Platen, a Swedish fashion designer specialising in menswear, currently doing an internship with a menswear label in Paris. Through his work, he aims to create an environment that can evolve over time, exploring the boundaries between body, material and environment.

You will be able to admire his work between the 11th and 17th of June at De Bijenkorf as part of the Showpieces exhibit.

What made you realize that you wanted to work in this field? 

Early on I was drawn to the visual arts, which developed into a fascination for the connection between the body and the outer world. While working with painting, photography, music and installation I found it the most interesting to combine the different mediums and conceptualize the outcome in relationship to the body.






What would you say are your main achievements in your career?
As a newly graduated fashion design student in Berlin, what I feel is my greatest achievement at the moment is that I moved to Paris and am now doing an internship to gain experience as a professional.

What are your sources of inspiration?
I find inspiration in all sorts of places, but what really inspires me is the interaction with whatever it is I find inspiring. I try to dive deep into the source and see the connections to other places. Fields I regularly search for inspiration are contemporary art, natural experiences, human bodies, light and music. My projects also normally starts with thorough reading on the topic.

Enni Lähderinne presents Boy Meets Evil

Photography: Pauliina Maus

Meet Enni Lähderinne, a designer from Helsinki, Finland. As a fashion designer she studies gender as a social phenomenon and ways to express and interpret one's gender through clothing. From a biological viewpoint there are only two genders but in reality there are as many genders as there are humans. One of her goals as a fashion designer is to find ways of self expression through clothing for those who don’t feel like they fit in the gender binary, or the mold our history and society have created for the most of us to fall into. Can this mold be broken with fashion?

Her current collection is however closer to the theme of the FASHIONCLASH Festival 2018. 'Boy Meets Evil' explores the world of Herman Hesse's Demian and Abraxas and the belief of God and Satan being one. The collection studies the changes one has to go through to find themselves, as well as the eternal search for a true understanding of God.




Enni Lähderinne will present her  collection at the Show Programme on Saturday the 16th of June. Get your tickets here.


What made you realize that you wanted to work in (fashion) design?
Fashion is one of the most multidisciplinary fields of design out there. It keeps me on my toes and pushes my mind to keep on finding better solutions time after time.

Why did you choose fashion? 
Considering all the fields of Design, fashion speaks to me the most. I feel like fashion is the way I present my thoughts about the word the best way. It is my canvas in changing the world.

What would you say are your main achievements in your career?
Finishing my BA studies in Fashion and winning the MTV Break Costume Design Competition.

What are your sources of inspiration?
Usually it’s something that inspires or irritates me. I’m a person who enjoys watching documents, experiencing art, reading and just generally wandering around. These are the ways I use to find subjects that tangle my mind a one way or another. Usually I find myself being interested in the way human mind works and how this can be seen in art and design and society. From there on I keep on specifying my choice of research. I keep making questions and if I can’t find the answers right away, I go forward with the chosen subject of the research. The designing progress is my way of finding the answers to the questions I presented to myself in the beginning.

Cheers to Brand Bier!

The 10 year anniversary of FASHIONCLASH Festival also marks their first ever collaboration with Brand Bier, the oldest brewery in the Netherlands.
Although it may seem like an unlikely match, FASHIONCLASH and Brand Bier share the same key values, such as a belief in new talents, coherent (heavenly!) creations and pushing the limits, however paying respect to tradition and craftmanship. But most importantly, it is an understanding of the value of ‘togetherness’ and the enjoyment of the now. Beer has never been just about beer. It is this sense of ‘togetherness’ and community building, a fraternity around beer, starting from the monks in the Middle Ages, that can still be seen in the present day. Today, this community is built around people who are passionate about beer, resulting in perhaps the most common drink to have achieved a god-like status. From the monks Middle-Ages until today, this group of devotees continue to display their devotion for beer - their religion. Therefore, cheers to Brand Bier for continuing the tradition of devotion to beer!

www.brand.nl

Make-up, My Religion!

Amsterdam-based cosmetics brand ELLIS FAAS is on a crusade, but a different one from religious crusades. We want you to follow your own sense of beauty. So-called makeup experts keep telling consumers which shades and shapes are trendy or not, and by doing so they are taking away the joy of experimentation. People have become afraid. They've been convinced there is some sort of mystery as to what is "right" or "wrong". But in doing makeup there is no right or wrong. ELLIS FAAS is fighting to bring back the joy of doing makeup, by trying to take away silly rules an preconceptions, and reinstall the pleasure of trying things out. All ELLIS FAAS shades are suitable for every age, style and skin tone – so whatever you choose is up to you. If you look into the mirror and are happy with what you see, you're done. If not, just take it off and start again. It's only makeup after all...
www.ellisfaas.com

Haesung Bong

Haesung Bong is a South-Korean designer, who benefiting of full scholarships from various competitions in South-Korea, has attended some of the most prestigious design schools in Europe such as Asmod Paris and ArtEZ University of the Arts in Arnhem. He describes the tone of voice of his designs as serene, with a sense of isolation and internalisation narrated by visualised concepts, artisanal textiles and structural silhouettes.

Photography: Oscar Raaijmakers

His current collection, 'Box Gallery',  delivers a moment of cute, lovely and experimental, with a focus on material and fabric with structural shapes. 


Haesung Bong will be presenting his collection at the Show Programme at the SAM-Decorfabriek on Saturday the 16th of June. You can get your tickets to the show here.

What made you realize that you wanted to work in (fashion) design? 

When I was in middle-school, one day, as an extracurricular activity, an art teacher invited us to an art center and they showed a film about communication and fashion designers. It was inspiring, I realized what I have to do. 


Michaela Čapková presents ARTEFACTS

Michaela Čapková is currently a Master's student at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague (Fashion Design and Footwear studio). Her newest collection, 'ARTEFACTS', studies the relationship between the traditional and the modern. Transforming Czech artefacts from the early 1900's, and using traditional Czech cloth, she contrasts tradition with contemporary garments.

Her collection will be presented at the Show Programme on Saturday the 16th of June at the SAM-decorfabriek. You can get your tickets here.

What made you realize that you wanted to work in (fashion) design?
I’m still thinking… I try to find the balance between fashion art and business.

Why did you choose fashion? 
Because fashion is the most natural way of expression for me since childhood. It is a good way of non-verbal communication.





What would you say are your main achievements in your career?
I think the biggest achievement is the possibility of making something that you like. If we are going to talk about achievements like some “milestones” I could mention for example presentations with our studio in Tokyo, New York or London in the last three years… and of course, last and this year in FASHIONCLASH! :) Last year I also received the National Prize for Student Design and I was nominated at the Czech Grand Design Award / Fashion Designer of the year.

Pu Tianqu presents Office Boy

photo Fang Bohung

Pu Tianqu is a Chinese fashion designer, graduated from the Insituto Marangoni, specializing in patternmaking, print and graphic design. His menswear collection, 'Office Boy', explores the balance between 'following the rules' and freedom. Our individual desires inevitably, to different extents, go against societal rules. Pu Tianqu explores whether there is a balance to be found. What would we wear to work if we could wear whatever? Can we combine that with what we should wear?

Pu Tianqu's collection will be presented at the Show Programme on Saturday the 16th of June at the SAM-Decorfabriek. Get your tickets here.

What made you realize that you wanted to work in (fashion) design?
Fashion has always been a part of my family. My mum is a very elegant lady. She has a super big wardrobe full of dresses. And I love to realize my creation since I was really young. I don’t see any reason why not to become a designer.


Why did you choose fashion?
 Ohh, that's a funny story:). I always like to wear something unique and interesting. And I always like to realize my ideas of design as I said. So when I was thinking about my future career at the first time. FASHION just appeared in front of my eyes. I still haven't had a bad feeling about it. So I will probably keep going:)

The Seven hair Sins by KEVIN MURPHY

Are you guilty of these hair sins?

1.  Practice What You Bleach.

 Never bleach your own hair, because, sadly, this often doesn’t seem to go as it is supposed to! Usually, things go south when it comes down to the duration of bleaching (either too long or too short). When the bleach is in there too short, you’ll end up with a warm toned, blonde colour or simply put yellow/orangey hair! Did you leave it in too long? You could possibly damage your hair and scalp really bad. Bleaching your hair will make your it loose protein. In case you still want to bleach your hair yourself, make sure to use our treatment RE.STORE on a regular basis to help rebuild the protein deficiency.

The 10th edition of Serbia Fashion Week

The 10th anniversary of Serbia Fashion Week was held from April 24 - 29. The grand opening of took place in Dunavski Park, the alternative fashion of young designers curated by Srđan Šveljo was held at Kineska Četvrt former industrial complex, in SKC Fabrika. The fashion shows, as always, where staged at the Congress Center Master of Novi Sad Fair. The the closing ceremony will be held at the Serbian National Theatre. On this evening more than 20 organisations and notable people where honored, showing them support they gave to Serbia Fashion Week over the last five years.
I was there receive one of the jubilee awards on behalf of FASHIONCLASH.

Almost since the beginning FASHIONCLASH and Serbia Fashion Week exchanged talents. Several FASHIONCLASH designers where given the stage, while sveral Serbian designers, the winners of FTDC contest, where presented at FASHIONLCLASH Festival such as NEO Design and Moda Mišić. In 2018 Iva Kujundžić will take part at FASHIONCLASH Festival.

On the runway this edition several Serbian and international designers where given the stage. Among them the familiar names such as Bosko Jakovljevic, Bata Spasojević, Marije Šabić, Zvonko, Zvonko Marković and Ana Vasiljevic. Among the international designers where Bosnian designer Milan Senić, Dutch designer Addy van den Krommenacker and FASHIONCLASH designer Peer Cox.

Dutch fashion designer Peer Cox showed his collectin at the 10th edition of Serbia Fashion Week.
With his upcycled collection Peer shows that innovation and sustainability can go hand in hand.
Peer Cox took part at Fashion Makes Sense edition of FASHIONCLASH Festival in 2017.

The 10th edition was closed at the Serbian National Theatre in Novi Sad with a tribute show.
The closing ceremony of Serbia Fashion Week was directed by member of the French Haute Couture institute and Vice-President of Serbia Fashion Week, Eymeric François. François worked with Mugler from 1997 to 1999. The choreography was inspired by the golden age of haute couture in Paris – the 80s and 90s, when supermodels were superstars. The models’ hair will be styled by Frederic Pavard of Alexandre de Paris, a legendary hair stylist who has worked with renowned fashion houses such as Chanel, Yves Saint-Laurent, Givenchy, Christian Dior, Pierre Balmain, Jean-Paul Gaultier and Thierry Mugler for over 40 years.

http://serbiafashionweek.com

Alessandro Trincone - FASHIONCLASH Festival 2018

photo Ilaria D'Atri

Alessandro Trincone is an Italian fashion designer and owner of the brand that bears his name. Winning the FASHIONCLASH Festival talent award 2016, he is now presenting at the FASHIONCLASH Festival for the third time.
In his collections, Alessandro has been researching the topic of gender, focusing on genderless clothing and pushing the barriers of what is traditionally considered 'feminine' or alternatively 'masculine' clothing. This continues to be reflected in his newest collection 'Aroundmi'. The collection takes a stance against the 'massification' and globalisation of style. By breaking down the standard parameters, the collection aims to differ from the masses while still keeping an haute-couture taste.

Alessandro Trincone's collection will be show-cased at the Show Programme on Saturday the 16th of June at the SAM-Decorfabriek. You can get your tickets here.

What made you realize that you wanted to work in (fashion) design?
 Curiosity was what made me realize that I wanted to enter the fashion world. I was curious to experiment my fantasies on the garments and see what will happen.

Why did you choose fashion? 
Actually I didn't choose fashion. It just happened right after high school. I didn't know what I wanted to, do so I just tried. But I'm very happy, because, trying in fashion I realized that was just exactly my world, exactly my position.

Would you say are your main achievements in your career?
The main achievements of my career is for sure the collaboration with Young Thug for his album cover in 2016, the NYFW with Vfiles and the win of FASHIONCLASH Festival 2016  Among the contests won, Fashionhall 2017 in Berlin and Charity Fashion show 2017 in Cambridge stand out.

What are your sources of inspiration?
My source of inspiration is myself. Maybe it sounds selfish as an inspiration, but it's a process that I'm doing with myself to pass over my bad experiences.

Why did you decide to participate in FASHIONCLASH 2018? What are your expectations?
I decided to participate at FASHIONCLASH Festival 2018 because it's my favorite show. People there are friendly, kind, nice and well organized. Seriously, the best show that I ever done.

Club 13 - Museumnacht Maastricht

Larissa Stutterheim

The 3rd edition of Museumnacht Maastricht took place last Friday,
it was an exceptionally happy evening.
Over 4,000 art lovers have been able to enjoy a spectacular Art meets Clubbing program that has enchanted the whole city.
The stunning Dominicanen Bookshop was transformed into a real club with 13 as the lucky number.

People had enjoyed a four-hour musical performance that changed every minute and featured four spectacular highlights. Furthemore, the Dominicanen Bookshop was transformed into a club with a ‘door bitch’, a bouncer, DJs, and a dance floor.

A main act was performed on the balcony every hour, including Benjamin Abel Meirhaeghe and Hendrik Kegels. During the Museum Night, visitors also enjoyed video projections by Mees Walter. First year students from the Maastraicht academy of performing art showcased performances in which they wore designs from collective 12.

Collective 12:A design collective consisting of twelve students in their final year of MAFAD. Their work consisted of fashion, jewellery, and textiles. During Museum Night Maastricht, they drawen attention to their crowdfunding campaign set up in collaboration with voordekunst.nl to raise money for a show during FASHIONCLASH Festival 2018.

You can donate collective 12 here.

Take a look at the photo report.
All pictures are by Brain Megens.

Resortecs wins Global Change Award

Vanessa Counaert and Cédric Vanhoeck with the award

On March the 20th, Resortecs has been awarded with its Smart Stitch Innovation. The Co-Founder from Resortecs, Cédric Vanhoeck was a participant at the FASHIONCLASH Festival 2017.

The Global Change Award is an innovation challenge initiated by the non-profit H&M Foundation. The Global Change Award is one of the world’s biggest challenges for early stage innovation and the first such initiative in the fashion industry. 

Cédric Vanhoeck says about the award: ‘’thanks to this award, we’ll get additional means to evolve our first working prototype to the next level. We are now just a stitch away from conscious fashion!’’



As 1 of the 5 winners of the prestigious Global Change Award, we are looking forward to the global accelerator program together with H&M Foundation, KTH Innovation, Accenture and Fjord.

The Resortecs shoe

The Resortecs stitching is engineered to enable labour-poor and cost efficient disassembly of products into reusable product components as apposed to a mix of shredded material. Resortecs is working on a fully dismantle-able and therefore recyclable shoe. The shoe will be named JOAN – the most circular shoe.



https://resortecs.com

MOAM collective international

Thursday evening 8 March 2018 MOAM collective international powered by Zalando showed her first international collection. 
The runway show took place in a monumental canal house at the Herengracht in Amsterdam. 

The 450 invitees, including the (international) coaches, press and VIP’s, were divided over eight rooms, each room named after one of the cities where the designers were graduated. Iconic supermodel Pat Cleveland and her daughter Anna Cleveland walked the show. Besides being an inspiration to the designers, they embody MOAM’s credo: connecting young talent to iconic names from the fashion industry. 

Martijn Nekoui about the show: 

“Working together with Frans Ankoné on this very first international MOAM-project has been a dream come true. We’re super proud of this collection and the new generation of MOAM designers.” 

Emerging designers at ModaLisboa FW 2018

Filipe Augusto

The 50th edition of ModaLisboa - Lisboa Fashion Week fashion show schedule kicked off with emering designers. Still, after 25 years ModaLisboa continues their support for new talent through Sangue Novo (New Blood) platform. 8 designers where selected to show their collection, among them Federico Cina, the winner of FASHIONCLASH Festival 2017 talent award.

Rita Sá has been awarded with the price. She will join the very talented Filipe Augusto, the winner of October 2017 edition. Both designers will take part at the 10th edition of FASHIONCLASH Festival in Maastricht.
Sangue Novo participants: Federico Cina, Federico Protto, Filipe Augusto, Inês Nunes do Valle, Isidro Paiva, N'a Pas de Quoi, Opiar, Rita Sá

http://modalisboa.pt

Rita Sá - Sangue Novo FASHIONCLASH winner

Rita Sá is the winner of Sangue Novo / FASHIONCLASH Festival Award at ModaLisboa - Lisbon Fashion Week.

She will join  Filipe Augusto (winner of October 2017 edition) and present her collection at Fashion My Religion! the 10th edition of FASHIONCLASH Festival, June 15-17.

 

TELHADOS DE VIDRO
“If you have a glass ceiling, don´t throw rocks in the air” is the motto for the collection “Telhados de Vidro”, which describes the game played by those who desperately try to be something they are not; masked hypocrites who feel the need of ostentation in a “make-believe” world. Attacking others for problems that they also have, the individuals who make the collection choose to believe that it is better to be a false somebody than a real nobody.

Forming a grading concept from the first to the last look, the collection presents its first individual who seems to be impervious to anything around him and not afraid of showing he is vulnerable or weak. The second individual is clearly uncomfortable with this idea and tries his best to show his superiority, even if it means trying to be someone who is not.

From this point on, every individual tries to impose his superiority upon his predecessor, trying hard to hide all his/her weaknesses in an illusion game where nothing is what it seems to be, manipulating the truth and revealing only what is pleasant to the eye.
However, what is shown has no real utility and therefore is essentially futile. As we continue, there seems to be a lot of difficulties in controlling the flamboyance created within these individuals and as a result, instead of matching the silhouettes continuous growth, they drop suddenly. New volumes are now supported by small details that still prevail and the vulnerabilities that were hidden until now are completely exposed. The blue colour in the collection references the use of plastic bags, creating the idea of something that is disposable.

Call for European Fashion Talent Design Competition 2018

ABOUT EFTDC Serbia Fashion Week and the National Chamber of Fashion Serbia organize a international platform to identify and support young designers – European Fashion Talents Design Competition.

The aim of this competition is to give young designers the opportunity to achieve and develop an international career in the fashion industry. Interested candidates must be students of fashion design or from an other creative department. Young designers under 30 years may also apply. The ones who win the first three places will receive amazing awards and support in furthering theirs careers in fashion.

KOORKAPPEN Project

KOORKAPPEN Project (Chior robes project)
In cooperation with Heiligdomsvaart Maastricht 2018

In 2011, FASHIONCLASH presented the ‘Fashion Procession’ project in cooperation with Heiligdomsvaart Maastricht. In this Fashion Procession models showed the designs inspired by liturgical garments in a parade through the city of Maastricht and accompanied by live music. 7 years later, a brand new project KOORKAPPEN is initiated and will be presented with a Fashion Procession in May 2018, followed by an exhibition at Bonnefantenmuseum during the 10th edition of FASHIONCLASH Festival.
Nowadays, when we look at the city of Maastricht we are still confronted with its catholic identity on every corner. The tires between the church and Maastricht’ society are becoming more and more loose, but the catholic ‘culture pattern’ in the city continues to exist. The identity of the city as a religious center and pilgrim city is still alive. The ‘Rich Roman life’, the beauty and splendor, the processions and liturgical robes are still there. Half a century ago, the people of Maastricht were part of the Heiligdomsvaart celebration and they were actively involved from their personal religious conviction. The two previous editions (2004, 2011) were more ‘watch festivities’ for the majority of the population and the occasional visitors. Nowadays, it is mainly a celebration of cultural heritage.

That is exactly the starting point for the KOORKAPPEN (choir robes) project, a cooperation between FASHIONCLASH and Heligdomsvaart Maastricht. Designers are invited to create a new design inspired by the historical choir robes and their meaning. The basilica of Saint Servaas is in possession of a number of very beautiful 18th century choir robes made of rich fabrics, decorated with the most precious materials and often with beautiful embroidery depicting religious representations. Choir robes have been worn through the ages by priests who preside over the service and carry their mercy to the people in word and thought.

Especially for the designers in this project the basilica of Saint Servaas will reveal these treasures so they can serve as inspiration? For this, each designer was assigned one of the choir robes as a source of inspiration. How does the new generation look at a traditional and religious subject?



The KOORKAPPEN Project will be shown on Sunday the 6th of May by means of a Fashion Process in the city centre and then exhibited during the FASHIONCLASH Festival in the Bonnefantenmuseum. In this exhibition, the original 18th century robes will be presented alongside the new designs.

Participating designers: Marlou Breuls, Ebby Port, Laurie Bessems, Tiel Janssen, Lise van Wetten, Bregje Cox, Jolieke Kessels, Karlijn Krijger, Iris Cleassens, Mona Steinhauser, Julia Aumann

Heiligdomsvaart takes place once in 7 years. This year, the 55th edition will take place. The first went through Maastricht in 1391, the last in 2011. In a sanctuary procession relics (clothing, objects or remains) of the saints are presented to the people. Heiligdomsvaart Maastricht is the most famous in the Netherlands and attracts many visitors.

For more info: www.heiligdomsvaartmaastricht.nl

THE NRW DESIGN ISSUE / TNRWDI - Düsseldorf

TNRWDI - THE NRW DESIGN ISSUE 

Katharina Beilstein

Last weekend FASHIONCLASH / Forza Fashion House  visited TNRWDI DESIGN ISSUE in Düsseldorf.  A brand-new concept, created by NRW Forum aiming to connect fashion design and art scene in  North Rhine-Westphalia.

The event took place parallel to the PLATFORM FASHION and SUPREME and GLLERY trade shows, showcasing Düsseldorf as a potential fashion city.

The visit started with a nice welcome at the Supreme Group Trade Fair. Followed by a walk through the cities up-and-coming neighborhood where several art galleries are located. For the occasion of the TNRWDI event several galleries provided platform for contemporary emerging designers.

We had a pleasure to encounter talented Maryvonne Wellen Jewelry, Katharina Beilstein, Second.Skin.Studio and Opaak. Further in the evening the program continued at the impressive area. Areal Böhler, the location for this order platform in Düsseldorf, is the ideal venue to present all segments – Agencies & Premium Brands, Avantgarde, Design & Contemporary, Accessories as well as evening wear.
The evening concluded with the TNRWDI CATWALK show featuring local designers Strehlow, MIAKI KOMURO, Marianna Déri, JEN MM Design by Jennifer Moica, Machart Manufakture, Peter O. Mahler.

 For more information: www.tnrwdi.de

 Please take a look at some impressions below.

Open Call For Entries for Fashion My Religion!

Fashion My Religion! The 10th edition of FASHIONCLASH Festival 15 – 17 June, Maastricht 

FASHIONCLASH presents Fashion My Religion! (FMR), the 10th edition of the international & interdisciplinary fashion festival in Maastricht. During this three-day festival over more than 100 emerging designers and (performing)artists from all over the world get the opportunity to show their work to a diverse, international audience. The multidisciplinary program contains fashion shows/presentations, exhibitions, installations, awards, fashion theatre and dance performances.

The overarching theme of the festival is “Fashion My Religion!” (read ‘fashion’ as a verb). The encounter between fashion and religion is not new. For decades, fashion has frequently drawn inspiration from the religious idiom and its decorative splendour. Both from purely aesthetic motives and from substantive critique. “Fashion My Religion!” explains fashion to a religion and investigates whether fashion can serve as a place of reflection and a guideline in the quest for a meaningful existence.
“Fashion My Religion!” places the designers, the industry and the audience in a clashing field; fashion vs religion or in other words, modernity and tradition. We look at the usual approach to the topic of ‘fashion and religion’ and focus the research on the cultural, anthropological, political relation with religion in the todays world. We set the old, absolute truths opposite the fluid truths of this time by addressing burning social issues such as new feminism, gender equality and human rights. Using the art of fashion design, we dissect the changing awareness around our relationship with our environment to create new narratives and approaches around the subject of “fashion and religion”. Can we rethink the way we see the values, norms and rules related to religions and create a more inclusive world, without proclaiming a value about religion?

The rise of fashion is one of the decisive events in the world history, because it indicated which direction modernity is going. Fashion contains an essential feature of modernity: discarding traditions. Fashion is irrational, fashion is a change because of change. Can fashion be the material expression of a meaningful existence, without losing its dynamic character? May we speculate that fashion will no longer be irrational. Fashion as a guide in life, because it teaches us to live in a world where everything is constantly changing and can be the playfield where we can discover ourselves.

Fashion exists beyond static garments, and has a necessitated relationship with the wearer and its body. In a time where fashion has arguably stagnated it seems more urgent than ever that fashion is placed in a context that forces you to question its true value. Fashion My Religion! is an appeal to the new generation of designers and artists to fight for the right of the existence of fashion! Rebel! Research and express the inner value of fashion and spread it out. Out of love for your art, make fashion as your religion where there is attention to nature, well-being, tolerance and equality.

With the 10th anniversary of the festival, FASHIONCLASH aims to empower, use and celebrate the strength of fashion by sending out the massage to the designers and the audience to look at the immaterial value of fashion as an artistic discipline. To use fashion as an instrument to actually contribute in the debates related to ecological, human- and social issues in our society. Fashion as a second skin tells your environment what relationship you want to have with it and simultaneously shows you what your heart beats for.

 “Everyone is an icon – that reflects the divine in you. You are an incarnation, bringing divine into the material world.”

 More information about the festival and how to submit your work: http://fashionclash.nl/open-call-for-entries/