Fashion Makes Sense Award 2017

MUKASHI MUKASHI

FASHIONCLASH presents, in collaboration with Province Limburg, the ‘Fashion Makes Sense Award’, a stimulation award for conscious young designers. The Fashion Makes Sense award is awarded during the Dutch Earth Week (October 2017) in Maastricht. Out of the finalists, a jury chose one winner that’ll be rewarded with a money prize of €2.500. This prize will be used to produce a sustainable collection, which will be presented during FASHIONCLASH Festival 2018. In addition, an audience winner was chosen, this winner will receive a cash prize of €500.

MUKASHI MUKASHI by Birutė Mažeikaitė won the Fashion Makes Sense Award jury prize. The audience award went to Maastricht based knitwear label STRIKKS.

The jury, consisting of Carry Somers (founder Fashion Revolution), Desiree Kleinen (Ree projects) Jasmien Wynants (Flanders DC/Close the loop) and fashion designer Elsien Gringhuis, was unanimous about the sustainable fashion brand MUKASHI MUKASHI.

The awards have been presented on October 12 by Daan Prevoo, deputy of the Province of Limburg. Fashion Makes Sense Award is presented during Dutch Earth Week that took place from 10 -14 October 2017 for the first time.

In addition, Forza Fashion House organized a Sustainable Fashion Falk during the award ceremony. The talk, moderated by Elise Crutzen (fashion editor and writer) featured presentations by Jasmien Wynants and Carry Somers.

Fashion Makes Sense Award is a project by FASHIONCLASH, made possible thanks to support of Province of Limburg. The 9th edition of FASHIONCLASH Festival was dedicated to the theme ‘Fashion Makes Sense’, in which the focus was on the senses and the sense making in relation to fashion. The theme shed light on sustainability in fashion, by giving a stage to initiatives and designers and creating a dialogue between the audience and the fashion industry.

 With ‘Fashion Makes Sense’ FASHIONCLASH wants to excite young designers, the fashion industry and the audience and create awareness about sustainability in fashion. Fashion is of upmost importance in the economy, society, art, and creativity and for each of us. But, it has a downside: the impact on the environment, the exploitation on workers and the influence on our self-esteem. What is the importance of fashion in our society and how can fashion contribute to a better world and welfare.

FASHIONCLASH has the ambition to develop ‘Fashion Makes Sense to a returning part of the yearly FASHIONCLASH Festival and it is their aim to create awareness around this topic. With an annual prize, FASHIONCLASH introduced the ‘Fashion Makes Sense’ jury award and the ‘Fashion Makes Sense audience award. A prize for a promising fashion talent, that’ll have a relevant and innovative idea on the awareness and innovation around sustainability.

Naomi Rachèl Timan at FASHIONCLASH Festival 2016

Naomi Rachèl Timan is a Dutch designer, who is fascinated by; textiles, colours and shapes. With her work she loves to create sustainable alternatives. At FASHIONCLASH Festival 2016 she will showcase her “I was a ….” collection made from recycled leather, with huge pride. She graduated from BA in Fashion Design at HKU The University of the Arts Utrecht.

You can see and buy Naomi Rachèl Timan's work at Designer Market. Friday July 1 open at 18:30 and Saturday July 2 open at 16:00 (free entrance).

What challenges did you face during the design process? 
Because it depends on what kind of recycled leather I find or get from people, (think of what size, colour, suede or flat leather) I never know for sure what my newest collection will be like. This makes it more fun to me, as every collection will never be exactly the same.

What do you want to communicate with your designs in general? 
My designs can be defined as minimalistic. Because of the story behind the material, the shape can’t distract too much. Every design has no lining, so you can see the total beauty of the leather when opening a bag.

Leonie & Lois - Spijkerbrij

Meet Leonie & Lois, a brand from Utrecht, the Netherlands.

After individually being titled as stylist, Leonie and Lois met each other 5 years ago at the School of Arts (HKU). They are inspired by each other with their different views on the same projects. Their mutual fascination for crafts and the passion for repurpose waste, results in graduating together with the project Spijkerbrij. In July 2014, they started their own company Leonie & Lois.


How would you describe your work? What is your technique?
To show the whole story and process from waste material to new products we build a portable factory. Our inspiration comes from crafts, by collecting knowledge from craftsman and turn it into a new concept. Spijkerbrij is a result of our visit to the old paper mill in Zaandam, where the still make paper out of old cloth. Instead of making paper of old jeans we wanted to press 3D-products.


"We think it's very important to show how a product is made, and who made it."


Have you shown your collections before? if so, where? 
Since last july we have been traveling around with our portable factory. It's great to see such a respond on our project. When we were graduated for only two weeks, our first showcase was at the Modefabriek in Amsterdam. After that we collaborated with stores by doing events together and with schools by giving workshops. In April we were part of the Amsterdam Denim Days and we took our factory international, giving live demonstrations at Salone del Mobile in Milan!

FASHIONCLASH Invito Shoe Design Challenge Winners are

the three winners:
Malou Fool,  Monique Schraven and Chris van den Elzen

In collaboration with Invito, FASHIONCLASH invited talent to develop a shoe concept where creativity and sustainability are coming together. The Shoe Design Challenge was born as a platform to contribute to the development of new (fashion) talent.

Ten designers, Malou Fool, Marleen Huijsmans, Lotte van de Laar, Judith van Vliet, Wendy van den Ham, Chris van den Elzen, Sarah El Mahi, Milou van den Berg, Monique Schraven and Milou Hillegers, where selected to work out their concepts.

Today the jury came together at Museum aan het Vrijthof in Maastricht, where all the design where exhibited.
The jury, existing of Bas Kosters, Invito and FASHIONCLASH awarded three designers. Men's shoe by Malou Fool and women's shoe by Monique Schraven will be taken into production and will be sold in Invito stores in 2014. Chris van den Elzen received an honorable mention for his innovative and inspiring shoe design.
We are very proud of this project and all ten designers who accepted this challenge.

All ten nominated designers and their designs

Selection time for Shoe Design Challenge

Today was the selection time for the 'FASHIONCLASH Shoe Design Challenge powered by Invito'. We sat with Invito and Museum aan het Vrijthof team and went through all the proposals. At last 11 promising and very diverse projects are selected and will be announced this week.