Psychedelische trance, speelgoed voor volwassenen en hoofddoekjes bij AMFI Transit
In het Amsterdamse World Fashion Centre is het vrijdagavond feest: 120 afgestudeerden van de HvA-modeopleiding AMFI tonen daar de hele avond hun werk aan bekende mode-ontwerpers, familie, vrienden en pers. Volgens Kimberly Waldbillig, docent en medeorganisator van AMFI Transit, zijn de projecten dit jaar ‘opvallend divers’. Bij welke studenten moet je zeker een kijkje gaan nemen? Folia selecteerde er drie.
Christian Mpamo (21), Fashion & Management
‘Voor mijn afstudeerscriptie heb ik een maand lang rondgelopen in Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam en Den Haag, waar ik 130 vrouwen met een hoofddoek sprak en er daarvan 80 fotografeerde. Met hen ging ik in gesprek over hun geloof: ik vroeg ze wat hun hoofddoek voor ze betekent en hoe ze die combineren met mode en het vormgeven van hun identiteit.
‘Ik richtte me op vrouwen tussen de 17 en 30 jaar, de jongste generatie. Zij zijn geboren en getogen in Nederland en hebben veel van de westerse cultuur meegekregen, en ik wilde weten of je dat ook terugziet in hun kledingstijl. Wat blijkt? Waar het vroeger verlegen en bescheiden bleef, durven vrouwen met een hoofddoek nu veel gewaagdere kledingkeuzes te maken. Ze laten bijvoorbeeld delen van hun haar zien, terwijl dat eerder not done was. Of ze dragen hun hoofddoek in combinatie met een tuinbroek of een stoer bomberjack. Mijn indruk is dat dit te maken heeft met de opkomst van social media. Via instagram, twitter en Facebook kunnen modebloggers tegenwoordig miljoenen mensen over de hele wereld inspireren.
'Behalve Mango, die recent met een ramadancollectie is uitgekomen en V&D, die een ramadanstore heeft, zijn er niet veel merken die zich richten op moslima’s. Daarom heb ik een editorial geschreven voor Grazia, waarin ik modebedrijven adviseer hoe ze vrouwen met een hoofddoekje kunnen betrekken bij hun collectie, zonder daarmee meteen de bestaande doelgroep af te schrikken. Ik hoop te laten zien dat geloofsovertuigingen en mode prima hand in hand kunnen gaan.
Vanaf zaterdag is Mpamo’s Grazia-editorial te vinden op zijn blog.
Credits bij de foto’s: Photography: Valentine Bouquet, Concept & Styling: Christian Mpamo, Model: Wendy Pols @Ulla Models, Ass Styling: Tessa Bosma, Ass Styling: Louise Kluit, Hair and Make-Up: Sisley Aymee Angenois
Abbie Stirrup (22), Fashion & Design
‘The collection is inspired by a recent life changing experience I had on a psychedelic trance festival in Portugal. Without going into much detail, I can say that the festival completely changed my outlook on life. It’s like a whole new world and a different way of living there. Everything I was brought up to think about as a child, what was right and what was wrong, turned out to be completely the opposite. Everyone is loving and nobody is above anyone. Money turned out to be a whole different concept as well: it’s all about sharing and giving.
‘I’ve created six outfits that represent this experience. It’s a runway collection, so the outfits will be worn by models on the catwalk. They come in three stages: from black – being in a dark place – into crazy, bright colors which represent the sky at nighttime, into white – because I felt reborn and cleansed after the festival. Although I’m aware that it’s quite a big statement, I really believe that if people would live the way we were living at the festival, the world would be a much better place. We all think we care for each other and yeah, our neighbor will help us when we’re in trouble. But it’s not unless you’ve been to Boom (the festival, ed.) that you know what love really is about.
‘After the festival it was hard for me coming back. I wanted to implement the experience I had there in my everyday life. But I still had to go to school, do my graduation and kind of live like I was living before. That created quite some tension. I had to find a balance between two worlds, which I think I figured out pretty well with my graduation collection: by taking all the inspiration from the festival and turning it into something creative, I hope to open other people’s eyes.’
Christopher Riedl (28), Fashion & Branding
‘I developed a brand extension into a new market, for the fashion brand COS. We all are very busy, and that in combination with the complete overload of internet led me to think that we sometimes need an escape, something that calms us down and will take our stress away. That’s why I invented COS PLAY: toys for grownups. In line of COS’s ‘wardrobe classics’ – a skirt, a shirt or a dress, clothes that everyone has or should have – I took some classics from our childhood and translated them to today. For instance, I produced prototypes of spinning tops and wooden cubes, but then gave them a contemporary COS-like coloring.
‘I picked COS because I really love the brand. It’s very much in line with what I like and what I wear, it has outstanding material and is very highly designed. What’s particularly special about COS is that clean, minimalistic, Scandinavian look they have. I’ve already worked in the COS-shop at Leidsestraat for the past three years. They have those string shelves, where they place accessories and shoes, and I imagined my toys can be put there as well. People would buy them for themselves or as a gift, and then they’d place the toys in their office, so when they’re working really hard and get stuck with their ideas, they could just grab it and play with it and let creativity flow.
‘As a brander at AMFI, you have to show that you can work with an existing brand and translate it into something new. So of course, all of our ideas are hypothetical. But the great thing is that COS actually likes my idea. The area manager said he was impressed by it, so that was great feedback, and he sent it to the critics department in Londen. I’m now waiting for their assessment.’
COS PLAY - Playful Design Objects by COS from Christopher Riedl on Vimeo.
