Girl works in atelier in Arnhem Modekwartier district
© Merel Tuk
Category:News Resources

New Dutch: Fashion revolution - Oct. 16, 2024

Clothing made from cow dung, leather made from mango peel and fabrics made from solar cells – New Dutch Fashion stands for forward-looking innovations that are revolutionising the fashion industry. A new generation of fashion designers is bursting with creativity, developing visionary concepts and has the goal of changing the fashion world in the long term. In doing so, it attaches great importance to environmentally friendly materials and production methods, which include the use of unusual, organic or recycled materials.

When you hear the terms "fashion" and "haute couture", you first think of metropolises like Milan, Paris or New York. But Arnhem can also join the list of major fashion cities. Arnhem not only hosted the Fashion Biennale for years, but is also home to the renowned art school ArtEZ, whose fashion courses are among the best in Europe. Among the graduates is Iris van Herpen, who is widely regarded as one of the most talented and forward-thinking fashion designers.

Again and again, the exceptional talent redefines the boundaries of fashion design in a fascinating way. In her work, van Herpen combines craftsmanship with state-of-the-art technology. She often uses unconventional materials and advanced processes such as 3D printing to realize her creations. This creates complex and sculptural forms that are reminiscent of human anatomy and even convince stars like Beyoncé and Lady Gaga. Her designs have brought her international recognition.

Pauline van Dongen phone charging via dress

Also studying at the ArtEZ art school and famous for her creations is fashion designer Pauline van Dongen. Her work is characterized by her minimalist approach and the functional, wearable properties of her designs. Under her fashion label, van Dongen conducts intensive research into experimental high-tech materials in combination with traditional production techniques. For example, their famous, "smart" fabrics were created from solar cells. For example, it integrates solar cells into the fabric to charge smartphones.

Jalila Essaïdi also shows that Dutch fashion designers combine other disciplines with fashion and can rather be described as innovators and pioneers and can rather be described as innovators and pioneers. She is a Dutch artist and entrepreneur from Eindhoven who specializes in bio-based materials and biological art. But what does this have to do with fashion? One of her best-known projects is Mestic, a method in which she converts excess manure from cow manure into plastics and creations.

The annual Dutch Sustainable Fashion Week The first fashion week of its kind focuses on making sustainable fashion developments in the Netherlands visible and accessible to all. This is also what the creators of the New Order of Fashion are all about. It empowers young talents to make sustainable decisions as early as the design phase. They want to create an alternative fashion system that benefits our planet.

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