The So Catchy! Where Fashion Begins team had the honor of being invited to the seventh edition of FashionClash in Maastricht this last weekend. We spent three intense days there, full of things to see and lots and lots of fashion (the kind we like).
FashionClash is our kind of event because we share the same ideals and we both discover and support new talent and creativity.
Throughout the three-day event, we saw shows, the exhibition, the designers’ market and more, and we’ve found some truly amazing ideas. Throughout the city of Maastricht we could see the work of different artists, such as Alejandra Simonetta (find out more here) and Isabel Helf. We were like kids in a candy shop with all of the conceptual stores, art galleries and the company of so many talented professionals.
One of the concepts we encountered during our time there was a type of speeddating event. Over the course of two hours, we got to sit down, for no more than five minutes at a time, with the different designers to get to know more about their work and to talk to them. We finally got to meet Begüm Yildirim in person (check out her interview here), and she is indeed a lovely person and an artist who astonished everyone with her project, “Dictated”.
We met Into Into, the young designer who makes stunning pieces that walk the line between fashion and art. We’ll be talking to her soon so keep your eyes peeled for the interview. Bas Timmer and his unisex garments as well as the project he developed with Alexander der Groot: Hibernate also caught our eye. Hibernate is a non-profit project that offers the homeless sleeping bags and clothes for the cold nights. They collect donated scrap cloth and, on their own time, design, produce and distribute the clothing. Doesn’t that sound like a wonderful idea?
We can’t forget to mention the catwalks and the performances. The leitmotiv of this year’s edition of FashionClash was “Gender” and it came together seamlessly. We loved the work of Gia Baba, the transgender star of the show who came out on the catwalk for various designers. Of particular interest on the topic of inequality between the sexes and genders, was Hermione Flynn. Gia started out naked from the waist up and, progressively was dressed by the other models. The themes of sexuality, the world of transgender and freedom were on display.
On the catwalk there were all types of new and interesting proposals. We think the jury was spot on when they gave the Talent Award to Lautaro Amadeo Tambutto (LAT), from Argentina. They considered his presentation to be complete, meaningful, folkloric and full of style and we couldn’t agree more.
Patrick de Padua, from Portugal, won the prestigious Kaltblut Award for his collection of menswear and streetwear, “Promises”.
Among the recent graduates from the Maastricht Academy of Fine Arts and Design (MAFAD) we wanted to point out “Haname Girls” by Julia Aumann, which we found to be naïve, childlike, delicate and full of color and volume, and the winner of the Chapeau Magazine Award, Paula Reichert, with her collection “If you believe in reality, show me how to catch a lizard by its tail”; we especially loved the cut of the garments. We also wanted to mention the only male designer of the night, Reinder Schmidt, with his collection of mens streetwear “Changing Masculinity”, using technological fabrics and unusual patterns.
And there was so much more. We’ve made a list of absolute must-sees and we’ll bring you more on them over the next few weeks. It was a pleasure to be a part of FashionClash once again, defending the newest and most daring creativity and talent. The Festival this year has grown and, for that reason, they’ve just launched a Crowdfunding campaign through SpotOn (donate here by clicking on Doneer Nu) to continue growing into the future. And we’d like to know, why not try out a Spanish FashionClash?
Special thanks to Maxime Van Der Aa and the FashionClash team for taking such good care of us!. The program was complete and entertaining for the “special guests”. We felt quite at home.
Photos courtesy of Anabel Cuervas and Ela Colak for So Catchy! Where Fashion Begins
Translation and Layout by Michael Padilla
