About me

About fashion

3.1 Who are your favorite fashion designers and what are your favorite fashion brands?

Designers: Raf Simons, Christian Dior, Martin Margiela, Vivienne Westwood, Jan Taminiau, Claes Iversen, Yohij Yamamoto, Henrik Vibskov, Paul Smith and many more.

 Brands: COS, Fillipa K, Nike and G-star.

3.2 I like fashion a lot, how do I get into fashion?

I get this question often, or a remark: oh what nice, you studied fashion design!  People will start asking what will be the latest trends. Or that their outfit is okay. (It’s okay, don’t worry. I don’t wear the hippest of the hip either. And having your own style is so much better than following hypes.) And after that a lot of time the question involves if the fashion industry pays good or how to get into that world.

Well, I start with the first question. There are a lot of ways to get into fashion. It all depends on what you want to do, who do you know that’s in it and how hard you willing to work. I can’t say that I in it now – I am more like everything in my life – a satellite that is connected but yet far away. I think I can define a few ways how people get into fashion.

The business related studies: Here are the big bucks by the way. People who studied business and often become buyers, controllers, merchandisers, brand managers with in company. These are the jobs that pay lot more from the get going than someone in the design department.

Design degree (fashion design, textile design, industrial design): often find a job as designer, stylist, trend researcher, graphics designer, art direction, content creator, graphic designer and as visual merchandiser in a store. These jobs are hard to find and the industry is looking – to be frank – more and more for people for the business and management side of the industry. Extra note for the design positions: in the beginning you will not earn that much. If you and someone who studied business administration: they will likely will have a higher salary. 

3.3 What are the best schools for fashion design / management?

It is has been a while that I graduated from art and fashion school. And at this moment most colleges are re-writing their syllabus to future-proof the new students. But the main philosophies of each academy still stays the same. Some schools prepare their students to become a conceptual thinker. Those are the people who are more likely to work for a fashion maison at the higher end of the industry. Other schools will shape commercial professionals who will work at (fast moving) companies.

So, the first question you need to ask yourself: what kind of fashion professional do I want to be? When you want to work at a high-end company such as Céline, Stella McCartney or Acne, you firstly asked at Open days where alumni are working. Or browse on the websites of the institutes. 

With the years I have gather some insight where people end up after graduation. If I can sum up a few names that have a bit more preparations for high end brands are Central Saint Martins (UK), Hogeschool voor de Schone Kunsten Antwerpen (BE) and ArtEZ Fashion design (NL). If you prefer to work for a wider audience and commercial you can also apply for these colleges. For in depth commercial thinking study Amsterdam Fashion Institute (NL) and FIT (US) are excellent choices. All these are colleges or university of applied sciences.

In the end you still have do the work. An internship is a great way to let people get to know you. Some schools already have some connections, but don’t relay on that. For your assignments and your work you do outside the assignments you can prepare the perfect portfolio for your dream workplace.

3.4 How do you prepare your admission to get into a fashion school?

My knowledge might be outdated, but the general take on doing admission for a creative studies: have a portfolio with your progress and train of thought! Don’t show only the finished illustrations, photos and videos. Teachers want to know your process and your WHY: what is the story you want to tell. Give a background where you from. Maybe you grew up on a farm and gather natural fibers to show the beauty of nature. And that we need to be more protective of it. Or, you have interesting cultural background that gives your work a mix of juxtaposing elements. And you want to tell with your work how societies can be tolerant. Find your niche and your underlaying interest that defines in the end your creative style.

I get itching when people say that fashion is their passion. It shows a lack in the depth that is in fashion – yeah there is a more that meets the eye. Fashion is to a large amount just clothes, but your clothing tells al lot about your mood, status and class. In fact it is the first people what will see. That makes fashion – actually clothing – a power tool in a visual world we live it. 

And second, passion means to die for, in the wake of clothing been made under poor conditions it is so insensible to say fashion is a passion. I rather say that fashion is a reflection of our society and the world. And I am deeply impressed in the craftsmanship of this product. And I am doing my best to improve its production: that no one should die making it and we make last.

3.5 Should you have a degree in fashion to get a job in fashion?

The answer is no, you don’t. They are a lot of people who work in fashion with no direct degree or diploma from a fashion school or art academy. But, if you love it so much I would recommend you to go for it. The sooner you get into the network, the better. 

Second reason applying for an art school is that you will have 4 years of receiving real feedback. This is something you will not have good excess to if you start with a fashion brand from your attic. Feedback is essential to improve your art and also develop your style better. And yes, feedback can be harsh sometimes, but in the end working with clients, buyers and other companies you will have to deal with (harsh) feedback too.

If fashion is something what you really want to do, what do you have to lose? Even I that had to pay it by myself, with no resources went full in. Yes, it is not as secure as for example studying to become a medical specialist. Oh, but even that is no grandee that you work as a doctor. At this moment nothing will give you a golden ticket into an industry. So take you chance, honey.

3.6 But wait, what about safety in the fashion industry and fashion schools?!

Well, that is good question. I have based my graduation research (in 2021/2022) at my visual arts teacher training on my experiences at AMFI during 2005 – 2009. Especially about this issue. 

I really liked the study at AMFI, but with the years something started to feel off. Not just about the study but the fashion industry in whole. My experience at AMFI was tainted by this teacher who slowly to took over the control of the fashion design department. With this he put in a regime that divided students in winners and losers. And you might it guess it: white students versus black and students of Color. When I bumped into former classmates (often the ones that are of Color) years after graduation we talked about the absence of us as fashion professionals in the fashion companies. But that the branding of the fashion brands is tapped from the coolness of our cultures or another non-western cultures. And water downed (or better said: white washed) to appeal to (white) customers. 

For my graduation project at the Master’s in Art Education I will do more research into the power of teachers at art academies. And how hip-hop pedagogy can help to make Dutch art academies more receptive for a global perspective within their curriculums. 

To come back to the question: efforts are made, but the reality is still bleak. I hear a lot of stories about students who don’t belong to the norm – aka are black or of color – that are getting harass by fellow classmates or teachers, presented as tokens, need to teach their teachers, don’t see representation in their teachers or curriculum that is still outdated. There is a long way to go. But don’t let this bother you to go to an art school: show up, be present, because by people being present in institutions like art academies means they can’t avoid that our stories exists. And that they matter.