Camiel Fortgens founded his eponymous brand in 2014 with the aim to challenge the fashion industry in its habit of selling a polished image. Unpolished are at least Camiel Fortgens’ hems - a true distinguishing feature of the brand. Overall, his campaigns and lookbooks signalise a realistic and authentic approach that is relatable to most people. Typical motifs of his work are an imperfect and reconstructed look sportily combined with Asics sneakers contrasting what most people would consider “normal”. To put it differently, the designer bridges the gap between avant-garde and classic tailoring with his unconventional approach. The garments are handmade in Europe and from the highest quality fabrics sourced in Europe and Japan. Camiel Fortgen’s active decision against going to a fashion school, but the Design Academy Eindhoven helped him to get an untarnished and impartial view on fashion design aside from all its conventions and rules that it usually brings with it. Foundational are the brand's core values of craftsmanship, outspokenness, accessabilty, timelessness and being unisex. For AW22 Camiel Fortgens created warming oversized basics with exposed seams and asymmetric hems. The colour palette relies on the shades of the additive colour mixing model - RGB - red, green and blue that are combined with a range of seasonal brown tones.
The name Róhe Frames directly makes one think of German-American architect Mies van der Rohe who strongly shaped the image of modernist architecture in the 20th century - a style movement that follows the motto “less is more”. A motto that resolutely resonates with the Róhe Frames brand. Over the period of the pandemic, the brand under creative direction of Marieke Meulendijks grew out of the already beloved label Les Coyotes de Paris. In comparison to Les Coyotes de Paris which incorporates younger and more playful elements, Róhe Frames with its intuitive feeling for the Zeitgeist caters to all customers that feel and felt more drawn to timeless and functional staple pieces of long-lasting quality particularly in the context of rapidly changing times.
Founded in 2021, the brand embraces clean, puristic and purposeful designs that transcend seasons. Photography, architecture and modern art can be considered Marieke’s main sources of inspiration when it comes to design. Not only the designs aim for a long time use of the garment, it is also the fabrication just like the materials used. 90% of clothing is made in Europe avoiding long and Co2-emission-loaded supply chains. Moreover, the denim collection consists of over 75% recycled cotton. Lastly, the brand is also characterised by its multidisciplinary spirit by continuously giving a range of artists a canvas for collaborations. For their AW22 presentation Fransje Gimbrère created textile sculpturesexploring the dialog between fashion crafmanship and art.
The next Amsterdam addition is label Ninamounah headed by Ninamounah Langestraat and Paiman Azizi. Uncommonly, the designer with Indonesian roots initially started studying biology before she found her passion in textile design and philosophy at Rietveld Academy. Most people who dramatically change their academic path, wouldn’t look back to their initial choice - not Ninamounah though. The designer does not feel like compromising on either of the two disciplines. She even calls herself “a biologist that uses fashion as a medium”. In other words, Ninamounah uses biological methods in order to dissect the deeper layers of the cultural mantle found in fashion design. In her work she strongly outlines the animalistic characteristics in humanity and states that “we are all animals wearing a dress of culture”. Reappearing styles in her collections are leather motor suits, French corsetry and pinstripe tailoring. The brand returns to The Fashion Olymp which is Paris Fashion Week after their successful début earlier this year. It would have not been a Ninamounah collection though, if she did not incorporate her sometimes very cruel and brutal references of flora and fauna. The SS23 collection titled “The Gatherers” roots in Ninamounah’s fascination for carnivorous plants such as the Venus flytrap and pitcher plants devouring their prey in the dissolving liquids inside the plant. Her tailoring pieces evoke the impression of roots, while some cut outs seemingly look like bites from carnivorous plants.
Originally, Wandler started as a pure handbag brand. Known for its iconic handbag silhouette the Hortensia, the brand catapulted its way into the hearts of influencers and tastemakers across the globe. Well, which product category feels right after already having landed a hit in the handbag game? - Shoes, of course!
From 2019, the designer started adding heels, mules and loafers to her collections, slowly but surely building her own wardrobe.
Asked how she would describe her own brand, Elza Wandler tells us that her designs are “architectural in shape, bold in colour and they are having a modern take on femininity”. Her success doesn't seem to fade, the designer just celebrated her 5th anniversary during Amsterdam Fashion Week with a rave inspired party in an artmuseum wrapped in apple green - the brand’s distinguishing feature. However, notime resting on laurels for busy Elza. During Paris Fashion Week, Elza presented her first ready-to-wear collection for SS23 in which she introduces dresses, skirts and tailoring in dynamic colours and silhouettes completing her personal wardrobe, but surely also a dream of hers. The brand’s first RTW collection draws inspiration from Boticelli’s Birth of Venus envisioning the ultimate muse dressed head to toe in Wandler. The mythological references can especially be seen in the names of the different styles such as the Clio Long Shirt or the Olympia Dress.
