At the Amsterdam Fashion Academy we believe that our students should experience first-hand how the fashion industry works. Therefore, we implement industry external visits so they can have an insight.
Some days ago we had the opportunity to visitDifuzed, which develops lifestyle products from a variety of brands based on entertainment, fashion, sports, and consumer goods across apparel & fashion accessories. They currently partner up with more than 100 of the most recognised and reputable brands in the world. Our students visited their office, including their warehouse, showroom, sourcing, photo studio, and design and sales departments.
“Last week we visited the company Difuzed. I really enjoyed the tour the company gave us since it opened my perspective on the different types of branding and marketing strategies involved in this type of business. From knowing little to nothing about this before, I learned a great extent about licensing, and about their merchandise for kids and adults. We also looked at their warehouse of the merchandise they provide, and I loved to see how everything works from start to finish. Seeing all of this in action gave me a possible idea and interest for my future in the workplace.” Denisse Hamue, Year 1 bachelor’s degree Fashion Business.
“Last week’s visit to Difuzed was not only an eye-opening experience but also a fun one. We gained lots of knowledge about the world of licensing and got an inside view of what it is like to work there as well. The team at Difuzed is a small but creative group of individuals working in a fast-paced environment.” Tiana Bhojwani, Year 1 bachelor’s degree Fashion Business.
“Our visit to Difuzed was most insightful. We were granted access to the building and given an informative tour through the offices and warehouse. In closing the CEO and several key employees prepared an incredibly extensive presentation on the workings of the fashion merchandising world. Overall, it was a positive and educational experience which inspired me to research the industry further and even to apply for an internship.” Lara Kuiperi, Year 1 bachelor’s degree Fashion Design.
Thanks to a collaboration with Mediamatic, our first-year BA (Hons) degree students will participate to the next DDW Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven, Netherlands, from the 16th until the 24th of October, 2021. This collaboration led to the creation of 30 costume designs of a variety of species to advocate and celebrate biodiversity. Mediamatic is an Amsterdam-based art centre dedicated to new developments in the arts focusing on nature, biotechnology and art+science.
How can we promote more empathy for the other species on the planet using fashion? Can we see the world from a non-human perspective by dressing up and becoming an insect, a plant or an animal?
With these questions, Mediamatic and Amsterdam Fashion Academy challenged the new students of the BA (Hons) degree programmes in designing garments inspired by biodiversity during the Induction Week 2021.
“From October 16–24, we celebrate the diversity of life on Earth by dressing up as something else. We are creating an ongoing program during Dutch Design Week in which we organize a large interspecies costume party together with artists, designers, scientists, and the public. An advance on the new carnival!
Humans are just beginning to discover the richness of our planet’s biodiversity, and with it the value of each individual species within our ecosystem. At the same time, this biodiversity is shrinking rapidly.
How can we break out of our anthropocentric worldview and learn to feel more empathy for the other species on the planet? Can we train to see the world from a non-human perspective by wrapping ourselves in pink velvet and becoming the endangered pink velvet worm?
During Dutch Design Week we will create an open costume LAB. We challenge artists, designers, make-up artists, makers, and passers-by to dress themselves and each other as the beautiful species that make up our ecosystem.
A costume of a fungus? Or dress up like a fungus? A scented mask that looks like a dahlia? or painting your face like a water bear? All these ways are translated into Instructables and that will lead to a large collection of DIY biodiversity costumes that we will publish in a DIY guide to Carnival.
During DDW we will fill the Natlab building with workshops, masterclasses, lectures, films, exhibitions, and dining experiences around this theme: A large and ambitious program that works towards an even larger project during Carnival 2022 and beyond.
Carnival is traditionally a tradition in which people are invited to break out of the existing hierarchical structures, by becoming someone else for a while. A lot has been modernized in society in the meantime and the question is whether this escapism is still as urgent as it has been. But what if we become something else instead of someone else during Carnival? Could this be a possible exercise to empathize with another part of our ecosystem?
Ultimately, our goal is to hack Carnival with costumes and festivities around biodiversity. We take the do-it-yourself guide that was made during DDW as a starting point. This project includes workshops, lectures, and collaborations with carnival organizations in the run-up to the carnival festivities”, explains Mediamatic in a press release.
“We are delighted by the opportunity to bring our students at the DDW Dutch Design Week, the biggest design event in Northern Europe. This is not only a big chance for them to work on a real project and to participate in an important event among many professional designers, but it also encourages the students to analyse biodiversity and apply their critical thinking skills to come out with solutions that would meet the project’s goal”, comments Cristiano Carciani, Head of School. “I extend my congratulations also to my colleagues Adele Parker, Laura Malone and Giancarlo Pazzanese who made this possible and worked closely with each student”.
“I am pleased to develop a creative brief that combines fashion, design, sustainability and raising awareness on biodiversity, this project touches upon all these areas and immediately triggered creative thinking of our young students”, Giancarlo Pazzanese, full-time lecturer.
We are looking forward to meeting the visitors of the DDW Dutch Design Week at Mediamatic’s space at Natlab building, Strijp-S area, Kastanjelaan 500 in Eindhoven, Netherlands.
Interview with Radha Jethu, Associate Head of School, about the evolution of the fashion industry and the future of fashion business.
What is your role within the Amsterdam Fashion Academy?
I am part of the management team and I am responsible for the BA (Hons) Fashion Business programme. Regarding the students, I supervise with their dissertations and this year I started teaching the second-year students with future proving fashion business, which is about conducting fashion business on an international level. I wrote a textbook on how to conduct business within the European union, it’s a dutch textbook but the publisher also translated the book to English, it is called International Business.
What interests you most about fashion business?
Well, I think it is a dynamic field and my passion is making the industry more sustainable. Sustainability in the sense of environmental issues. I have to be honest, that’s one of my main focus points, but also human rights and a living wage for workers in production countries. So, my passion about fashion is making it more sustainable in the sense of human rights. I am a lawyer, and my background is based on justice and respecting each other’s human rights. Improving working conditions in production countries such as Asia, Africa, South America and even in the UK. I attended a seminar in the UK based on sustainability and I was really shocked that even on the outsides of London there are areas with factories that have labour conditions that were not up to standard. I know there has been steps taken on a worldwide level to rectify this. I love fashion and I love the process behind fashion, but there still requires more focus on human rights and social responsibility.
Fashion business is ever evolving, especially in recent times. How do you keep the programmes in line with emerging business trends?
We have our Professional Advisory Committee, so they keep us focused on what is currently happening within the fashion industry. We also attend seminars and meetings with relevant institutions, we talk a lot with the industry. They are our resources to keep us up to date with industry movements. It’s important for the students to see what is happening in the professional field. With the help we get from the professional advisory board, students can have a meeting with recruiters that are working in industry with great brands.
Have you seen students showing more interest in online fashion business?
Yes, what we have noticed that not only online business, but social media marketing is obviously a popular topic more recently. Most people think TikTok is only for children but they have a business option, and it is a proven social media marketing tool.
What area in fashion business do you see the most growth?
The future of fashion business is definitely in social media marketing and branding. Covid influenced fashion by implementing a more comfortable style so we see our students having more of a focus on lounge wear. We have seen collaborations in industry between luxury and streetwear brands as a result of this, a great example being LV x SUPREME.
You mentioned working with the students on their dissertations. What do you think makes a great subject matter?
Basically, the focus point is on the theoretical part, so we look into contemporary topics. The most popular topic is obviously fast/slow fashion and making the fashion industry more sustainable. So that is the theoretical part, and on the practical side is lots of field research.
There has been a recent focus on learning entrepreneurial skills with Amsterdam Fashion Academy, could you tell us more about the changes?
Yes, we have changed the curriculum and implemented an entrepreneurial side of the fashion business and design programmes. So now we have a shared entrepreneurial course for our business and design students where they can collaborate together as this is what happens once you are in a professional field. You have to work together. So, with this entrepreneurial focus, students learn how to run their own business or have skills they can utilise once hired in industry.
It was very theoretical when I studied at university and there were a lot of students complaining that their knowledge was only based on theory. The Dutch system was changed so we have the theoretical part but also the practical side like internships. They are a very important part to our programme and the students learn a lot from them. The internships within our programmes are mandatory for 4 months. We are looking to maybe add another internship for 6 months as we see such great results. We see students that sometimes struggle with the theoretical parts of the programme do extremely well once within their internships. You really see a difference.
With two publications already do you have plans for anymore?
No, I think it’s time to slow down. I think the adjustment from covid lockdown made us all learn to take the time for ourselves and relax more.
On Sunday the 30th of June 2019 the Amsterdam Fashion Academy celebrated the graduation of its students from the Bachelor’s (Hons) degree programmes in Fashion Business and Fashion with Textiles Design, at the exclusive Andaz hotel in Amsterdam. The event included an open exhibition of some Final Major Projects of the BA (Hons) Fashion Business graduates and a fashion show presenting the final collections of the 2019 fashion graduates from the BA (Hons) Fashion with Textiles Design.
After an introduction speech by Cristiano Carciani, Head of Academic Affairs, the stage was set for a celebration of sustainable, highly creative and innovative fashion, as design graduates showed their final collections on the catwalk. This, together with the exhibited Final Major Projects of Fashion Business graduates, was the crowning glory of three years hard work, a culmination of skills, knowledge and creativity. Following on from this came the formal ritual of recognition: the graduation ceremony. Where tradition set the tone as student’s clad in caps and gowns came forward to accept their degree from Cristiano Carciani and by doing so accepting the recognition for their endeavours and walking away as graduates. This new generation of 2019 fashion graduates are all determined to make their mark in fashion and change the industry into a more sustainable and humane one. One they can all be proud to be part of. We wish them all the best.
Photo: Ping Huang
“It’s the third year in a row that the Andaz hotel is hosting our Graduation Ceremony. The cosy, elegant and charming spaces perfectly represent the Amsterdam Fashion Academy’s characteristics. It’s the perfect location to celebrate our 2019 graduates who have been personally guided by our international teaching staff during the last 3 years. Finally, each one of them is ready for a bright career in the fashion industry with projects and collections addressing relevant topics in today’s society, from sustainable techniques to Japanese aesthetics and appreciation”, Cristiano Carciani, Head of Academic Affairs.
Photo: Maaike Daatselaar Model: instagram.com/fridamvdw_ Make-up: Art of Colors makeup school
The 2019 fashion graduates arrived at our international fashion university three years ago full of the desire to learn and now, they are all highly-skilled and knowledgeable, not just in the practical skills they have acquired, but also as confident, self-assured individuals who are aware of how they work and of their own strengths and weaknesses. They have been followed by the teaching staff according to personal approach principle that runs this private fashion university.
The Amsterdam Fashion Academy is a private international fashion school situated in the heart of Amsterdam; this state-of the-art academy has become a hub of student-centred learning with a high level of personal attention while also focusing on graduate employability. The Amsterdam Fashion Academy prides itself on being a, small and personal fashion academy putting quality before quantity. In 2017 it moved to its current location in an elegant townhouse in the heart of Amsterdam, which helps create a more friendly and informal atmosphere where students can get to know each other better and inspire each other.
Are you considering to attend a fashion short course after the summer? Would like to study a course in the evening and learn about trend forecasting and marketing? Stefania Pino attended our short course ‘Fashion Forecasting, Marketing & Buying’ in February and March 2019 at Amsterdam Fashion Academy, and she learned about trend forecasting, fashion branding, fashion marketing, consumer profiling and much more that broadened her knowledge in fashion. Stefania is here to share her experience during the 8 weeks at our international fashion university. Please, read her story, and perhaps you’ll be interested in the attending a fashion short course in autumn 2019!
My name is Stefania Pino, I’m a 24 year old Italian girl and I’ve been living in Amsterdam since one and an half year ago. I work as a Marketing & Communication Executive in a small independent coffee company based here. I was always attracted by the fashion world and that’s why I decide to attend a fashion short course at the Amsterdam Fashion Academy, beside my full-time job.
I chose the “Fashion Forecasting, Marketing & Buying” short course because that’s what I would like to achieve in my future career: keep working in the marketing department but for a fashion company! I have acquired my knowledge studying Marketing and Fashion photography in Italy, but I needed a better understanding of how to apply them to the fashion system. There is so much to learn and I always suggest to follow the Bachelor’s degree programmes if you can!
The best part of the course was Rosie Martinez, our wonderful lecturer! Despite the short time available, she was able to touch all the different topics. My favourite subject was definitely Trend Forecasting: analyzing trends from the past, how they changed over time, and predicting what will come next. The most challenging part of this fashion short course was to attend it after an 8-hour working day! But the atmosphere in the classroom was lovely and relaxing and I met really nice people. Thanks to this course I will definitely continue my journey in the Fashion world!
Are you interested in doing a short course learn on Trend Forecasting and strategies in reaching consumer market? Apply now for the ‘Fashion Forecasting, Marketing & Buying’ short course and study every Tuesday evening from 2nd October till 27th November. Take action before the summer holidays!
Our first-year students from BA (Hons) Fashion with Textiles Design worked on a project related to fashion sustainability for their Textiles module taught by Alexandra Barker. The project was displayed at the ABN AMRO Bank N.V. in Dam Square, Amsterdam. Throughout the module, our students explored different methods of making fashion more sustainable and learnt skills they can implement in future designs. Additionally, the students learnt about the importance of championing the message of sustainability within the fashion industry.
With the demand for sustainable products constantly increasing in fashion, brands are not just working on ways of making their products more sustainable in order to please the consumers; they are also reflecting on the way that they are addressing the issue. So what type of sustainable measures are shoppers looking for? Nosta conducted a survey asking what consumers look for in ‘sustainable fashion brands’. Reducing package material, using recycled fabrics in garments, and providing fair and safe labour environments were among the top responses. However, companies are still working on their own strategies for approaching the issue.
Read the full article by Huw Hughes on FashionUnited. Click here.
The Amsterdam Fashion Academy is proud to announce that the lecturer Laura Malone has been invited to be part of the jury at Zalando Lounge Design Contest, which invites students, creatives, designers and interested parties to come up with a design idea for a jute bag that will create a moment of happiness in daily life and thus increase the general awareness of happiness.
Originally from Ireland, Laura Malone is a fashion designer, illustrator and lecturer in the BA (Hons) Fashion Design, Fashion Foundation Diploma and Fast-Track Fashion Design & Business programmes. She has lived and worked in Amsterdam for more than four years. In the course of her career Laura worked together with international brands to develop concepts, trend forecasts and the developments of capsule collections.
“I feel so honoured to be part of the Zalando Lounge Design Contest. I can’t wait to see the creativity of the entrees and expect to see an exciting array of ideas filled with joyful designs. Working with the creative and innovative Zalando team is a very exciting prospect”, says Laura Malone.
“Zalando Lounge is delighted to announce that Amsterdam Fashion Academy’s very own lecturer, Laura Malone, will be one of our judges to the much anticipated Zalando Lounge Design Contest. Laura’s expertise in Fashion alongside her experience in teaching makes her a perfect judge for the competition and we are looking forward to seeing her favourite designs submitted by students!”, says Marielord Lumumba, Senior PR & Corporate Communications Manager for Zalando Lounge.
Evelina Anglickaite, Isabelle Wildenburg, Joanna Grice, Myrthe van der Leden and Zara Kanaan have worked during the first semester in the conceptualisation, research and design of their final major projects and are now in the process of creating the collections. FashionUnited will cover the students’ experience during Paris Fashion Week on its Instagram stories on March 5th from 3:00pm.
“For my final collection I made a research about a country that is unknown in the Western world: North Korea. I’ve inspired by the oppressing feeling of the dictatorship as well as visuals and colour palette by the music video “Coup d’état” by the south Korean rapper G-Dragon. This music video visually represents the feeling of a dictatorship very well and stimulates the feeling of fighting back.” – Myrthe van der Leden
“Western beauty is radiance, majesty, grandness and broadness. In comparison, Eastern beauty is desolateness. Humility. Hidden beauty”, says Shozo Kato. The Japanese Aesthetics are a set of ancient ideals which underpin much of the Japanese culture and aesthetics norms on what is considered tasteful and beautiful. It is a worldview, a lifestyle. Seen throughout architecture, design and art, it is the true core behind traditional Japan, defining every element and detail. For this collection, a deeper insight will be taken into Japanese Aesthetic Principles and architecture – what truly was the surrounding environment of the ancient Japanese – as well as exploring the relationship between nature and innovation, simplicity and tranquillity.” – Evelina Anglickaite
“Welcome to 2019. We are currently living in the future and the nature of a human being is evolving along with digital technology. This collection is designed for the future costumer. She is empowered, provocative and full of velocity. Most of all, expressing myself through my art is one of the morales that I live by, so I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to create this collection and share it with creative minds. So excited for the Paris Fashion Week!” – Zara Kanaan
“Dress icons of tomorrow with designer outfits carrying the message that says: take care of each other and the planet we live on. Sustainable and responsible fashion also can be of top quality and care about the people working in the production process the same time. The D1RT Sports Collection carries a message. A protest against polluting the world and following the. It’s a rebel collection as well as a promise. A promise to be an icon in the world of tomorrow with a message of the past that we can do better, be smarter, more beautiful from the inside and out.” – Isabelle Wildenburg
Follow the students’ experience at ParIs Fashion on our Instagram stories or on FashionUnited on March 5th from 3:00pm.
My story with fashion started long time ago when I was 17 years old and wanted to do my first bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design, but life made me to put my dreams apart. After 10 years, 3 different professions and several countries, I understood that I couldn’t hide my dreams anymore, but I needed to do what I like and follow my dream, starting with a pattern cutting par-time course.
The Amsterdam Fashion Academy is the place where I decided to dream again and learn how to make dresses the way I want. Before that, I took sewing classes but using already-existing patterns was not enough for me. Therefore, I enrolled in the part-time course Pattern Cutting & Construction Techniques and it was perfect! The programme was just what I was looking for.
My experience exceeded my expectations. I learned much more than it was listed in the course, because the lecturer and Academy give you the freedom and space to learn whatever you want to learn. The group was small enough to learn and big enough to make friends, so the atmosphere was always great, and I was looking forward every week to the class.
Few months later the pattern cutting part-time course I started my own fashion brand Masha Maria. It is vintage-inspired clothing offering unique sustainable handmade garments. Of course, I would like to do everything, but what I have learned in the course, besides the technical aspect, it that we should spend my time wisely and understand what we can or can’t do. Therefore, I decided to start with winter wool coats for men and women made from vintage blankets. I have started my Kickstarter campaign where I want to offer wider range of garments.
The Pattern Cutting part-time course at the Amsterdam Fashion Academy has taught me to experiment at not being afraid of mistakes – they happen, it is part of the process and this is how you learn and grow. I would definitely recommend it, because it gives you all the tools to become self-made fashion designer and do what you love!
THE PATTERN CUTTING & CONSTRUCTION PART-TIME COURSE WILL START AGAIN ON THE 11TH OF JANUARY 2019. CONTACT US ON INFO@AMSTERDAMFASHIONACADEMY.COM
The Amsterdam Fashion Academy is happy to invite you to visit its first world-inspired fashion show exhibition on Thursday, the 13th of December 2018 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm. Simultaneously, a lecture about branding will be offered by the creative boutique agency Mamma Soup.
23 students, coming from all corners of the world, chose to continue their studies and to gain professional skills in this private international fashion school situated in the heart of Amsterdam. The fashion show exhibition will include several pieces, such as jackets realised by the second-year BA (Hons) Fashion Design students, two dresses created by Emma and inspired by her childhood in Shanghai, two clothes by Tiffany, from Tokyo, inspired by a Parisian love story, a piece by Zhinia inspired by Iranian craftmanship and a piece from Olivia’s feminine collection inspired by Spanish culture and storytelling, among others.
“We are very proud to host this fashion show exhibition in our elegant building and to give our students the opportunity to show their pieces to Amsterdam’s fashion community. It is important for them to meet and receive feedbacks from external people. During this semester we did our best to bring experts from the fashion industry in our exclusive academy in order to offer the students more learning opportunities”, says Iris Peitzmeier, Managing Director. “From Viktor & Rolf’s Masterclass and the jeans design competition for the Dubai’s market with Stefan Lohmann to guest lectures by London-based print designer Davinder Madaher, Paris Fashion Week designer Nasheli Juliana and former Calvin Klein Marketing Manager Sara Tugnolo, our semester has been very busy, and we are happy to show this to the public. I’m also glad to announce that the collection of our third-year students will be presented at Paris Fashion Show in March 5th and 6th”.
From 6:30pm to 7:30pm, Pepe Villaverde, Founder and Creative Director, and Milly Roy, Head of Marketing, from the creative agency Mamma Soup will offer the lecture “UNlearning to Learn: build a brand now that is future proof”.
“We are programmed into a society of rights and wrongs. This directs us to make decisions and/or shy away from ideas constantly. This session will get you to challenge some ‘facts’ and opinions so you can get better at developing and creating communications and brands. Forget about the codes and rules and how things should be. Join us in order to know more and build a brand now that is future proof”, says Pepe Villaverde.
Mamma Soup has spent 6 years of boosting lifestyle branding and developing global campaigns and digital strategies for brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Adidas, Calvin Klein, Diesel and deBijenkorf. They have collaborated in internationally recognised projects for agencies such as JWT, DDB, Grey or StrawberryFrog achieving international awards and recognition.
“This event is for free and everybody is more than welcome to join us at our international fashion academy in a friendly and cosy evening. You will meet our lecturers and students and we will offer you drinks and snacks. During this year we have met many interesting people at our evenings with several ideas and projects and we would like to invite all of you to come at the academy one more time for a toast to 2018 and to welcome the new year”, says Iris Peitzmeier.
During the last weeks, the third year BA (Hons) Fashion with Textiles Design students have been challenged to design jeans collections for the Dubai’s market.
Last Friday, they presented their final works to Stefan Lohmann, Head of Pattern, Designs and Sales at Skytex. The project involved custom analysis, jeans trends analysis, final sketches, technical drawings and patterns.
The jeans collections of the winners, Myrthe van der Leden and Evelina Anglickaite, will be developed at the Academy under the guidance of Stefan Lohmann and sold in the Dubai’s market.
“The Amsterdam Fashion Academy is very proud of all four finalists, including Joanna Grice and Isabelle Wildenburg, for the professional and excellent work. It was a wonderful opportunity for them to work with a real client within our international fashion academy and grow professionally as fashion designers”, says Iris Peitzmeier, Managing Director.
On Monday, November 26th Stefan met again the students and offered them a workshop in advanced CAD and grading techniques with Assyst System. Stefan and the students made together the pattern of the final designs and chose the fabric. Then they will make the prototypes in Stefan’s factory to than create the actual fashion collection pieces.
“Evelina had a very commercial concept that fits perfectly in our collection so we would also do the styling in our collection to show it to our customers. Myrthe had a very good concept for our target group. I liked a lot her detailed presentation”, says Stefan Lohmann.
What’s more inspiring for fashion design students than meeting professional designers? On Thursday, 13th of September, we brought the 2nd and 3rd year BA students to Viktor & Rolf’s masterclass at Kunsthal Rotterdam.
Three of our Fashion with Textiles Design (Hons) BA students were selected to present their fashion portfolios to Viktor & Rolf in front of the audience. Isabelle Wildenburg, Myrthe van der Leden and Zara Kanaan just came back from their internships and have been immersed immediately into projects and competitions at our international fashion academy.
“It was a really overwhelming experience. Being selected by Viktor & Rolf was unexpected, as well as having the opportunity to meet them and talk with them. Even though they are very famous, we felt very welcome and at our ease while showing them our work”, they say.
Just like the other 2nd year BA students, Isabelle, Myrthe and Zara spent few months away from our boutique academy and did an internship in the fashion industry. Isabelle spent six months in New York City working at luxury streetwear brand Nomad VII by Anne Bowen. Myrthe was intern in Copenhagen at Tobias Birk Nielsen where she worked in the photoshoot and in the preparation of the look books of AW18 collection and collaborated the in creation of the SS19 collection. Zara worked at Amsterdam’s based company Stieglitz where she made prints for the SS19 collection and managed social content.
During this new academic year, they will work on their dissertation and final collection that will be presented in June at the graduation ceremony. Oh, by the way, did you check the 2018 graduates on this page?
If you are doubting, then it’s not too late to start this academic year at the Amsterdam Fashion Academy. From styling competitions, to photo shootings, professional workshops, visits to museums and fashion stores, the students of the Amsterdam Fashion Academy were totally immersed in the culture and creativity of Amsterdam during the induction fashion week. Watch the movie below and if you dream of being part of this intimate and small boutique academy, please be aware that there are still few places available in the Fashion with Textiles Design (Hons) BA and that you are still on time to enter in the programme now.
Induction fashion week was truly an inspiring, exciting and fun time with students and staff all getting to know each other. The 65 students who chose the Amsterdam’s finest international fashion academy come from every corner of Europe and the world, bringing an international vibe and different points of view. The highest quality of the international teaching staff flourishes in the informal and friendly atmosphere by having the time and space needed to nurture individual talent and creativity.
“A new year means new people! We would like to say hello and welcome to the new students and we wish them lot of luck, inspiration and most of all, fun! For this new school year, we are planning many competitions, exhibitions and collaborations with the industry to give the students more experience in the real world, starting now by bringing a group of them to the Amsterdam Fashion Week and to a masterclass by Viktor & Rolf”, says Iris Peitzmeier, Managing Director.
The University awarded Fashion with Textiles Design (Hons) BA is aimed at students who intend to pursue careers as Fashion and/or Textiles Designers and involves both conceptual and trend driven design work through experimentation with creative cutting techniques, traditional pattern cutting, textiles, research, illustration, business and manufacturing skills and culminates in a final professional collection show and portfolio outcome exhibition. Translate inspired ideas into real clothes. Turn abstract ideas into well-made garments. The Amsterdam Fashion Academy can help you become an independent creative thinker who can come up with your own innovative solutions on a daily basis.
You can contact the Amsterdam Fashion Academy by email at info@amsterdamfashionacademy.com or by phone at the number +31 (0)20 4896692.
More information about the Amsterdam Fashion Academy.
The Amsterdam Fashion Academy is a private international fashion school situated in the heart of Amsterdam; this state-of the-art academy has become a hub of student-centred learning with a high level of personal attention while also focusing on graduate employability. The Academy opened its doors in 2013 and was soon able to offer university awarded British Bachelor’s Honours degrees in Fashion with Textiles Design and Fashion Business, accredited by the reputable Buckinghamshire New University in England, along with a Fashion Foundation programme. This also means the degrees are aligned with the UK Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) standards. The Amsterdam Fashion Academy prides itself on being a, small and personal fashion school putting quality before quantity. In 2017 it moved to its current location in an elegant townhouse in the heart of Amsterdam, which helps create a more friendly and informal atmosphere where students can get to know each other better and inspire each other.
The Amsterdam Fashion Academy looks forward to meeting you at the IamExpat Fair. Please, drop by our stand for a chat and find out more about who we are and what we offer including our wide range of fashion courses for those who wish to develop new skills and stay abreast of the latest trends in the fashion industry. We are also happy to let you know more about our free MeetUps and our role as part of the international community in Amsterdam and the Netherlands as a whole. The cherry on the cake is our photo challenge where the winner can choose a free place on the summer course of his or her choice. Taking part is simple and our students will choose the winning photo. So come along and find out how to take part.
The IamExpat Fair has been running since 2015 and is the meeting place for expats and local businesses. It aims to support internationals in the Netherlands, connecting them with local businesses and service providers. It is a great opportunity for internationals to meet each other and find out how to do things in the Netherlands, all under one roof, so to speak. All you need to know about careers, housing, education and expat services, including family, health and leisure. Free workshops and presentations will also be held throughout the day: whatever you want the IamExpat Fair has it covered!
Our Head of School ad interim Cristiano Carciani explains: “We are very pleased to announce that the Amsterdam Fashion Academy is taking part in the IamExpat Fair 2018, for the first time. As an international fashion academy, this fair represents a good opportunity for us to connect with Amsterdam’s expat community and engage its members with our activities and events. We will be more than happy to answer your questions about our fashion courses, show some of the students’ works and schedule personal visits to our boutique academy. We will also brief you about our photo challenge to win a place in one of our summer courses”.
We look forward to seeing you on Saturday April 7, 2018, 10am – 5pm, at the Westergasfabriek, Amsterdam.
Last semester, as part of the Fashion Styling course, second year Fashion Business (Hons) BA students worked in groups with real business clients. One group composed of Avalon Olivier, Aziza El Wanni and Robin Broekhuizen worked for the Salamon Art & Design concept store (created by our alumna Olga Salamon).
Avalon shared her thoughts with us about her personal experience: “I have recently done a photoshoot and look book for my styling course of the Fashion Business (Hons) BA. My client was Salamon Art & Design concept store located in Amsterdam. It was a lovely experience to work with a real-life client which also had such good products to work with. This project taught me a lot about working in a team and also about all the planning and responsibility it is to do the work of a stylist. It was a great pleasure to work with everyone and was pleased with the outcome”.
What is fashion storytelling? Before looking behind the façade of storytelling to examine it in terms of means and method, no one can deny the strength of a gripping tale when it comes to connecting communication with emotion. This is what our lecturer Rosie Martinez-Dekker told to the participants of our last Meetup. If you missed the event, then keep reading to learn more about her and fashion storytelling.
Hello, Rosie. Can you please introduce yourself?
Hello, my name is Rosie Martinez-Dekker. I am originally from Mexico City but have been living in The Netherlands for 10 years now. I have more than 20 years’ experience in the Fashion and Textile Industry, both on the creative and business side. I have worked in Mexico, the US and the Netherlands for companies like Nike, Levi’s and G-Star.
I studied Graphic Design specialising in Textile Design and also have a degree in Business Development both these were at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico afterwards I studied Fashion Marketing and Forecasting at Central St. Martins in London.
My curiosity and passion have helped me open the doors to both the art and science of fashion, one by working on the creative side of the process and the other by working in the business and operations side. After spending several years in the corporate world, I decided to open a design and consultancy studio: Believe Creative Studio, where we focus on textile and product design, illustration and consultancy in product creation, development and sustainability. My studio has exhibited at Premiere Vision Paris and London Textile shows.
We work with customers around the world, not only creating tailored collections and art but also collaborating and guiding them in different aspects of their businesses. I am also a proud member of the lecturers team at the Amsterdam Fashion Academy, where I have collaborated since the opening day of the school.
Lecturing is my way to give back to all the teachers and mentors who guided me through my career.
What kind of person are you?
I am an enthusiastic, determined and driven person. I love art, fashion and travelling and sports. I enjoy being surrounded by people, specially my family and friends.
During the last Meet up you talked about storytelling. Can you please make a summary of your presentation?
Storytelling is the art and science of using narrative to communicate the attributes or information of a brand, product or a person and is a very effective way of communicating not only in corporate meetings, conferences and presentations, but also in media and advertisements. Fashion storytelling, and storytelling in general, has many benefits such as differentiation, emotional engagement and relationship with your customers which results in sales increases and brand recognition.
What are your suggestions for those who want to implement a fashion storytelling strategy to promote their product/brand?
Knowing and understanding your consumers is essential; in that way you will be able to deliver direct messages.
It is important to engage and collaborate with professionals who can help a brand create a specific narrative for your products.
Always tell real stories and do not be afraid to be vulnerable.
And remember that your brand is the protagonist of the story.
New part-time fashion courses are on their way at the Amsterdam Fashion Academy. We offer a wide range of part-time courses covering different topics for those interested in fashion design and fashion business. These part-time fashion courses will give you the chance to study one day a week for one semester.
The new year has started. Maybe it’s time to take a part-time fashion course and make yourself smarter, more knowledgeable and gain new skills and experience? And that’s where we come in! Our excellent, enthusiastic lecturers are happy to share their high-quality fashion knowledge along with their experience in the international fashion industry. These are passionate, qualified professionals with many years fashion industry experience, rooted in the international fashion industry, who will be passing on their first-hand knowledge and experience to you.
This part time course Fashion Business aims to give you all the marketing and communication skills you need in order to be a successful business professional in the fashion industry. You will not only gain knowledge and expertise in fashion, but the emphasis of the course lies in acquiring the marketing and communication skills needed to understand, promote and convey the unique design and style of a fashion collection or brand.
2 March 2018 – 29 June 2018 Every Friday from 9.30 a.m. till 5 p.m.
Technical production areas of fashion play an important part in building subject specific knowledge. Although European garment production has now largely moved overseas due to the globalisation of the industry, employers are still looking for staff with a sound knowledge of technical production areas, specifically production methods, fittings and effective cost management. This part time course will provide you with opportunity to sample, understand garment construction, fit and alter toiles and to produce a garment to a professional standard.
February 2 till June 8 2018 Every Friday 9.30 am till 4.30 pm.
A multi-faceted, exciting course from which you will gain both proficiency and understanding in forecasting, marketing and fashion buying. Within this course you will have the opportunity to study the marketing environment, apply research to inform future probable consumer needs and trends analysis, and will gain an understanding of fashion buying motives.
6 February till 27 March Every Tuesday evening from 6. p.m. till 9 p.m
There is also the opportunity to join the Collection Design & Realisation part-time course for one semester. The Collection Design & Realisation part-time course will run from end of January until June. If you are dreaming of designing and producing your own collection then register as soon as possible, there are only a few places available.
Starting 30th of January 2018 Every Tuesday from 9.30 am till 5 pm.
At our international fashion academy, we are proud of our small classes which give a high level of personal attention in an extremely creative environment. So take advantage of this once in a life-time opportunity. Don’t miss the boat! Our teaching staff is not only enthusiastic, supportive and accessible, but is also given the time and space required to adapt to the specific learning needs of individual students.
To find out more about our part-time fashion courses click on the links and visit the website pages. You can also email us to info@amsterdamfashionacademy.com and we will be happy to schedule a meeting or a call with you.
Finally our second year Fashion Business and Fashion with Textiles Design (Hons) Bachelor’s students are about to be unleashed on the fashion world. Yes, next semester they will be embarking upon their fashion internships experiences. We have asked two of them about how they feel about this future experience.
Avalon: “My name is Avalon Olivier and I am currently studying the Fashion Business (Hons) in this international fashion academy in Amsterdam. My next chapter will be doing my fashion internship here in Amsterdam and I am very excited. The company where I will be doing my internship is Suitsupply, working in the Buying Department. It is a Dutch company that makes suits for men and women and has grown globally. The lectures we had in school have made me very interested in buying and that is why I’ve chosen to go for this field. Also I believe I will learn a lot in different departments in the company. The experience of being in a global company will also teach me new job skills which will be useful for future opportunities. I cannot wait to start and learn as much as possible”.
Isabelle: “My name is Isabelle Wildenburg and I am a second year Fashion with Textiles Design (Hons) BA. On the 1st of February I will go to New York City, United States, for a seven-months internship at Anna Sui. I’m going to work in the sample department doing different things, from photography to sample investigation, from patter cutting to sewing. I am very excited about this fashion internship, not only because I will have the opportunity to work at the New York Fashion Week, but also because I really wanted to do an experience in a non-European fashion industry, which I already know”.
Lene: “My name is Lene Vindenes and I am a 2nd year Fashion Business (Hons) BA student at the Amsterdam Fashion Academy. I was so lucky that I got to work with Noumenon. For those who don’t know, Noumenon is a vegan clothing brand located in the heart of Amsterdam. I will be working there as an assistant office manager and will learn all about the business behind the brand. I have also been given the opportunity to join them at the trade show in Berlin in January, which is something I am truly looking forward to. I have the feeling the next half year will give me a lot of good knowledge and experience within the fashion industry”.
Keep following us on social media and the blog to know more about our student’s fashion internship experiences.
The 2nd year Fashion with Textiles Design (Hons) BA students are busy creating garments as part of the course Fashion Cutting & Construction, under the expert instruction of senior lecturer Cristiano Carciani. The theme is “top view” meaning they need to design and create garments as seen from above. We asked Myrthe van der Leden, Evelina Anglickaite, Silvia Porru and Alexandra Poláková to tell us more.
Evelina Anglickaite: “To some it’s a dangerous pseudoscience, to others it offers unique insights. The Rorschach psychological test consists of inkblots challenging a person’s perception. The piece, inspired by the controversial test and made from leather, showcases strong individual minds”.
Silvia Porru: “This project is all about shapes, forms, geometry and chrome colours. I wanted to express these elements giving a three-dimensional effect to my garment. Inspired by the universe and the stars, I have created a spacey, star-shaped collar”.
Alexandra Poláková: “The most important part of the garment are the three-dimensional spikes placed on the shoulder. When the final garment will be completed, these elements will design a black hole when seen from above. I’m enjoying working on this piece, because it gives the opportunity to balance details and simplicity”.
Myrthe van der Leden: “For this project we had to create garments as seen from above. My inspiration came from the veins in the human body and by using see-through plastic and red felt I wanted to create the effect that if you looked down from above you could see the veins going down the arms and the body. Working with the plastic was a real challenge but with some help I still managed to achieve the look I was going for.”
The Fashion with Textiles Design (Hons) BA offers a nurturing environment where you our students develop industry standard skills in both fashion and textiles. The course is taught through a series of practical project assignments, with key emphasis on quality of products and innovative design. The practical modules are delivered through a variety of workshops, demonstrations, lectures and seminars, but the most important aspect of this programme is that each student becomes an individual designer. Thanks to our small classes and commitment we can achieve this together by providing each individual student with one to one tuition time every week.
At the Amsterdam Fashion Academy we pride ourselves on our commitment to our students. We recognise that giving each student substantial personal support is key to helping them get the most out of the course and themselves and help them successfully enter into the international world of fashion and textiles.
Would you like to study at our international boutique academy in Amsterdam and create garments like these? Then sign up to one of our open days and we will be happy to schedule for you a personal meeting with us.
Do you know that each dress, pair of shoes, bathing suit or bracelet you bought has been selected with great care among thousands of alternative pieces? And do you know who the person is who decides that this season’s colour trend is red or green?
The fashion chain is very long and complex, but there is an expert who selects the products that stores sell: the fashion buyer. Buyers are not only purchasing agents, but also analysers, negotiators and deal-makers. They research, evaluate and buy products for companies to either resell to customers or use in their everyday operations.
Buyers occupy a specific key role in the fashion industry: they are the people who determine which products reach store shelves, appear in catalogues and online. They do the footwork, the research and make the deals to buy large quantities of products for their companies, who then sell them to customers, or use them to create new materials that they then sell to customers. Undoubtedly, the fashion buyer needs to know how the market and the selling process work, and always stay up-to-date on what it is happening in their specific sector. To do this, they constantly visit expos and fairs all over the world to understand the “moods” and forecast the next trends.
This academic year our teaching staff includes a 10-year experienced buyer, Gina Shanks, who will reveal the secrets of being a successful buyer during our next Meetup on Tuesday, October 3 at 6:30 pm. “The buyer is not a professional role exclusive for the fashion industry, of course, but it is an essential figure for each kind of market, from electronics to food, from toys to furniture”, Gina explains. “During the Meetup, I will speak about a buyer’s day-to-day tasks and the personal skills one needs to have to be a great buyer”.
The Meetup is free and everyone is invited! You can find more details and confirm your participation here.
It was a big honour for us to be invited at the African Fashion Designers Expo 2017, which has been celebrated on Monday, 28th of August, at the World Fashion Centre. Our new Senior Lecturer, Cristiano Carciani, gave a speech about the European fashion market, in front of professionals of the fashion industry from Nigeria, Ghana and other African countries.
To understand the actual European fashion market, Cristiano made an overview of the fashion design history from 1858, when Charles Frederick Worth begun designing complete collections for his clients and sawing his personal labels on garments he created.
Q. Cristiano, can you tell us a bit of the European fashion design history?
From 1860 to 1960, haute couture’s designers were from Western Europe, specifically from Italy and France: Paul Poiret, Chanel, Elsa Schiapparelli, Salvatore Ferragamo, Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Roberto Capucci, Valentino, and so on. One hundred year of haute couture: a combination of fine materials, interesting silhouettes and … artisanship.
Q. What happened after the 1960s?
During the 1970s, fashion designers started to experiment with materials and techniques. Let’s think about Paco Rabanne and his clothes made with metals and crafted with hammers and pliers. Then, in the 1980s, catwalks saw the arrival of the prêt-à-porter (or ready-to-wear), a new sector of the fashion industry, in which North American (Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Betsey Johnson) and Japanese (Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto) designers occupied an important portion of the market. These are the times of mass production, and ten years later, of fast fashion with H&M and Zara. During the 1990s, technology and innovation started to be integrated with fashion design and the main exponent was, certainly, Hussein Chalayan, who created foldable dresses and motor-powered skirts.
Q. What about the new millennium?
Today, the fashion industry is composed of three sectors: haute couture, prêt-à-porter, fast fashion. In haute couture, Middle and Northern European designers are gaining great value. For example, Dutch fashion designers like Iris van Herpen and Viktor & Rolf. While fast fashion is being populated by numerous commercial brands, many Eastern European designers are “conquering” prêt-à-porter world: Ksenia Schnaider from Ukraine, Anton Belinskiy from Ukraine, Situationist from Georgia, Misbhv from Poland. These fashion brands have strong identities, historical and folk references that are new and exotic to Western consumers. Also, since the explosion of internet, prêt-à-porter is also been populated by a lot of independent designers.
Q. What can you tell us about independent brands?
Independent brands are businesses that are owned, run or managed by the designers or their families. They have a fair and transparent supply chain, and no sweatshops. Sustainability is their most important value: they don’t use fur or exotic skins, their products are chemicals-free and have natural or organic ingredients. In addition, they produce limited editions of products, which are made to last and to be worn season after season. In general, independent brands focus more on quality than on trends.
Q. What did you suggest to the fashion designers at the African Fashion Designers Expo 2017?
I think they should follow the example of the independent brands that make of sustainability and transparency their key strength and that produce high-quality products, in limited quantities. They should also focus their attention on the e-commerce and social media channels to reach the global market.
Do you get inspired by those beautiful editorial fashion magazine images and think “I’d like to be able to create a story through clothing”? Well, why not join our fashion styling meet up on Wednesday, 6th of September, at 6:30pm and learn something about storytelling through clothes and actually create your own visual story, with the help of our experienced teaching staff? It’s going to be a creative evening full of fun, experimentation and visual story telling. Experience is no required!
