International Amsterdam Fashion Academy » Amsterdam Fashion Academy

With the Pattern Cutting part-time course I started to dream again!

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

Dec. 13th: fashion show exhibition and branding lecture

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.

The fashion show exhibition and the lecture will be open to the public with no cost. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet students and lectures, beside exploring the works that the talented students have created during the last three months as part of the BA (Hons) Fashion Design, Fashion Foundation Diploma and Fast-Track Fashion Design & Business course.

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.

One year of Fashion with Textiles Design BA (Hons)

Translate inspired ideas into real clothes. Turn abstract ideas into well-made garments. We all have our own unique creativity but you need to be able to find it, nurture it, inspire it and learn to express it. We can help you to become an independent creative thinker who can come up with your own innovative solutions on a daily basis. Are you creative and fashion-minded? Are you dreaming to become a fashion designer? Do you want to study a Fashion with Textiles Design BA (Hons) programme in our international fashion academy and start in September 2018? Then you really need to let us hear from you, otherwise this chance of a lifetime will pass you by. Sign up to our next Open Day or send us an email to info@amsterdamfashionacademy.com

Let’s take a look to what the students did this past year.

Draped Madness Collection

The 1st-year Fashion with Textiles Design BA students worked on the Draped Madness Collection under the guidance of lecturers Hanneke Ketting and Laura Malone.

Top-view collection

During the first semester, our 2nd-year students were busy creating garments under the theme “top view” meaning they need to design and create garments as seen from above. This was part of the course Fashion Cutting & Construction with our lecturer Cristiano Carciani.

Textiles Cutting & Construction

Experimentation with fabrics and re-use of materials. Here are few of the very creative works done by the 2nd-year students.

Illustrations

Mood boards, sketchbooks, silhouettes, and more.

Internship

All 2nd-year students are spending the semester doing interesting and exciting fashion internship experiences in the fashion industry. This is what two students told us about their experience:

“As a Bachelor’s degree student, I was given the opportunity to gain greater knowledge of the fashion industry and the design process with an internship at the headquarters of Essentiel Antwerp. Working side by side with the designers, stylists I experienced the various steps of the design process – choosing the right fabrics, creating a colour story, receiving first prototypes of a garment, fittings, quality checking and of course the thrill of a collection presentation show” – Evelina Anglickaite

“When I started my internship on the 1st of February 2018, the collection AW18 was already finished, but I had the big opportunity to work in the main photoshoot and in the preparation of the look books. After that we started to design the SS19 collection, for which I worked with showpiece patterns, creation of hoodies and short cords from scratch, as well as fabric dying, styling and mood boards” – Myrthe van der Leden

Stay tuned to see the photos of the final show with pieces by the Fashion with Textiles Design BA 3rd-year students.

DIY upcycled fashion workshop with International School The Hague students

On the 15th of May, we had the pleasure to host a group of students and teachers from the International School The Hague. They spent a day at the Amsterdam Fashion Academy working on a creative DIY upcycled fashion workshop, under the guidance of our lecturer Laura Lepre and former student Silvia Porru.

During this DIY upcycled fashion workshop we teached them how to reshape and customize an old t-shirt into something new and fresh! This workshop was all about creating, innovation, cutting, pimping, glittering, drawing, embroidering and designing! They had the opportunity to explore innovative approaches to design through individual styles and experimentation. At the end of the workshop they realised a photo shoot wearing the t-shirts and other clothes from the Academy.

“With the aim of strengthening the links between the Amsterdam Fashion Academy and the International Schools and their career counsellors, these creative fashion workshops are designed to let small groups to experience the real life at the Amsterdam Fashion Academy for one day and to taste what it means to study fashion. We are now planning more workshops with other schools and we are really curious to meet more talented and creative young students”, says Cristiano Carciani, Head of School ad interim.

Congratulations class of Forecasting, Marketing & Buying short-course!

The Fashion Forecasting, Marketing & Buying short course finished on March 27 when each of the 14 students received his/her certificate of completation in front of the audience of the last Meetup.

“Within this short fashion course the students had the opportunity to study the marketing environment, apply research to inform future probable consumer needs and trends analysis, and gain an understanding of fashion buying motives”
– Cristiano Carciani, Head of School ad interim.

This short fashion course is intended to develop participants with the knowledge and skills to work on the business side of fashion in areas that include merchandising, buying, sales, production, communications, sourcing and range planning. The following topics are covered: Understanding consumers, Consumer profile, Trend prediction, Buying and target markets, Promotion campaigns, Sales promotion, Fashion PR, Fashion marketing & promotion trends, Fashion marketing frameworks for research & analysis, Fashion market level research.

“Teaching this short fashion course was a really nice experience. The group had a great mix of backgrounds and cultures. Everyone was interested and committed in learning new skills and applying their previous knowledge in inspiring, creative and -for some of them- life-changing projects. Even though the topic of the course is fashion, some students will apply the gained knowledge in a different professional area, but with a more fashionable twist. This type of group motivates me to keep sharing my industry experience but also inspires me to keep developing myself as a professional”
– Rosie Martinez, lecturer of the course.

We will offer this short fashion course again from the 9th of October to the 27th of November. Don’t wait too long and register to the short course Fashion Forecasting, Marketing & Buying now.

International fashion internship at Essentiel Antwerp: Evelina’s story

We have reached out our 2nd-year Fashion with Textiles Design (Hons) BA student Evelina Anglickaite to know more about her international fashion internship experience at Essentiel Antwerp in Belgium. Evelina is one of our many international students. Born in Lithuania, she is already expressing a very good talent in fashion design. Check her last work here. This is what she told us:

“Essentiel Antwerp is a fast-growing, vibrant fashion brand based in Belgium. As a fashion design student, I was given a great opportunity to gain greater knowledge of the fashion industry and the design process as an intern at the headquarters of the brand. Working side by side with the designers and stylists, I have so far experienced various steps of the design process – choosing the right fabrics, creating a color story, receiving first prototypes of a garment, fittings, quality checking and of course the thrill of a collection presentation show. As only a third of the internship has passed, I am excited for what it’s yet to come, because the best way to learn about a specific field is to witness it all firsthand”.

All 2nd-year students of the Fashion with Textiles Design (Hons) BA and the Fashion Business (Hons) BA are spending the semester doing interesting and exciting fashion internship experiences in the fashion industry. “We are very proud to have students working all over the world, from London to New York, from Stockholm to Amsterdam and Curaçao. As international fashion academy, we encourage our students to go out their comfort zones and benefit from an international fashion internship in the real world”, says Cristiano Carciani, Head of School ad interim.

If you are dreaming of an international fashion career then send us a message and book a personal visit to the Amsterdam Fashion Academy.

Meet Pauline: I’m taking 2 courses at the Academy to become a denim expert

The Pattern Cutting & Construction part-time course is in full swing and we want to introduce you the nine students who are attending it. The first one is Pauline, who is studying to become a denim expert.

Hello, Pauline. Can you please introduce yourself?

My name is Pauline, I am 38 years old. Born and raised in Paris. Been living in Amsterdam for 2 and a half years. I am now having a professional break to invest in my skills and reach the next level of my career.

Which are the best aspects of living in Amsterdam?

Amsterdam offers an intense life, day and night! But at the same time it’s a very relaxed lifestyle, and a no stress city. I really like the mixed populations living here: it’s very rich in terms of cultures, art and human relations.

What is your professional story?

I have 12 years’ experience in the fashion industry as Product Manager and my speciality is denim. I love this product because it has no limits in terms of creativity. I had the opportunity to work for sports brands and fashion brands such as Tommy Jeans here in Amsterdam.

Which course are you attending at the Amsterdam Fashion Academy?

I am attending the CAD (Illustrator & Photoshop) workshop series and the Pattern Cutting & Construction part-time course.

Why did you choose these courses?

I chose these two courses to become more technically advanced in garment construction and fitting, and also to be able to design my own denim styles.

What’s the best part of these courses for you?

Thanks to the CAD workshops I am now able to create my own designs, while I really like the manual work I’m doing at the Pattern Cutting & Construction part-time course. It’s so impressive to create something by hand.

Which is the most challenging part of the course for you?

The sewing is the most challenging part for me, as I had never really experienced sewing before.

What do you expect from the course and afterwards?

With these courses my goal is to become a denim expert and to offer a large panel of skills to clients, such as design and development & production, besides improving my skills in garment construction and fitting.

Visit Pauline Pattier on LinkedIn.

Announcing partnership with FashionUnited Education Network

With the aim to expand our international fashion collaborations, we are proud to announce that the Amsterdam Fashion Academy is now part of the Fashion Education Network by FashionUnited.

Through this online platform, our international fashion academy presents itself towards other educational institutes, towards potential students and towards companies in the global fashion industry. Through the Fashion Education Network, FashionUnited aims to bridge the gap between education and the industry and help set international standards that benefit schools, students and eventually the global industry.

The Amsterdam Fashion Academy is pleased to contribute in stimulating interactions with other schools, students and industry leaders by sharing knowledge and intelligence. The Fashion Education Network wants to contribute by providing free information and resources and help develop a talented and skilled next generation of fashion professionals.

FashionUnited is the international B2B fashion platform. Globally active, the platform reaches more than 1.6 million industry professionals per month. Visitors can browse their local website, in their native language, which offers the latest fashion news, jobs, trade statistics, and events calendar.

Please, visit our page on FashionUnited: news, videos and more information about our Bachelor’s (Hons) degrees in Fashion Business and Fashion with Textiles Design and about our Fashion Foundation Diploma. Click here to know more about our international fashion collaborations.

Part-time fashion courses: enrol and get 2018 off to a flying start!

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.

Fashion Business part-time course

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.

Pattern Cutting & Construction part-time course

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.

Forecasting, Marketing & Buying short-course

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

Collection Design & Realisation part-time course

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.

Tag: fashion courses in amsterdam