RIETVELD FASHION FOR ART’S SAKE

Erna Einarsdottir


Denise Esser

Who says that fashion is not art, should visit a show of the fashion department of the Gerrit Rietveld Academy. Last Friday, the graduates of one the most renowned art schools in Europe, presented their distinctive vision on fashion in Amsterdam. The show, that presented works by first, second and last year students of the fashion department was choreographed and art-directed by visual artist Martin Butler. From the quiet variations on a white shirt by first year students to the more outgoing graduation collections, they were all shown on a totally white background with accompanying visuals at the back. Although these projections sometimes distracted from the details and fabrics of the designs, they did work very well together with the choreography in creating an interesting experience for the eye. Highlights of the show were the dark and mysterious mini-collections by second-year students as well as the graduation collections of Kunji Laura Baerwald , Erna Einarsdottir and Denise Esser.


Kunji Laura Baerwald & Erna Einarsdottir

Baerwald was the only to show one a men’s collection, that was quite innovative with playful yet intelligent detailed sweaters and trousers for boyish men. The ‘rock’n roll meets glitter ‘n glamour’ knitted pieces of Einarsdottir were a delightful break in between two more autonomous collections by Daphne van den Heuvel and Chi Yee Lam. Denise Esser’s cubistic Grace Jones-inspired power dresses with integrated metal artworks in the designs would perfectly fit into the wardrobe of fashion icon Roisin Murphy. All in all, these 2009 fashion graduates of the Gerrit Rietveld Academy proofed that fashion is not just about what’s ‘in or out’; this is fashion for art’s sake.

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Reported by Mehtap Gungormez