Just pack your bags and leave for five months. That’s what Shalini, Marijn and Lotte did. Either for an internship or an exchange programme, they all went to different places across the world. AMFI was curious to see how these students are experiencing their new lives away from home.

Discovering the shopping area is a must as a Branding student.

Shalini Kellinghaus, 3rd year Fashion & Branding student, is doing an exchange at the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia. ‘With my courses Visual Arts, Journalism and Film I wanted to go a bit out of fashion to provide myself with different skills. I am now exploring fields that I can later on relate to my Fashion & Branding course to broaden it a bit. What I enjoy most next to my study here? The travelling! I have been travelling all around Australia in the last couple of weeks and it has been intense and amazing. With this exchange I have become much more open-minded towards others and aware of myself. I especially wanted to see how I can cope with being far away from home. Due to my new experiences and the friendly and positive vibe here, this is all going really well.’

Marijn embodying the NYC culture

Marijn Rikken, 3rd year Fashion & Design student, is doing an internship in textiles at Alexander Wang in New York. ‘The decision to go to New York was quickly made. The city is amazing and I it is certainly a dream coming true being able to work here. My internship means hard work, responsibility in the company and great opportunities. One of the prints I designed will be used for menswear coats! Sometimes I really have to pinch myself and visit the Brooklyn Bridge at night to remember that I am living in New York. Living in a student house means I live with about 300 girls. These flatmates certainly make my days easier and make me feel more at home. We share our experiences and every night dinner is made for us. I do sometimes miss choosing myself what to cook, but then again, I live in New York!’

Already after three months, Lotte blends into the Indian culture.

Lotte Bloom, a 3^rd year Fashion & Management student doing an exchange at the National Institute of Fashion and Technology (NIFT) in New Delhi, India. ‘The Indian culture has always interested me and I wanted to learn more about textiles, so what better place to go than India? Most of my subjects are in the Textile Design Department. At first there was a big culture shock and for me as a girl I have to be extra careful with my safety. That means covering myself with a scarf during the evening and not going anywhere alone. Every year in February NIFT has a college fest called Spectrum with a lot of dance, fashion shows and partying. I joined the Bhangra Dance, which is an Indian dance style. All in all it meant lots of fun with other students and a very positive vibe. I really feel that people are acting more as a group over here and less as an individual.’

Text by Lara Jongejans (2nd year International Fashion & Branding student).

Eight weeks into graduation. Tears are being shed. Nerves can’t be held any longer and the deadline is growing closer every day. Or is graduation just a relaxing process? Remember our graduates Anne, Shona and Christa? Time for an update.

Design student Anne – A sneak peek of the collection

Anne van den Boogaard (Design student):
Fabrics from old wedding dresses, plastic pompoms and concept visuals pasted on the wall. Nothing is too much for Christa’s graduation project. ‘With my collection I want to activate, entice and amuse people. We are stuck in this grey and boring area and I think there is more to life. By crossing the border between ugly and kitsch, I let loose my frustration on the current flattening in Dutch society and the fashion world.’ When entering the small graduation classroom, you immediately notice the loud music coming from the speakers and the row of mannequins wearing unfinished garments. It is clear lots of hours are being spent here. ‘I work the entire week from dawn till dusk with a few others graduates. The energy and passion are going crazy here!’

Anne’s design concept pasted on the walls

Shona Pratt (Management student):
‘Living in Hong Kong is probably the most exciting part of my graduation that I get to experience. My assignment here means hard work, lots of research into the process of logistics and drawing coherent conclusions. I am currently researching possibilities to join a Quality Control service to a logistic provision of services. It is difficult and the outcome is constantly changing due to new research, but I guess that is normal with every graduation project.’ What about Hong Kong? ‘If I could move my family and friends here, I would stay! Hong Kong is a very vibrant and international city with a nice balance of the ‘west meets east’ feeling. So I actually enjoy the comforts of western society, only with new eastern experiences, and that is priceless.’

Branding student Christa – the process dummy

Christa Wolf (Branding student):
‘Graduation in one word? Really intense. It is a long road with one focus, one obsession and one thing in mind.’ Are you on track with everything? ‘Yes and no. I chose branded content as part of online marketing as my main subject and researched the online strategy of Adidas. I don’t know yet if I want to work in this field after graduation, but at the moment it fascinates me. I am on schedule with the parts that interest me most. The boring parts, however, I certainly need that final pressure.’ So actually no big struggles? ‘Well, of course there are struggles. Letting loose of my work for example. It is hard to enjoy other things at the moment. The highlight of my days is going to the Albert Heijn to buy something sweet!’

The process of analysing a brand for research

Text and photos by Lara Jongejans (2nd year International Fashion & Branding student).

Recently a select group of six students and two teachers went on a sustainability study trip to Prato for the AMFI Textiles programme. They visited companies specialised in mechanical recycling textile and garment production, experimented with knitting and worked on a film about the past, present and possible future of the Prato textile district. We spoke to the group after their return.

What do students learn during the Textiles programme?
Linnemore Nefdt, teacher at AMFI: ‘The focus of our Textiles programme is on experimenting with materials. Students are challenged to create their own fabrics and knits. An important factor of this programme is sustainability. It is well known that the textile industry struggles with this issue, and it’s important that this generation of fashion students learns to find new solutions and work on this.’

Why did you go to Prato?
Lorena Pammer, teacher at AMFI: ‘For over a hundred years Prato has been working with recycling textiles. Originally they only used wool, but now they also experiment with all kind of raw materials such as milk bottles and crab scales. These developments and innovations fit well with AMFI’s focus on sustainability.’

How important is sustainability for you?
Chloe van Hout, third year Management student: ‘Sustainability is something which you are constantly working on at AMFI and which students often don’t find very interesting. This trip to Prato has changed my perspective on this matter. It has inspired me to do more research so that as a future fashion professional I can actually contribute in making the fashion chain more sustainable.’

What was the most remarkable thing you saw at the factories you visited?
Wanda Roodbol, third year Design student: ‘At Comistra the workers were very passionate and proud of what they were making. It was also fascinating to see how clothes were recycled; they were sorted by people on the floor just by feeling and looking at the fabrics. Then the clothes were ground into a pulp and then used to produce new yarns and fabrics. At GM Filati we learnt more about recycled denim and at Pontetorto we saw the most beautiful materials. The company had many knitting en weaving machines creating the most amazing fabrics.’

What did you do during the workshops?
Wanda Roodbol: ‘At Maglificio Diana the knit group presented their concepts and had them translated into knits by the technicians, mostly using recycled yarns of various sorts. The research group re-interpreted existing knits, using only recycled denim yarns. The most interesting part for me was seeing the recycled denim line for Scotch&Soda. We learnt how to work with recycled yarns, but also why more work needs to be done technically to guarantee garment for the commercial market.’

The students spent most of their time trying to find out why Prato’s recycled wool still has such a bad image and why they don’ are not marketing themselves better now that sustainability is such a big issue. The unfolding story will be told in a short documentary made using their iPhones – a choice that underlines the timeliness of the issue. The film will be used by both AMFI and the sponsor as instructive material and publicity.

Sponsors of the trip: Dutch Embassy of Italy and REMO. Partner: Museo del Tessuto. Companies involved: Comistra, Pontetorto, GM Filati, Crossley and Maglificio Diana. Organised by Wanda de Wit.

De Nederlandse ontwerpster Yvonne Poei-Yie Kwok is een van de genomineerden voor de hoofdprijs op het prestigieuze modefestival in Hyères, dat vandaag begint. Wat maakt haar werk zo bijzonder?

- Bregje Lampe

Published in de Volkskrant 26-04-2013

‘Blood, sweat and tears’ has never been a more suitable saying. After tremendous amounts of hard work we finally presented our independent fashion magazine to a jury of professionals.

As the week before the deadline arrived the tension started to rise. All nighters were pulled, greasy snacks piled up on the tables and our laptops were our best friends. The most gratifying moment was when the spreads rolled out of the humongous industrial printer. Our magazine was finished!

The next step was a 3D translation of our brand. A mini magazine fair was set up at AMFI. A lot of magazine teams made a real show at their presentation stand. The Perpetuum team members wore conceptual garments featured in their photo shoots. The Piers team went all out by dancing to their own song especially created for their magazine. The Origo magazine stand had origami foldings hanging from the ceiling only to reveal sneak peeks when standing close by.

The judges choosing the winning concept were all professionals from the magazine industry: Peter van Rhoon (Editor-in-Chief Code Magazine), Martien Mellema (Fashion Director Vogue NL), Luis Mendo (Art Director) and Georgette Koning (Fashion journalist). The moment of truth had come upon us. ‘And the winner is…My Name Is!’ My heart skipped a beat; this was the concept that my team and I had created!

The previous magazines teams are no longer competitors, we are now colleagues all working on the same magazine. Many things have already improved; even the name has been changed. Supported in every aspect by teams working on Sales, PR, Marketing, Online, etcetera. Everything in order to have a smooth launch early July 2013.  A magazine that focuses on a singular garment in a witty fashion. In this case, the skirt. We present you: Garment. Your editorial wardrobe.

About the author: I am Suzanne van Heerde, a 4th year Fashion & Branding student at AMFI living in the Hague. Next to my study I do a lot of styling, photography and I’m the co-founder of Splitternakt Vintage. www.suzannejacobine.com

While walking into the sewing room, indigo colours peek out from the very far corner. A room filled with pieces of fabric, patterns and orange yarns; twelve students reviewing the latest samples from their visit to manufacturers in Istanbul.

A new generation of denim professionals

This year the city of Amsterdam launched the Amsterdam Jeans Capital project. The place where big denim players on the market such as G-star, Levi’s, Scotch & Soda, Hilfiger Denim and Denham are headquartered but where dedicated Denim education at HBO-level has been lacking. Last semester AMFI took the plunge to rectify this and now offers a full experience for third and fourth year students in the world of denim.

Stonewash at the Martelli factory

A week ago the Design, Management and Branding students visited partner factories in Istanbul to review and check if their designs meet their expectations and criteria for their final product: a presentation from concept to distribution of their fully developed sub-brand for Denham and Levi’s.

Embroidery of the back pockets at Eroğlu

Fanny Klumper, fourth year Branding student: ‘The denim manufacturer Isko resembled one I could have drawn as a child, a huge space with pulleys and meters of denim twills.’ The amount of denim fabric produced at Isko is good for 50 million jeans. They are one of the biggest manufacturers in Europe. Fanny: ‘The samples from Eroğlu turned out better than we expected. After giving our final instructions we experimented on different denim finishes at Carbon, the washing factory.’

The Tommy Hilfiger sewing line

‘Our programme offers an innovative and groundbreaking path of denim realisation’, states Sean Chiles, Design lecturer at AMFI. ‘Normally, you’ll gain denim experience in the working field, after your graduation. This programme has the industry embedded.’ Denim companies are involved in giving feedback to the students and professionals such as Adriano Goldschmied, co-founder of Diesel and his brand AG Jeans, have visited AMFI to inspire and advise.

Adriano Goldschmied visits AMFI

Fanny: ‘In the final phase of the programme we will be making the visual identity, collection book and range plan. We will also develop a sustainable collection route for our sub-brand.’ For now, Fanny returns to her blue room, where rivets, whiskers and indigo lovers meet. The incubator for a new generation of denim professionals.

Inspirational visuals at our Denim ‘headquarter’

Text by Adriënne van der Werf, second year student Fashion & Branding. Pictures by Fanny Klumper and Adriënne van der Werf.

Last Saturday the AMFI building was filled with potential new students: the start of the intakes. After the candidates have written an inspiring motivational letter, they are invited to AMFI for an interview and assignment. During the intake they have a chance to show their suitability for AMFI and the fashion world.

The candidates have to pull out all the stops to come across as motivated and hopefully even inspiring. These intakes enable AMFI to eligible students who are an asset to the fashion world. Hanneke Overdiep, Foundation Year Coordinator: ‘It’s important for AMFI as well as for applicants that there’s a good match. It’s not that AMFI is aiming for a harsh intake procedure, but with the current situation on tuition fees it’s important that students make the right decision. Even if someone receives a negative advise we can counsel them on alternative educational programmes.’

Walking around the school during the intake day, candidates are waiting in every corner of the building. Some nervously sitting alone. Others loudly babbling, already making new friends. After the Branders have finished their assignment, applicant Kirsten is relieved: ‘I was extremely nervous but thought it went quite well. The assignment showed me that branding is exactly what I thought it would be; a chance to explore my creativity in images as well as in text.’ Soon she, and the other applicants, will find a good educational match. Let’s hope it’s one with AMFI.

 Text and photos by Mary Bouwense (2nd year Fashion & Management student).

Begin januari introduceerde ook de hbo-opleiding Amsterdam Fashion Institute (AMFI) een Denim minor, een training van zes maanden in het vierde leerjaar. Medecoordinator Guido Kerssens: ‘We hebben de minor in het leven geroepen omdat bedrijven erom vroegen. Dit is het perfecte moment, blauw is overal.’

- Michou Basu

Published in de Telegraaf 20-04-2013

Five days of Barcelona. An excursion full of branding inspiration and blue skies. There is so much more to be discovered in this city than just Gaudi and Miró. Company visits and strolls down small streets gave us a helping hand in making big decisions: the next phase as a Fashion Brander.

Unexpected inspiration on the streets of Barcelona

Seventy Branding students and four teachers, the 2nd year Branding department was ready for an intensive week full of walking and talking. A week before our assessment it gave us a moment to think things over. Which minor programme, internship and specialisation am I choosing for next year? Retail environments, design agencies and boutiques needed to be discovered to complete the assignment: an inspirational visual dairy with eye-openers, undiscovered places and interesting fashion issues.

Exploring the city in a Dutch way

Daily routine consisted of company visits, a walk through the city and finding the unexplored places of Barcelona. The company visit to Miriam Ponsa brought us a glimpse into the world of a Fashion Designer. It was most fascinating to see how the inspiration was intertwined with the collection. The way in which for instance the latex of the collection appeared in the labels and how the retail environment was created. You could really understand the importance of branding within a fashion label.

The use of latex by Miriam Ponsa

Estudio Mariscal, a concept and design agency, made all our branding hearts grow fonder. Students who were lucky enough to be assigned to this company visit, entered a world full of graphic and retail design. The studio, which is known for its playful signature, even designed the H&M store in Barcelona. All created with iPads instead of pen and paper.

Playful colours at Estudio Mariscal

Next to other company visits such as the Camper Hotel, Reebok and Julie Sohn, there was enough time to explore the city. As a Brander you are always on the hunt for inspiration. The MACBA (Museo d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona) gave us the boost we needed. Next to the contemporary art, the building itself was impressive enough. How the lights formed geometric patterns and cast rays of sunshine onto our faces. These were the eye-openers that we were looking for: from big design agencies to small experiences.

Julie Sohn store

Geometric patterns formed at MACBA

From this trip we brought more home than an overloaded suitcase: a future study plan, more branding knowledge and the inspiration of a city.

Text and pictures by Adrienne van der Werf, 2nd year Fashion & Branding student.

Only one and a half weeks left before the concept magazines for the Independent Fashion Magazine programme hit the printers. Articles are written and re-written, shoots are being edited and the overall look & feel of the magazines is finally coming together.

Slowly the ultimate deadline creeps towards us. Phase one of the Magazine programme is nearly over. Nine teams are working extremely hard to fabricate their concept issue. You could say that the photo shoots are the most crucial element that make or break a fashion magazine. The past two weeks revealed a lot on that subject.

As you flick through a magazine a certain photo shoot might catch your eye. You go back to the beginning and it instantly sweeps you off your feet and throws you into that specific mood. However, those mere five to ten minutes that managed to give you a form of escape cost the makers weeks of blood, sweat and tears. Multiply that by three when creating a concept magazine.

The final photo shoot is the way to portray your vision on the current fashion zeitgeist. Everybody has different stories to tell: from balmy botanical hemispheres, adding feminine touches in a masculine hip-hop culture to visualizing Japanese fetishisms in daily life. Your starting point is just the beginning as it needs to be filled up with the right ingredients: a location, a photographer, a make-up artist, a hair stylist and a model (or maybe even five). Garments to give life to your vision that can only be acquired through PR agencies or directly from the designer. The latter had my team running around Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Haarlem and The Hague for two whole days.

Finally the big day arrives. Beautifully crafted clothes hang neatly on racks, the smell of freshly brewed coffee fills the kitchen and the team starts trickling in. When the models have been transformed into the leads of our fantasy, the magic starts to happen with every click. All those hours of preparation finally pay off. Fast-forward to the moment when you receive the images perfectly edited just the way you wanted them to be. That is pure bliss.

About the author: I am Suzanne van Heerde, a 4th year Fashion & Branding student at AMFI living in the Hague. Next to my study I do a lot of styling, photography and I’m the co-founder of Splitternakt Vintage. www.suzannejacobine.com