AMFI NEXT GRADUATE PROFILES – Part Two

Name Marlies Reukers

Department Fashion & Design

Best AMFI experience Hypercraft! It was where my digital fascination came out and found what I really wanted to do. Possibly an even better experience would be my exchange to New Zealand.

Biggest reality check Being confronted with my own perfectionism. I really want to strive for the best so I put the bar high for myself which is a good and bad thing. It’s all part of the learning process for me.

Internship Damien Ravn, a Norwegian designer based in Antwerp. It was very focussed on technical design and pattern making. He makes these crazy constructions and I’m a really technical designer so I really wanted to learn more about it.

Graduation project Focussing on virtual design, Marlies created her own collection in the digital world creating everything digitally and then physically as well. ‘For me it wasn’t complete without the physical garments, I think thats the whole interesting party about translating virtual garments to physical garments. There are many things that can go wrong in that step so in the end it was like making 2 collections at the same time which was stressful but I’m very glad I did it because I learned so much in my last semester at AMFI.’

Looking at how to optimise comfort and implementing freedom of movement in different constructions she used only block patterns without any side seams or shoulder seams. Instead her seams go all around the body according to the body to improve dynamics and listen to the body.

Plans for near future I’m going to work at PVH and I’m still developing my own work as well by entering into competitions.

Name Kim Schoenmakers

Department Fashion & Management

Best AMFI experience The fact that you get so many possibilities to go on exchange and build your network internationally. AMFI also has a lot of connections with large and small brands so you really have a lot of opportunities here.

Biggest reality check My internship. At AMFI you learn how to implement everything but in real life you realise how needed the skills are that you have learned. The stress level in the fashion industry is pretty high so it when I received positive reactions at Adidas about how I work under pressure it clear how AMFI prepared me. What AMFI taught me and a lot of us is that you have to keep going and know how to deal with stress.

Internship I did my internship at Adidas working as a product developer in their outdoor department specific to sports performance. I worked a lot together with the management and design department which gave me a broad view to the possibilities within such a company like Adidas. It actually brought me to my future goal which is to do a masters to be a part of their future team who look at 5-10 year goals.

Graduation project Kim explored how to enhance the consumer experience in brick and mortar stores through 3D virtual garment presentation. She had the ultimate goal to digitise the fashion industry from concept to consumer (focussing on 3D/VR/AR). Starting over a year ago during the minor 3D hypercraft, Kim worked together with designer Marlies in implementing 3D virtual designs with real life consumer experiences.

Plans for near future I’m going to do my masters in Strategic and Innovation Management now in Groningen for 2 years, and write my thesis on Adidas with the end goal of working there.

Name Eva Lancere de kam

Department Fashion & Management

Best AMFI experience A collection of the inspiring excursion trips we went on to Berlin, Paris and Istanbul. My best experiences happened during the flexible program where I specialized as the General Manager of iNDiViDUALS GEN24. These international trips and experiences showed me the diversity of the fashion industry.

Biggest reality check The start of AMFI! I was one of the youngest students at AMFI I was always determined to study International Fashion Management and become a product developer. As I’ve been told, success begins with two beliefs: That the future can be better than the present, and that you have the power to make it so.

Internship I was assistant product developer at luxury brand ROKSANDA. There I experienced the intriguing and fast pace high end fashion environment, working on collections showed during London Fashion Week.

Graduation project By researching 3D body scanning Eva enhances the online shopping experience. The innovation behind 3D body scanning is embedded in the way we perceive and derive body measurements. In an expanding digital world this technology is expected to develop near and farina the mid to high end fashion segment resulting in a more sustainable fashion environment, transparent and responsive customer centered approach.

Plans for near future I will study a masters and continue specializing in strategic management and 3D product development for luxury fashion brands and am open for suiting projects and job opportunities to put my knowledge into action.