By Cassandra Pizzey / 23-06-2011

The Royal Academy of Arts (KABK), The Hague, held its yearly fashion show at the city hall last week in which students of Textile and Fashion presented their work on the catwalk. 

This year’s theme was silhouettes, with students focussing on materials, historical costumes and  contemporary fashion among others. First year students were challenged to create material and shape studies of skirts, dresses or trenchcoats while KABK's second year students based their mini-collections on historical costume.

Third year’s were inspired by folk costume for they’re looks. Students Christa van der Meer and Evelien van Pruissen each presented a number of looks that took from ethnic dress and combined oversized sleeves, capes and prints with more whimsical, modern embelishment, colours and drapery. Both Van der Meer and Van Pruissen were finalists the AVRO self-made fashion contest in 2010 with Van Pruissen taking the main prize.
Third year student Miriam de Waard sent a beautiful aubergine smoking jacket and clean cut waistcoat down the catwalk, combined with sheer black-and-white printed fabrics.

The graduates each showed a collection of ten pieces; silhouettes inspired by contemporary fashion combined with their individual visions.

Lotte Mostert tells about secret identities in her collection ‘That makes the inside cover’, and found her inspiration in Antwerp where Jewish men move through the streets silently yet in striking dress. People's beliefs are recognizable by their physical traits which conceal their personal identity. Heavy draped fabrics are combined with geometrically printed knits in Mostert's collection in which models are covered from neck to toe, much like the Jewish men in Antwerp.
Mostert interned at well-known fashion designer Haider Ackermann where she assisted the styling for the autumn/winter 2011 fashion show.

Esther Boskaljon created mysterious, unapproachable, fascinating characters in her collection named ‘They walk without a sound’. Adventurous shapes and shadows flow together as if taken from a completely different logic to ours; a complex secret language. Vivid monochrome outfits in mustard and deep red where alternated by black and white ensembles which included some rather eerie hats. Boskaljon also interned at Haider Ackermann as creative assistent.

A third outstanding graduate was Nicolaas Hein whose collection ‘Suit-case’ was inspired by the 1897 gold rush. Taking from his internship at Viktor and Rolf, the fashion designer lets his somewhat theatrical collection tell the story of rough men who couldn’t find luck in their search of gold. Oversized, blow out shoulders and arms combined with beautifully subtle prints and old-fashioned leather straps made for a collection that wouldn't look out of place at any fashion week.

In addition to the fashion show, the Fashion and Textile graduates created their own personal showrooms at 11 different locations in the centre of The Hague, allowing the greater public a look at their final works.

Click on the images to enlarge

Main image: Christa van der Meer
Other images: 1. Miriam de Waard 2.-3. Lotte Mostert 4.-5. Esther Boskaljon 6.-7. Nicolaas Hein

All photos: Peter Stigter

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