Antwerp fashion students draw inspiration from world culture

Manon Kündig | Der hobuspöönig – Blowjob

To mark Amsterdam International Fashion Week DOWNTOWN, the Tropenmuseum hosts Culture Couture - Fashion at the Tropenmuseum. From 26 January to 26 June 2012, the exhibition showcases a selection of spectacular creations by talented young students from the Fashion department of Antwerp’s Academy of Fine Arts inspired by other cultures. In the exhibition, the Tropenmuseum provides a platform for talented young designers and shows how authentic costumes from different cultures can inspire new, contemporary couture. The presentation follows the successful, similarly-named show hosted by Tropenmuseum in 2009.

In Culture Couture, the Tropenmuseum showcases work by three promising international designers from Antwerp’s renowned fashion academy: Manon Kündig (Switzerland) with her ‘Der hobuspöönig – Blowjob’ collection, Tabitha Osler (Canada) with ‘Red wood nation woman - Burning bush’ and Wali Mohammed Barrech (Pakistan) ‘Feredja Burka Mostar – Reset’.

Inspiration

For their third-year assignment, the students created a contemporary collection based on a specific costume from the culture of their choice. Each student’s presentation features a replica of the traditional dress together with two contemporary designs inspired by it. The exhibition also includes video portraits of the designers, sketchbooks and recordings of fashion shows. The research and the results are the central focus: together they provide a unique perspective on the (investigative and) design process of the students.

Research

With the original costume as the basis and the culture as reference point, the students began by making a reconstruction of the original garment. Because technical skills and craftsmanship are highly valuated at the academy, the recreation of the original has to be made as accurately as possible, employing creative solutions and using alternative techniques, adaptations and materials. Patterns, volumes, structures, accessories, hairstyles and decorations were studied in detail and translated in a reinterpretation of the original colours, materials and embellishments. The reinterpretations formed a preliminary study for the contemporary collection which was made in the second semester. From a total collection of nine designs, three have been selected for the current exhibition.

Antwerp Fashion Academy

Over the years, Antwerp’s Fashion Academy has built up a name in the fashion world. Designers such as Dries van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester and Walter van Beirendonck put Antwerp on the map as a centre of fashion in the 1980s. In recent years, graduates - now established figures - have included Veronique Branquinho, Martin Margiela and Haider Ackermann. The school’s excellent reputation draws talented designers from around the world to Antwerp.

Amsterdam Fashion Week DOWNTOWN

The exhibition is part of Amsterdam International Fashion Week DOWNTOWN. The Fashion Week programme is set for 20 to 29 January 2011 and is organised jointly with numerous museums, galleries, shops and clubs.

Creative concept

The idea for the Tropenmuseum show originated with gallery owner and curator Jedithja de Groot and style director Djinn Kwekkeboom. Together with designers from Antwerp’s Fashion Academy, they realised a project in the courtyard of Haarlem’s Frans Hals Museum in 2008 inspired by the history of Haarlem and Antwerp in the Golden Age. In 2010, they realised the first Culture Couture, featuring an exhibition and a catwalk performance at Tropenmuseum based around the idea of ethnic costume.

About Tropenmuseum

Amsterdam’s Tropenmuseum presents, researches and promotes knowledge about and exchange between cultures. It offers an experience to a wide and varied audience employing every tool available to museums: presentation, collection and expertise, publication, the historical building, educational and other activities. The museum of the Royal Tropical Institute maintains an international programme relating to culture and development.

The Tropenmuseum strives to present the many dimensions cultures have, each in their own right, by telling their story and giving a voice to different cultural positions. The museum is the perfect location for The World Explained. With its unique use of various media, the exhibition sketches a cultural world view expressed by the population of Amsterdam comprising many different layers. The Tropenmuseum is the ideal context for Beltrán’s Wunderkammer – as he calls his encyclopaedia of personal perspectives – given that the museum has been collecting knowledge about cultures since 1910. The World Explained is the third contemporary art exhibition in a series of four, made possible by the Mondrian Foundation.

With thanks to Mondrian Foundation (Amsterdam), Roma Publications (Amsterdam), RISO Benelux Digital Printers (Sassenheim) and MACBA/Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona.

Open

Tuesday to Sunday and public holidays: 10am - 5pm
Also open public and school holidays (except summer holidays) on Mondays: 10am - 5pm
Tropenmuseum is closed on 25 December, 1 January, 30 April and 5 May. On 24 and 31 December the museum opens until 3pm.

Tropenmuseum
Linnaeusstraat 2
Amsterdam
The Netherlands
+31 (0)20 5688200
info@tropenmuseum.nl
www.tropenmuseum.nl

Note to editors
For more information contact Nanja Ruiter at Tropenmuseum T. +31 (0)20 5688418, or e-mail: n.ruiter@kit.nl. Visual material is available at press information.