UCA Students Get Involved at Amsterdam Fashion Week

As part of their Further Education residential trip to Amsterdam, 30 pre-degree fashion textiles students had the chance to attend Amsterdam Fashion Week performances and some of the students were interviewed by Dutch stylists and TV presenters, Thijs Willekes and Manon Meijers.

The students met the stylists whilst attending a ‘tableau vivant’ (a “living picture”) performance which was held at Stadsschouwburg, an iconic theatre building in Leidesplein, Amsterdam. The performance was based on a collection by fashion design brand MaryMe-JimmyPaul. The collection was in collaboration with a young theatre collective, SSBA Salon, and was presented as a series of vignettes, combining performance and fashion in an unconventional space.

At the performance, UCA students Zavia Savva, Amie Hartland and Lauren Murrell were interviewed by stylists Thijs Willekes and Manon Meijers, presenters of popular Dutch TV show De Modepolitie 2.0 (“The Fashion Police”), about their thoughts around fashion and styling. The show featuring the interviews was aired on Dutch TV on 24 February.

“Having the opportunity to attend Amsterdam Fashion Week was an incredible experience,” said Zavia. “I was able to witness the more theatrical side of the fashion world, something that I’ve always been inspired by. The performances showcased some of the most innovative designs coming out of the Netherlands. Being interviewed by Dutch TV in relation to my future goals as a designer was both eye opening and exciting, it gave me a taste of what the future may hold!”

A further two UCA students, Amber Lily Foxon and Hermione Sihukai, were approached at the same performance and invited to be involved in judging a competition on De Modepolitie 2.0, where contestants had the chance to win a free makeover. The clip was recorded live at Amsterdam Fashion Week and will be aired on Dutch TV in the coming weeks.

“Going to Amsterdam has enormously benefited my studies and me as a person,” said Hermione. “We were so lucky that UCA took us to Amsterdam when Fashion Week was on – I have never been to a live fashion event, so to be able to see how such an event is presented, how much effort goes into it and the amount of publicity it gains was truly phenomenal. This trip opened my eyes to how parts of the fashion industry operate and gave me so much inspiration for my own work. I really recommend that if other students are given the opportunity to participate in a trip like this, they jump at the chance!”

“Residential trips like this one to Amsterdam enable our students to see art and in this case, fashion, in a range of different contexts,” said Chris Wraith, Course leader for Further Education at UCA Rochester. “We all know that different cultures create different styles and influences, so the students’ exposure to Amsterdam Fashion Week broadens their horizons and gives them a chance to see a range of fashion careers in action. The interviews and involvement with De Modepolitie 2.0 was the icing on the cake for this trip, and made it really memorable for the students, giving them further exposure to other industries.”