The collection “Beyond the Lipstick” was made specially for “Visions of” a collaboration between Duran Lantink and Amsterdam Fashion week. To give young designers a platform with a focus on sustainability. The collection was inspired by the book Mauvais Genre by Sebastien Lifshitz, which contains photographs of crossdressers dating back all the way to 1860. The people in the book use clothing as an instrument of freedom, playing around with identity. I wanted to show this concept in my own collection and give it a modern twist.
“The collection was inspired by the book Mauvais Genre by Sebastien Lifshitz”
To explore the concept of sustainability I collected materials from all over the Netherlands from people's houses who had textiles, buttons, brooches and yarns that would otherwise just be laying around next to newly bought eco textiles and regenerated old clothing pieces. The collection was made in collaboration with multiple craftspeople. I went and collected crochet dollies which people had made (mostly elderly) that I used to create one total look. This was especially nice since it gave all the people who gifted me the doilies a feeling of togetherness and pride knowing that their work in some way would also be shown at Amsterdam Fashion Week. For this collection I also collaborated with many other people such as a seamstress, a jeansmaker and a knitting lady to use their knowledge and expertise.
During the Amsterdam Fashion Week 2020 the collection was shown in a performance made in collaboration with choreographer Marne van Opstal and performed by dancers from the Fashion Composers Agency.
“To explore the concept of sustainability I collected materials all over the Netherlands