CAMIEL FORTGENS
“With my work I want to investigate and question norms, both those within the entire society as well as those within the fashion world.”
“Under my brand name CAMIEL FORTGENS I create collections that always arise from the question: why is something as it is? By puzzling with elements from the everyday world and placing them in a different context and thus alienating them, I single out the norm and question the generally accepted standard. In this way, I pay extra attention to the intersection of garments, (mass) identity and social interaction. I want to deploy fashion again as a cultural-social vehicle that does not allow oneself to be guided by trends and commerce.”
An important theme in my work is ‘imperfection’. The fashion world is usually characterized by a veil of perfection, beauty and the artificial. I observe this phenomenon with a critical eye. I try to get rid of this veil in my own work, or more precisely, to leave it out. My work always clearly shows the research and the human hand. I welcome the imperfection by not completely finishing garments, not stitching seems perfectly straight and ignoring any little mistakes. I want to break through the unachievable standard created by the fashion world. I want to block out this institutionalized hyper reality and make room for everything that is rejected and excluded.”