Collectie Arnhem is a third-year collaborative project at the ArtEZ University of the Arts fashion department. This year’s edition has been developed by 19 students from various parts of the world.
Collectie Arnhem provides a playful environment where students research and explore diverse aspects of designing and developing a collection. Within this process students are questioning the meaning of fashion and reflect on our place within the industry. This year’s edition: PLaY aT YoUR OWN RIsK has been presented at Atelier Néerlandais in Paris from 21st of January to 24th of January.
Collection Concept
‘I long to create a safe space for myself within the harshness of reality. But there is one thing that will stay: loneliness. I am getting mad here. All the problems I have can be solved in my personal playground that I built with the things around me and a pinch of delusion – creativity, they call it. I think the playground is the place where I belong to, but now I must put on the mask of an ordinary person to fit in.’
We imagine this world as a dressing-up box, where we can try on characters, switch between realities, and blur the line between the ordinary and the surreal. Dressing becomes a part of the game: putting on a mask, taking one off, being halfway between yourself and someone else.
Our way of working follows the same childlike instinct as play: we use what we find. Existing materials are picked up, reimagined, and transformed, much like a child turns a blanket into a cape or a chair into a castle. We executed these methods by choosing unbleached cotton, which is usually used in the industry for prototyping, as a canvas to express our world. The core concept of our collection was embodied by our mascot: the cuddly toy. Our cuddly toy manifests itself in many ways throughout the collection; as something to hold onto, the construction of our undergarments and soft, furry machine knitted underwear and legwarmers.
Our playground always connects back to reality, because even in our dream world, the ‘fashionable’ world is knocking on the door. For details and finishings we took inspiration from real coats and jackets that we examined regarding their protective and covering aspects. Collectie Arnhem 2026: PLaY aT YoUR OWN RIsK consists of 11 looks, including coat-like overgarments and undergarments with the emphasis on comfortability and softness.
Video
The film of the collection is a performance showcasing our work as a tool to step into different characters. Expanding the idea of a dressing-up box, it features two performers trying on the different characters of the looks, blurring the line between them and the character. For the development of the video concept and characters of the looks, we collaborated with Britt Liberg during the process. The sound design of the video, in collaboration with music composer Ole Schmoldt, was developed through improvisation, taking inspiration from the variety in the characters shown.
Lookbook
Our lookbook shoot visualizes the definitions of our characters. Inspired by the backstage of a theater, an intimate changing room and the packaging of childrens toys, our garments come alive and are given their own realm in this slightly distorted, poetic world. Each character gets to take the center stage, dressing up and dressing down, owning the playground as if it is reality.
CA x EE Exclusives
This year’s Collectie Arnhem features a custom jacquard fabric, designed in collaboration with EE Exclusives. We got the chance to visit the company and its renowned weaving factory in Heeze, where we explored the possibilities and qualities of jacquard weaving. Inspired by these insights, we developed a textile design through playing and experimenting with printing and painting techniques. In collaboration with the specialists at EE Exclusives, our design turned into a rich and versatile jacquard fabric that builds the core of our collection.
AZC Leersum, De Vrolijkheid
As our concept centers around childlike play and innocence, we were honored to collaborate with foundation De Vrolijkheid. A foundation focused on organizing creative workshops and activities at Dutch asylum seekers’ centers. ‘Growing up in an asylum seekers’ center isn’t always easy; sometimes time seems to stand still. Through art workshops and creative activities, De Vrolijkheid provides a positive outlet for young asylum seekers, investing in their development, resilience, and well-being. De Vrolijkheid does this together with and for the children, young people, and families who live there.’
On Wednesday the 5th of November we gave a workshop where children aged 3 to 8 decorated their own cuddly toys.On the 14th of January we revisited and showed the outcome of their creation, a poster, and postcards of all the cuddly toys. We presented our video, showed and fitted our garments and made a big scale painted calico cloth together, which will also be presented at our exhibition in Paris. Resulting in an inspiring collective cross-over.
Gerstaecker
Throughout our collection development, we researched the possibilities of various art supplies and materials for textile manipulations. Gerstaecker kindly supported us with a diverse selection of materials, including paint and crayons, which enriched our collection as well as our ways of presentation.
Designers
Arés Arnal Sempere // Bahar Çimen // Robert Giurea // Tamar de Haan // Agathe Hanriot // Evi Heesen // Jill Hendrickx // Stefan Munteanu // Emma Nagengast // Emilie Nijgh // Eca-terina Pripa // Amélie Reijners // Ida Šeba // Lina Simlinger // Serin Son // Jesse de Vries // Julika Weber // Josephine de Wit // Like Zhao
Tutors
Sanne Schepers // Alieke Broekhuizen // Francis Ames // Kevin Pleiter // Machteld Schouten. Guest tutor: Britt Liberg.
