Last Wednesday, 8 The Gallery invited our community to step back through some of the most memorable creative moments shared between Amsterdam Fashion Week and 8 The Agency. The exhibition brought together eight defining projects from recent years, offering a chance to revisit the ideas, collaborations and landmark moments that have shaped the AFW landscape.
Guided through a sequence of conceptual campaigns, brand activations, graphic design, CGI, and digital work, guests were able to choose personal favourites and recall the projects they contributed to or experienced up close. It became a brief but vivid trip through time, celebrating the people and stories that continue to push AFW forward.
What follows is a look back at the featured projects that 8 The Agency and Amsterdam Fashion Week worked on together, each one a snapshot of the creativity that defined Amsterdam Fashion Week throughout the years.
Past Present Future
Among the standout moments revisited at 8 The Gallery was Op de Ring: the historic runway that transformed the A10 highway into a 75-meter open-air catwalk in honour of Amsterdam’s 750th anniversary. On 21 June, fifteen kilometres of the Ring went car-free as thousands gathered at the S106 exit to witness the first fashion show ever staged on a highway. The event brought together the past, present and future of Dutch fashion in a 60-look collective show led by Guillaume Philibert, Borre Akkersdijk and Renée van Wijngaarden, each paired with emerging talents they mentored throughout the project. With repurposed Levi’s denim as the connecting material, the runway became a convergence of heritage, experimentation and the city’s unmistakable creative energy. Op de Ring marked not only a milestone in AFW’s history, but also a celebration of what Amsterdam continues to stand for: creativity, freedom and reinvention.
Google Pixel Dinner
The Google Pixel Dinner returned as one of the defining moments highlighted at 8 The Gallery. During the joint AFW and CPHFW opening night, Google Pixel unveiled the new Pixel 10 at an intimate dinner that blended fashion, colour and next generation technology. More than one hundred guests explored the device up close, capturing the evening through fresh eyes while trying features such as Circle to Search and other AI driven tools. The result was a meeting point of style and innovation, where the future of creativity sat right at the dinner table.
Ronald van der Kemp x Steve Madden
Equally unforgettable was the Ronald van der Kemp x Steve Madden runway show during AFW 2023, staged inside the haunting remains of the former Bijlmerbajes. Against a backdrop of red-lit corridors, black-and-white logo tape and crumbling concrete, Ronald van der Kemp transformed the prison walls into a rebellious couture stage. Models moved through the narrow passageways like defiant inmates, carrying mugshot signs while wearing paper-crafted couture paired with Steve Madden footwear, from heavy lace-up boots to glittering statement sneakers. The spectacle peaked with sculptural papier-mâché gowns, beds of hand-painted roses and high-shine silver silhouettes that turned the runway into a surreal clash of decay, craftsmanship and theatrical glamour.
The HUB
One of the most prominent features at 8 The Gallery was The HUB, the recurring community-driven platform that returns to Amsterdam Fashion Week each year as one of its most energetic meeting points. Set in a rotating creative location, The HUB brings together fashion, art, talks, music and a myriad of carefully selected forward-thinking brands focused on sustainability, circularity and innovation. Beyond the pop-up showcases, it functions as a space for exchange through talks with leading voices from the industry, hands-on workshops and daily Drinks & Beats moments. Welcoming designers, press, students and fashion lovers alike, The HUB continues to serve as a vital place where new ideas, connections and future talent converge during AFW.
AFW x WE Fashion
Also highlighted was the AFW x WE Fashion collaboration, which unfolded as a layered runway show rooted in artistic direction and digital storytelling. Developed for Amsterdam Fashion Week 2025, 8 The Agency connected filmmaker Halina Reijn to explore the theme You Choose, blending fashion with large-scale digital animation and cinematic narrative. Before the show, audiences were invited into the concept through an in-depth talk, after which the story continued on the main screen at NXT Museum. There, the artworks translated into an immersive projection that expanded the runway into an emotional, performative experience about identity, choice and self-expression.
Philips
Lastly, 8 The Gallery looked back upon the Philips CGI campaign and live experience developed around Amsterdam Fashion Week 2025. With the aim of positioning the Philips Handheld Steamer as a fashionable, lifestyle-driven essential, the brand turned to AFW as the perfect cultural stage to reach a style-conscious audience. The activation unfolded as a three-part concept, combining a CGI city takeover, influencer-led creator content and a live steaming unit on site. The digital animation saw the steamer glide through the city, while influencers demonstrated its role within everyday styling routines. On location, visitors could steam their looks before heading to the shows, seamlessly blending technology, fashion and real-time experience into one cohesive activation.
Images by Olivia Grace