On Saturday 21 June, Amsterdam Fashion Week transformed the A10 Ring into a 75-metre catwalk for a once-in-a-lifetime open-air runway show celebrating Amsterdam’s 750th anniversary. With fifteen kilometres of highway car-free for the day, exit S106 became the backdrop for a free, public event that highlighted the capital’s creative pulse and fashion-forward spirit.
The show brought together established names and emerging designers in a 60-look presentation that paid homage to the past, present, and future of Dutch fashion. Levi’s® served as the official partner, providing repurposed denim inventory as the foundation for every collection; a unifying thread that reinforced the project’s focus on circularity, identity, and reinvention.
AFW On the Ring was made possible with the support of Levi’s®, New Balance, MAC Cosmetics, Keune, Fiat, and WestCord Fashion Hotel. Each contributed to making the production a success, from creative resources to backstage support.
The spotlight was on five talents chosen by seasoned designers Borre Akkersdijk (BYBORRE), Renée van Wijngaarden (1/OFF), and Guillaume Philibert (Filling Pieces). Together, they presented looks that paid tribute to the people, style, and contradictions of Amsterdam; from its grandeur to its grittier undercurrents.
First up was Vince Reece Hale with Gouden Bouquet, a collection infused with the floral symbolism of the 17th century. Drawing inspiration from Dutch masters like Van Gogh and Vermeer and from his own childhood surrounded by floristry, he manipulated denim into tailored, ruffle-collared jackets with flowers emerging from the seams, combined with balloon-fold trousers. Rust-dyed tie-dye dresses, corseted jackets, and trailing trains of denim patches became a rich meditation on how couture craftsmanship can grow from a fabric as familiar as Levi’s 501s.
Next, Jannah Erdtracht took her cues from the everyday ritual of laundry. Blending hyper-clean denim suiting with balloon sleeves and knotted shapes, she echoed domestic gestures like folding and twisting garments. A pastel-blue dress with intricate beading and a see-through scarf top embroidered with laundry-care labels built on this sense of fragility. Technical, sharp, and poetic all at once, Jannah’s pieces showed strength through softness.
River Moojen displayed his deep connection to Amsterdam by nodding to its most iconic symbols and subcultures. Leopard-fur collars and accessories, layered caps with spiked fur reaching skyward, and painted denim coated to mimic distressed leather created a punk-ish tribute to the city’s grit. One skirt, burnt into a tattered flag bearing the city’s three Xs, trailed dramatically behind like a banner. Big chains dripping across the body and an André Hazes necklace glinting like a cheeky wink underpinned a collection that read as a visual anthem. Loud, local, and unapologetically proud.
Emma van Engelen — the creative force behind Bhumi Clothing — took denim’s working-class roots and spun them into couture. An off-the-shoulder, patchwork mini dress with built-in hips and a corseted back featured 3D-printed bubble appliqués, while other pieces celebrated her mastery of 3D printing — vivid pink coral textures spilling across busts and hips. Denim also appeared as flower-shaped cutouts scattered playfully across nude bodysuits, reinforcing Emma’s signature way of celebrating and embellishing the female form. Stark-white 3D-printed Bhumi bags completed each look as a sharp counterpoint to the rich tactility of the denim.
Armia Yousefi unleashed a riotous vision for Joone Joonam that felt as rebellious as it was refined. Punk energy threaded through the collection, from slouchy hoodies layered under embellished dresses to feather hats tied jauntily around the neck, all grounded by Armia’s knack for upcycling denim into something wildly his own. A sturdy cotton dress stamped all over with the Joone Joonam logo was styled over a slick purple satin slip with bold black polka dots peeking mischievously from beneath. A lacquer-beige tartan jacket glistened under the evening light, paired with matching three-quarter pants and a military cap in the same print. Elsewhere, a loosely belted, watercolour-floral blazer offered a softer, more poetic counterpoint to Armia’s clashing prints. Feathers burst from armholes and seams, and a skirt-turned-top sent plumes fanning dramatically from the shoulders.
The show concluded with a tableau vivant as all sixty looks crossed the highway one last time. A living mosaic that reflected Amsterdam’s past, present, and future. What emerged was a powerful portrait of the city and its people, celebrating both its rich cultural history and its ongoing spirit of reinvention.
Photo’s by Team Peter Stigter and Olivia Witmond
