Patchwork Family, known for their boundary-pushing, inclusive approach to fashion, returns to Amsterdam Fashion Week after their successful AFW debut in 2023. Previously presenting their newest talent at the birthplace of Patchwork Family’s authentic performances, Club Church, the collective unlocked a bigger, bolder, even more outrageous act for their AFW 2024 performance. With a powerful showcase at Shelter, the notorious underground club in Amsterdam Noord, Patchwork Family pulled off a show bigger than we have ever witnessed at Amsterdam Fashion Week.
Shelter, Amsterdam’s quintessential underground club, with its 500-person capacity, was bursting at the seams last night for the Patchwork Family show. With a front row of 70 people, the show was grand in size, personality, and attitude. To come back to that front row, the collective held on to a first come first serve approach. Patchwork Family’s stance against elitism in the fashion industry was unmistakably clear, embodying their ethos “to democratise the ways fashion is made, presented and experienced.”
Founded by Marco Blazevic and Meike van Lelyveld, Patchwork Family has grown into a vibrant collective of designers, performers, and artists who use fashion as a tool for activism and expression. The show at Shelter was no exception, offering a dynamic, immersive experience that highlighted the talents of each member.
Before anyone entered the catwalk, Floor van Helmond’s Deja Vu FM took the audience on a surreal journey through subcultural icons and dreamlike figures. The collection was crafted using reused textiles and DIY techniques, creating mystical streetwear that challenged conventional ideas of fashion. Her creations were seated alongside the guests, with one character in a mask slowly merging into the crowd right before the show started.
Rachel Klok aka the “queen of trash couture” is a fan favourite amongst many of the Patchwork Family followers. BITE ME reimagined the story of the Garden of Eden, celebrating the unapologetic, empowered woman. A model taking seductive bite of an apple sets the tone for a runway drenched in sex. The standout look, a sparkling silver wrap dress with train that drags along the catwalk leaves people shaking on their seats, and is paired with thigh-high boots in a shiny metallic. Using snake skinning and dead-stock leather, Rachel’s collection was both seductive and provocative, challenging traditional notions of femininity and sin.
Salomé, under the brand NNAEJ, followed with FRUITCAKE, a collection celebrating queerness and the beauty of the queer underground. The garments featured oversized pink bows, whimsical fruit motifs, and latex, blending joy with a hint of defiance. The performance art accompanying the collection emphasised the act of undressing, symbolising the shedding of societal expectations to reveal one’s true self. The pièce de la résistance, a gorgeous knitted white dress, pierced with nipple piercings, loses its wedding cake-like layers and becomes a micro dress, revealing frilly lace tights and pink fluffy slippers underneath.
Joris Janssen’s A long, hard… day at the office brought a playful twist to formal menswear, upcycling old garments into hot, rule-breaking pieces. In skimpy formal wear, models parodied the formalities found at an office; making calls, drinking coffee and swiping key cards. For the final look, a thong was paired with nothing but a laptop barely covering up the model’s breasts. The collection questioned traditional dress codes, offering a bold new take on office attire.
Berber’s collection, BITCHERTON, was a campy take on the popular Bridgerton series. A line-up of colourful misfits all wearing bowling shoes featured bags made out of Cabbage Patch babies and cartoonesk patchwork. The main look, a long dress made by numerous strokes of fabric that feathered around layers and layers of a pompous skirt, towered above everyone. Reusing materials from previous collections and second-hand finds, Berber created an outrageous, extravagant spectacle that blurred the lines between fashion and performance art.
Wolter Pot’s The Scent that Reminds Me of Summer brought back the vintage towel creations he’s loved and recognised for. The collection was a testament to Wolter’s ability to make sustainability not only fashionable but highly desirable. A welcoming addition to the collection of towel sunglasses bags and shoes, were a range of sailor hats, wrapped in pastel paisley towel print, and effortlessly placed on the models’ heads.
Marco Blazevic brought a healthy shock value to the runway with AN ARMY OF LOVERS CAN NOT LOSE, a collection inspired by the radical queer movements of the 1990s. An upcycled gold-coated Action bag included denim patches holding the op of the bag together. The boxer archetype, one they brought back from their first show during Amsterdam Fashion Week, got a new red leather dress interpretation. A safety vest had been crumbled up into a micro skirt, hinting towards their previous takes on workwear. Upcycling past archetypes from his previous work, Marco presented a fierce, unapologetic vision of queerness that stood in stark contrast to the commercialised LGBTQ+ narratives of today.
Meike van Lelyveld closed the show with, Divorcée, a collection redefining bridal wear using dead-stock materials. Meike crafted gowns that spoke to the strength and independence of women, whether single, married, or divorced. The collection was as fun as it was subversive, embodying the rebellious spirit of modern womanhood. A bride in a wedding gown is impregnated by a heart shaped balloon peaking through the white see-through fabric, another, repping the words “divorcé to be” on her dress and proudly trotting the runway with a bouquet of flowers.
Patchwork Family’s show at Shelter was a celebration of community, resilience, and the power of fashion as a tool for social change. As the audience left Shelter, it was clear that Patchwork Family had once again set the standard for what fashion can and should be: inclusive, radical, and unapologetically bold.
Images by Martijn Kuyvenhoven via YOUNG / The Agency
