On Friday September 2nd , Lichting 2022, the 16th debutante ball for up-and-coming design talent took place in its confided Capital C. The 10 best graduates from the seven Dutch fashion academies met their crowd for the first time after proving themselves to an international jury during a nerve-wrecking panel pitch. This year, the participants returned to the familiar setting of the catwalk. Nonetheless an imposing choice, deriving back to the essence of their designs; no bells and no whistles.
With its decision to open up the Lichting format to any design graduate, Lichting has found itself in the midst of some of the most talented candidates we’ve seen so far. One however, stood out from its competitors. This year, Ruben Jurriën takes the well-deserved crown.
“I feel like during my entire design career, I’ve been working towards this collection. It’s a very personal story, but yet something I think we almost all can relate to. During my research I stumbled upon multiple style guides. These guides were filled with rules on what a decent man was and wasn’t allowed to wear. All these rules just made me furious, and I wanted to show the world that those guides are not the only way to live your life by. Finding your own being and listening to that is way more fun.”
Ruben Jurriën
AMFI graduate Ruben Jurriën strength lies in the portraying of pure fun, his collection therefore holds a sense of humor; an amalgamation of your parents’ wardrobe, and the toys you can’t let go off even as an adult. Ties get wrapped around like a waistbelt and act like a replacement of the classic pinstripes on a shirt. An oversized trenchcoat has a small white rabbit attached to it, and a shirt underneath that reads: “femboy”. A classic office polo gets turned into a longer, oversized dress shirt with an open back that reveals a comic book print underneath. Signifiers of stereotypical masculinity get taken out of context, and introduced in a renewed way where their meaning diminishes. A refreshing take on one-size-fits all, where craftmanship leads and functionality and flamboyance come together.
The Jury Report
This year, the panel of international jury members included Isabela Shepherd (E-commerce curator at Not Just A Label), Karime Salame Sainz (Textile & Fashion Designer), Anil Atalan (Co-Founder Fashion Film Festival Amsterdam) and Nayeun Kim (Digital Editor at SLEEK Magazine and E-commerce Consultant).
The participants of Lichting 2022: Rowen Lammers, Lotte de Jager, Tara Hollander, Rosa Kampinga, Enzo Aït Kaci De Tandt, Bryan Borghans, Signe Munch Grøndlund, Ruben Jurriën, Denzel Veerkamp and Pablo Willemars.
Together, the jury chose unanimously to select Ruben as the official winner of Lichting 2022. The other candidates however, are not going home empty handed. All Lichting 2022 collections earn a spot on the Not Just A Label platform, as well as an opportunity to show their film during the next Fashion Film Festival Amsterdam.
