Tell us more about your collection!

I have a diary that I always keep with me and since I spent my downtime after last year’s show in the Carribean, it dawned on me pretty quickly that I wanted my Master’s collection to be an ode to Curaçao, where my family is from. I am always inspired by its people. Whether I am at home or traveling, I can often pick out of the crowd who’s from Curaçao or the Dominican Republic. They just dress differently. I specifically wanted to focus on the cultural clash they experience. A lot of young people come to Europe for what they think and hope will be a better life, but adapting or fitting in is very difficult and oftentimes they end up in trouble. In The Netherlands, for instance, it’s fairly easy to take out financial loans, so they get into debt and fall into this pattern of not being able to keep up with society. Clothing and appearance become sort of an armour to look like you’re better-off than you actually are. That way of dressing, putting on expensive outfits when you actually don’t have much, is what intrigued me.

Thank you

First off I want to thank my parents, brother and sisters for the unconditional love and support, for always being there for me no matter what and believing in me when nobody did!
Thanks to my second mom and family for being there even though you are far.
Special thanks to my one and only love Lisi Herrebrugh, I could never have done this without her. You are my biggest inspiration.

I want to thank all the teachers at the academy, for teaching me and helping me develop into the designer I am today.
You will always have a special place in my heart. Thank you Miss Fransen, Nooren and the Kock for making us feel at home.
Thanks to Miss Gilles, I learned a lot from you. Thanks to Karine for helping me with all the administration stuff and thanks for all the spam. Thanks to Katarina and Nathalie for making second year such a great and fun year. Thank you Marissa for the fun lessons! Thank you Hilde for the Knitting class. Thanks to Walter and Elke for mentoring me during the 3rd year. Thanks to Wouter for the great drawing lessons and your friendship! Thanks to Dirk and Heidi for making the master year such a great, educational and most of all fun year. It was great working together! Thank you Sofie for helping us with everything during the master year!
Sorry to jenny for the mess we made, thank you for making our second home clean and neat every day.

Special thanks to Miss the Kock for being there every year. Really appreciate it!

I will miss you all, I already do.

Thanks to Emmy Burm from Labels and Things for believing in me and help me with my caps, labels and patches. I will never forget this!
A special thanks to my friend and talented painter Iwan Smit, for making this such an amazing collaboration!
Thanks to Nike for your believe in my collection and sponsoring me these amazing shoes for my graduation collection.
Thanks to René van den Berg, for our friendship and your help with the construction of the shoes!

Sander Bos, you have made these academy years an amazing journey, thank you for your friendship. (sorry Lisi, for all these empty bottles of wine you have had to clean up..)

To my family and friends whom I have neglect the past four years. Thanks for still being there and to the ones who are gone.. So long, I wish you the best!

EXPO 2017