All in the front row: Antwerp Fashion Academy organizes digital year-end parade – Fashion
While several universities and colleges cancel their proclamations because of the coronavirus, the Antwerp Fashion Academy has decided to continue its annual defilĂ© at the end of the year, albeit in modified digital form. “We thought about this even before the crisis,” says training manager Walter Van Beirendonck.
In recent weeks, the academy has been working on an online platform where a digital catwalk will showcase the collections of all Bachelor and Master students on June 27. “The parade has been the highlight for us and our students for a whole year, so we were determined to give them this visibility and the well-deserved moment in the spotlight,” explains training manager Walter Van Beirendonck. “It’s a new, next step that we thought about before the crisis.”
The result is an evening digital programme focusing on the work of 122 bachelor’s and 9 master’s students, supplemented by contributions from former students and international professionals. “Initially there was disappointment because the ‘classic’ show couldn’t take place,” says Van Beirendonck, “but during the development of the online platform, our students worked diligently on their material and experimented with the possibilities, which led to surprising results. A preview of this are the campaign pictures of Willy Vanderperre and Olivier Rizzo, which were taken with the master students at the beginning of the lockout period.”
In costume behind the PC
Master student Nico Verhaegen (27) is already very enthusiastic about the new format. “I was disappointed for a day until I realized that it was better for me in a way. It gave me time to think about how I wanted to show my collection. I feel like i’ve been able to give more of my world thanks to the 3D animation I’ve done.” Master Marie Martens (26) also sees the experiment positively: “It’s about playing everything into perspective. You’ve been looking forward to your master show for years, but safety prevails. It offered us the opportunity to look for fun, alternative ways to present our collections. Since people can watch the show from home, the offer can be even bigger than a regular show.”
Brussels fashion academy La Cambre announced it would replace its parade with a special magazine to be published in September. “Understandable,” says van Beirendonck, “but we wanted to find new ways to reward the hard work of our students and end the intense academic year.” In the fashion world, change is necessary anyway, says student Nico Verhaegen. “And platforms like this offer the opportunity to show in a creative way what we do as designers. Many friends already announced that they would look neatly dressed on their computer. So they’re still sitting in the front row.”
The digital parade will go online on Saturday, June 27, at 8:00 p.m. showww.be
In recent weeks, the academy has been working on an online platform where a digital catwalk will showcase the collections of all Bachelor and Master students on June 27. “The parade has been the highlight for us and our students for a whole year, so we were determined to give them this visibility and the well-deserved moment in the spotlight,” explains training manager Walter Van Beirendonck. “It’s a new, next step that we thought about before the crisis.” The result is an evening digital programme focusing on the work of 122 bachelor’s and 9 master’s students, supplemented by contributions from former students and international professionals. “Initially there was disappointment because the ‘classic’ show couldn’t take place,” says Van Beirendonck, “but during the development of the online platform, our students worked diligently on their material and experimented with the possibilities, which led to surprising results. A foretaste of this are the campaign pictures of Willy Vanderperre and Olivier Rizzo, which were shot with the master students at the beginning of the lockout period.’Master student Nico Verhaegen (27) is already very enthusiastic about the new format. “I was disappointed for a day until I realized that it was better for me in a way. It gave me time to think about how I wanted to show my collection. I feel like i’ve been able to give more of my world thanks to the 3D animation I’ve done.” Master Marie Martens (26) also sees the experiment positively: “It’s about playing everything into perspective. You’ve been looking forward to your master show for years, but safety prevails. It offered us the opportunity to look for fun, alternative ways to present our collections. Since people can watch the show from home, the offer could be even bigger than a regular show.” Brussels fashion school La Cambre announced it would replace its parade with a special magazine due to be published in September. “Understandable,” says van Beirendonck, “but we wanted to find new ways to reward the hard work of our students and end the intense academic year.” In the fashion world, change is necessary anyway, says student Nico Verhaegen. “And platforms like this offer the opportunity to show in a creative way what we do as designers. Many friends already announced that they would look neatly dressed on their computer. So they’re still sitting in the front row.”