Conny Groenewegen
Erik Frenken
Hyun Yeu
Joline Jolink
Marcha Hüskes
“CG offers innovation in knitwear for women, combining modern technology with traditional handwork. My designs blend a typical straightforward Dutch approach with an international appeal and sophistication.“
Conny Groenewegen (1973) was raised in the light of the Dutch glasshouses, an early aesthetic influence which shows in the transparency and architectural lines of her designs. In her universe beauty exists in contrasts: open and closed, fragile and strong. Conny Groenewegen studied fashion, 3D design and mixed media at Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam and her work has been shown throughout Europe and the Netherlands in both fashion and design contexts. Winner of the 2010 Dutch Accessory Award by Sacha, Conny Groenewegen’s signature shoe design ‘Slashed Wedge’ will be presented during this year’s edition of the Dutch Fashion Awards.
www.connygroenewegen.com
“The concept for Avelon sprang from my work experience in high-end fashion where a younger, less affluent consumer is often excluded. At Avelon I get to design beautiful clothes, for people who are interested in culture, art, architecture and design, that are actually affordable.“
Erik Frenken (1976) left his four-year stint as head designer of women’s at Viktor & Rolf to start out as design director at Avelon in 2008. In 2010 he took over the Avelon brand and developed it into a directional designer label for both men and women. Avelon distinguishes itself with Frenken’s signature style fusing a luxury fashion design statement with a rougher, more understated and effortless attitude. Erik Frenken graduated cum laude with a BA in Fashion Design from The Royal Academy of Art The Hague and in 2004 he completed an MA with distinction from Central Saint Martins in London. His brief career won him a number of prestigious awards such as the Elle Style Award for best young designer in the Netherlands; the Central Saint Martins/Lancôme Innovation Award in London and the ITS#ONE Award (International Talent Support) in Trieste Italy.
www.avelon.me
“With ‘ADO LES SCENTS’ I look to mix strict menswear tailoring with sporty elements, a touch of humour or unexpected colour. I create the wardrobe for modern men; young at heart but radically elegant.“
Hyun Yeu (1974) was born and raised in Korea and after obtaining a bachelor degree in Business Management from the University of Technology in Sydney he arrived in Amsterdam to study fashion design at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy. Following his graduation in 2008, Hyun Yeu won the prestigious national Frans Molenaar competition in 2009, which marked the start of his high-end menswear label ‘ADO LES SCENTS’. His elegant, high-quality menswear with innovative shapes and fabrics, often sourced and produced in his region of origin, addresses young-minded men, not afraid to stand out and show their vulnerable side. In 2011 ‘ADO LES SCENTS’ successfully introduced both its Fall-Winter 2011-2012 and Spring-Summer 2012 collections at Pitti Uomo and Tranoï as part of the Dutch Touch campaign.
www.adolesscents.com
“I design for women with something to do. Strong, independent and enterprising women who need realistic clothes, not some designer image, to be at their best.“
Joline Jolink (1981) studied fashion design at ArtEZ in Arnhem at which time she interned as assistant designer at Viktor & Rolf. Following graduation she enrolled in the Master programme Fashion Institute Arnhem in 2004 and two years later, after exploring some international fashion platforms like ITS and a couple of presentations with the Dutch Touch campaign she launched her womenswear label Joline Jolink. Like the women she keeps in mind for her clothes she hasn’t been wasting time; starting out with pirate shows hijacking fashion week audiences in Paris and New York, Joline and her business partners soon chose to target the public directly via a webshop, which launched in 2008. At the brink of the 5-year anniversary of the Joline Jolink label, which will be celebrated with a pop-up store in Amsterdam, she is confident to surprise us with her second show running in the Dutch Fashion Awards.
www.jolinejolink.com
“The essence of the Marcha Hüskes label is focus, perfection, comfort, purity, minimalism and quality.“
Marcha Hüskes (1972) has been operating on an international level since 2003, with sales agents in Paris, Milan and London. Her collections are built on the concept of elegant functionality; an effortless mix of luxury and wearability. Marcha Hüskes’ Prêt-à-Porter collections are being produced in Italy, using only the highest quality Italian jerseys for their essential sensation of comfort, and applying advanced and up to date techniques. Her collections are mostly appreciated for their tailoring and refined, distinguished detailing. Marcha Hüskes wants to create a ‘sense of couture’ whilst offering a perfectly wearable look dressing women for both day and night time. Marcha Hüskes graduated from ArtEZ Fashion Institute Arnhem in 1999 and won the prestigious Frans Molenaar Prize that same year.
www.marchahuskes.com
Pre-selection committee
In order to guarantee an objective and independent vote, the Dutch Fashion Foundation has invited a select group of national decision makers and key-players in fashion to serve on the Academy of Dutch Fashion Design.
The Members of the Academy of Dutch Fashion Design, including the winners of all previous editions of the Dutch Fashion Awards, each listed their individual top 10 of most promising Dutch fashion designers, resulting in a pre-selection of 41 designers. For the 2011 edition of the Dutch Fashion Awards this criteria check resulted in a list of 15 eligible designers.
Members of the Academy of Dutch Fashion Design are AIFW, Arnhem Mode Biennale, Dutch Fashion Foundation, Fonds BKVB, HTNK, Intres, Iris van Herpen, Klavers van Engelen, Materiaalfonds, MITEX, Modefabriek, Modint, Monique van Heist, Prins Bernhard Foundation, Sjaak Hullekes & WFC
International Pre-Jury
From an international point of view the pre-committee members of the jury Valentina Maggi ( Director of Design Practice at Floriane de Saint-Pierre & Associés, head-hunter for luxury brands) and Mandi Lennard (Mandi's Basement, PR consultant), then choose the 5 finalists for the Dutch Fashion Awards 2011. These designers will be presented to the full international jury on November 4th.
REGULATIONS
Designers eligible for the Dutch Fashion Awards need to match the following criteria:
The Designer
- Graduated from a recognized (inter-)national fashion academy.
- Owns the Dutch nationality, or has been living and working in the Netherlands for at least 5 years.
- Runs his or her own registered enterprise.
- Has developed at least five collections under his or her own label.
- Shows a striking talent creating a fashion label with distinguished style and knows to present this convincingly.
- Is nominated by at least 3 members of the Academy of Dutch Fashion Design.
- Has already taken strategic steps onto the international fashion market.
