Mada van Gaans (1975)

“Winning the Mercedes-Benz Dutch Fashion Award 2009 would enable me to invest in production and sales of my collection and, and hence the growth of my company.”

One of the qualities that make a designer’s reputation strong over time is consistency. Mada van Gaans certainly proved her ultra feminine style to be a lasting and highly recognizable one, on a national level at least. There’s a defined romantic and playful note to her work, yet her women’s collections are strikingly mature and modern.

Her style may not be loud - in fact Mada prefers to focus on mythology, elements from nature and fancy detailing inspired by traditional craftsmanship techniques from different cultures - her strength ultimately lies in the depths of feminine nature. Her dresses are sensual, young, chic and enriched with her signature organic prints and ornaments. Next to her own label Mada van Gaans designs a special collection for Dutch leatherwear label ‘Need You’ since 2006. At this moment Mada van Gaans is sold in some of the best Dutch designer boutiques such as Coming Soon in Arnhem and Wendela van Dijk in Rotterdam.

Academy of Dutch Fashion Design

To gain an indirect, objective and independent vote the Dutch Fashion Foundation has invited a select group of national decision makers and key-players with a cultural and economical background into the Academy of Dutch Fashion Design. The members of the Academy have all individually listed their top ten of most promising Dutch fashion designers, with a result of 28 designers. Looking at the ranking in which they were chosen and the criteria set up for this award, a selection was formed of 10 designers.

Members of the Academy of Dutch Fashion Design: Amsterdam International Fashion Week - Arnhem Fashion Biënnale - Dutch Fashion Foundation - Fonds voor Beeldende Kunst Vormgeving en Bouwkunst - HTNK - Intres – Klavers van Engelen - Modefabriek - MODINT – Monique van Heist - Prins Bernard Foundation - World Fashion Centre

International pre-jury From an international point of view the precommittee members of the jury Marc Gysemans (Gysemans Clothing Industry, Belgium), Valentina Maggi (headhunter luxury brands; director of Design Practice at Floriane de Saint-Pierre & Associés, Paris), and Diane Pernet (talentscout and journalist A Shaded View on Fashion, Paris) then choose the 5 finalists for the Mercedes-Benz Dutch Fashion Awards 2009. These designers will be presented to the full international jury on November 6th.

Regulations

Each fashion designer to participate in the Mercedes-Benz Dutch Fashion Awards is selected by the criteria that he/she: 

- is graduated from an (inter)national fashion academy, 
- has the Dutch nationality, 
- has its own registered enterprise, 
- has developed at least five collections under his/her own label, 
- has distinguished talent, a unique style and knows
to present this convincingly, 
- has already taken strategic steps to imbed in the international fashion field.