© Tim Stoops |
The fashion department of the Antwerp Academy sees fashion in the broadest sense of the word, as a form of expression of the emotions of our times. Clothing reflects society or, adversely, questions it. Fashion people are not a self-absorbed clique, but committed people who question prevailing concepts of ethics and aesthetics and take a stand for or against aggression, rejection, denial, helplessness. In fashion, there is a freedom of expression which can at times be shocking, alarming, astounding or tempting.
The training provided by the fashion department stimulates innovation. The media feature new fashions and trends in quick succession so as to keep public interested. The impulse to re-create, to open up new horizons and to overthrow existing concepts is essential and characteristic of our visual culture. Every fashion designer is influenced by this rhythm to a greater or lesser extent. This variety of personal visions and angles keeps fashion alive and fascinating.
Above all, this training is aimed, at encouraging the students to create and to explore innovative forms, new colour combinations and original treatments of materials. Our approach is focused on experimentation, improvisation and formal innovation. The goal is that the students ultimately achieve an appealing synthesis of all these aspects, on the basis of the professional skills they have acquired.
By nature, a designer has a limitless interest in the unknown and the new. This is a tendency which we try to stimulate in our students.
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