Amsterdam Fashion Week kicks off with a spotlight on sustainability

AFW highlighting sustainable fashion in the city

Amsterdam Fashion Week (AFW) is an annual event celebrating fashion and sustainability with runway shows, presentations, and events. It highlights both young talent and established designers, offering physical as well as virtual experiences via its website. The platform provides insights into the Dutch fashion industry, featuring interviews, show reports, news articles, and covering related creative disciplines like beauty, art, and interior design. Sustainability is a key aspect this year with designers such as MARTAN creating its new ready-to-wear line entirely out of hotel linen and restaurant tablecloths from the Grand Hotel Amrâth Amsterdam, where the show will also take place.

Wear for Life Campaign Amsterdam

As part of Amsterdam Fashion Week (AFW), the "Wear for Life" campaign has been launched to promote the reuse and recycling of clothing among Amsterdammers and fashion enthusiasts. A collaboration between MRA (Metropoolregio Amsterdam), COSH (site showcasing local entrepreneurs who offer sustainable fashion), and the municipality of Amsterdam, the campaign includes various activities, tips, events, and workshops focused on sustainability in fashion. The campaign's website offers detailed information on the agenda, programs, and includes blogs on reusing, repairing, and recycling textiles, as well as details on the new City Pass (Stadspas - can be applied for if you have a low income and little wealth) shoe repair scheme.

What’s on the AFW program that highlights sustainability?

The Amsterdam Museum will kick off its mini-exhibition 'Unboxing: Fashion from the Archives' with a talk exploring their fashion collection and the significance of its curation. Meanwhile, MARTAN will present its fully up-cycled SS/25 collection outside Conscious Hotel Westerpark, themed around international waters. Additionally, Ronald van der Kemp will curate the 'RVDK Fashion Spectacle,' a public parade featuring reused clothing from brands like H&M, Mart Visser, and Tommy Hilfiger, in collaboration with various Amsterdam organisations.

Collaborative efforts in Amsterdam and beyond

Amsterdam is a standout location for companies aiming to grow better and make a positive environmental impact through initiatives like Fashion for Good, an innovation platform, Lena, the clothing library, and United Repair Centre, which offer an alternative to purchasing new items by providing clothing repair services for various brands. These initiatives in Amsterdam are working on advancing new technologies and business models to revolutionise the fashion industry.

Find out more about the creative industries in Amsterdam