_{Image courtesy of FASHIONCLASH foundation}

Fashion Makes Sense, the 9th edition of FASHIONCLASH festival
Maastricht, the Netherlands
from 29 June to 02 July 2017

FASHIONCLASH is an innovative, interdisciplinary development platform and international fashion network that focusses on supporting a new generation of designers and artists. Main goals is to connect talent, knowledge, creativity and entrepreneurship and to challenge the (fashion) world. Over the past ten years FASHIONCLASH has grown from a single project into an influential fashion statement by developing and organizing projects such as the annual ‘FASHIONCLASH Festival‘ in Maastricht. FASHIONCLASH strongly believes that the art of fashion can stimulate critical debate about controversial issues in our society. By researching and questioning ‘fashion’ we learn to understand the psychology of human behaviour and its role in undermining stereotypes. The central question being asked, “How can we develop the fashion industry to improve well-being and equality?”

_{Image courtesy of FASHIONCLASH foundation}

FASHIONCLASH Festival (FCF) is an initiative of the FASHIONCLASH Foundation and its artistic and managing directors Branko Popovic, Laurens Hamacher and Nawie Kuiper. FCF is an inspiring, international and interdisciplinary fashion festival that takes place in Maastricht
(the Netherlands), that shows the art of fashion in the broadest sense of the word. The festival aims to provide a fertile platform where a new generation of designers and artists from various disciplines get the opportunity to present their work to a broad and diverse audience, (inter)national press and industry leaders. Since the first edition in 2009 more than 1,000 talents from 50 different countries and 6 continents have joined FASHIONCLASH Festival and were given the opportunity to show their talent and work. Some of their careers really took off from there!

_{Image courtesy of FASHIONCLASH foundation}

The 9th edition will be composed and curated around the theme ‘Fashion Makes Sense’. Through ‘Fashion Makes Sense’ FASHIONCLASH this year focuses on senses and making sense in relation to fashion. In a time in which society approaches fashion and the world mainly as visual phenomena, and the fashion industry faces heavy discussion for being the second most polluting industry in the world, FASHIONCLASH raises the question: (Why) Is Fashion Losing Sense? We live in a rapidly changing world where progress is accompanied by environmental pollution and ethical issues. The fashion world is a mighty billion industry, and like no other is able to create an illusion and seduce us humans and excite our senses. Today’s fashion industry is a reflection of society with a strong focus on aesthetics. Our society approaches fashion as a purely visual phenomenon and doesn’t always see the nature of the interaction with the body (of the wearer), despite the fact that fashion is the most intimate form of art, as it is literally worn “on the body”! As a second skin, clothing also enables us to express ourselves and helps us make sense of the world.

more. www.fashionclash.nl