featuring the pleasantly graduated AMFI – Amsterdam Fashion Institute 2 0 1 1
14 Designed by Steffi Dekkers. Shoes: Waterlooplein market. Ring & bracelet: Good Times Jewelry and Moroccan treasures.
Designed by Daphny Raes. Shoes: Whyred. Earrings: Ivania Carpio van Osch.
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Designed by Lillie Akkermans. Necklace: Ivania Carpio van Osch. Boots: Rick Owens.
I am / you are; meeting bram & bram
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Text: TherĂŠse Ă–stelius Photography: Dennis Swiatkowski
Imagine being one of the few guys starting at a design school and finding out there is another guy with exactly the same name. Bram Bekker and Bram van Diepen met at AMFI four years ago. This is about an extraordinary friendship between two opposites in fashion (and about the interviewer that became completely redundant). Tell something about your friendship. How did it all start?
Our beard… ...No your beard! Beard bond
It all started in school. I knew there was someone walking around in school with the same name so I was like: I don’t like him, and I don’t feel special anymore. But now I feel extra special because we have the same name. You are in the same class, have you ever felt like competitors? Yes, once we were doing this project together and at one point we had to choose the final pieces for an entire collection... Then we were competitors. However, we made such different things so I did not really care. For me it is not so much about competition, it is more about motivation. When you see that one of your best friends is doing very well it gives you a lot of energy, and there is also no point for me to challenge what he does. That would be very silly to do because I can’t do what he does. And we both aim for the top, but those tops are on different mountains.
Same frequency. What do you actually think of me? You’re super hot, too bad you are straight. No... Really, what do I think about you?…I really like you! No...You are a great colleague and friend at the same time. We can really exchange ideas about work, the future and stuff within fashion, but on the other hand we can also just get very drunk together and have super fun and not sleep for three days. It is a nice combination. What was the first thing you thought about me when we met for the first time?...This is interesting, was it that day I walked into that computer class? I think you thought: what kind of outrageous faggot is this…?! No, actually I didn’t think you were gay… What! I don’t really judge people when I meet them if they are really nice and I thought you were in that category. I actually liked you immediately. People who make
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What do you think connects you two?
No, but Bram and I are on the same page with a lot of what we do and with what we want both from our lives.
me laugh stick around longer in my life. So I guess the answer is funny. The first time we met I thought you were funny. There are a lot of successful duos. Could you ever work together? Let’s say produce a collaborative collection. Do you see that happening? Yeah, I think we could. It would be difficult though because we don’t share the same vision on fashion, but that could possibly be an advantage. Yes, I agree. We are similar in our drive and passion but what we do is very different. I think in a dream world where we had money it could be very interesting to set something up together, but I also think it could be very hard because we do have such a different fashion perspective. In what way? I think you are far more driven by materials, whereas I go more for fit and a more tailored approach. I put more thought into the technical aspects and think more about how the seam will hold my garments, while your way of designing has more of an unconventional way of tailoring and maybe has a more feminine touch to the design. And I have certain ideas about how I think clothes should fit, while you go more oversize.
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A coat from you may have twenty-five pattern pieces, while mine would consist of only eight.
Does your way of working as designers reflect your personalities? Yes I do overthink every decision I make. I think maybe I’m more of a dreamer while Bram is more a thinker. Since I was a kid I had a lot of stories in my head and now I finally found a medium in which I can tell those stories, which is for me an important thing in fashion. Imagination for me is more of a starting point that later translates into a more technical approach, whereas you tend to float along in the process and don’t think so much about tailoring rules. What are our differences? I think there aren’t that many differences except that you go after the girls and I go after the guys. So we don’t stand in each others’ way in that sense. Oh, and he always looks like a bum while I look fabulous. You look great darling. Thanks. Am I an inspiration for you? You motivate me, not just as being one of my best friends, but also as a colleague in fashion who does something completely different to what I do. In that way you do open my eyes to other things. Yes, but that is what I always like about our relationship that we always show each other interesting blogs or stuff in fashion.
Yes, we are not so secretive with each other, we are happier to show things we come across. Do you look up to me? Well yes I do. Sometimes I wish I could do the things you do or come up with those great ideas, but then again, maybe my strong point is, that I come up with my own. Was there a time you really wanted to punch me in the face? Yes!!! When we did the honour show together and when it was time for us to clean up you were only floating around drinking beer. While I was scraping shit from the floor. Can you get a bit annoyed with me sometimes? You can be a little bit overwhelming. When you just go on and on with your jokes sometimes. I thought that was what you liked about me, that I’m funny...? To a certain degree, but what I like about you is….
No, I don’t like that about you! …Of course I do, but you are such an outspoken and honest person. You would never make any concessions whatsoever for somebody else. You are just you and no one else. What was the thing you always wanted to tell me but never did? Do it now. I don’t know really, I have pretty much said everything already. You never lied to me? Never went behind my back to our teacher to tell him he should fail me? No no. I did! Luckily you’re not asking me this question! I can still ask you that! Do you have anything you have always wanted to tell me? Do you remember that night we shared a bed in Paris? No…Hahaha.
…that I make jokes!
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78 Designed by Lynn Langeveld.
Designed by Doortje van den Heuvel. Shoes: Monki.
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84 Designed by Tatiana Orekhovskaya.
Designed by Bram van Diepen. Shoes: Hugo Boss.
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