Beyond Tree Hugging Magazine

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MAGAZINE

Editors’ note As fall comes in and the colour green disappears from our natural surroundings rapidly, Sustainability Week at AMFI – Amsterdam Fashion Institute – evokes the inner green in us, fashion students, to just behave, act and live more aware. Unfortunately, the image of “green” is not that of a child with a catching laugh and a pleasant voice, but more of a grumpy fellow, who’s repeating himself and seems time - struck.

We acknowledge that.

This magazine is to show that there is a different side to sustainability, an amusing one. Not that we do not care about the future of our planet, ourselves and our offspring, it is more to present sustainability as a way of self - expression, creativity and even entertainment.

Beyond Tree Hugging shows that clothes have an afterlife as somebody else’s garment in the Swap Shop. That there’s no reason to leave your T-shirt for death when it bores. That a tree is not only a creation by Mother Earth and that a sweater is not just a single entity with a prescribed form.

With fun projects, a sassy column and all the other fun content of this magazine we tried to give this grumpy old ‘green’ man his smile back and show that sustainability goes beyond tree hugging.

Fifteen fashion students & the Green Bitch

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HOW YOU LIKE IT

Something’s GROWING HERE

DO OR DIE!

WHAT IS SHE WEARING?

FASHION EDITORIAL

PROJECT

SYMPOSIUM

PROJECT

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GREEN She’s watching

COLU

Nching BITCH you

UMN

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FUTURE IS BRIGHT

It - store

no more shopping

EXhibition

FAIR CONCEPT

FASHION CHALLENGE

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‘HYPE’ their looks FASHION EDITORIAL

The

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-TOnce upon a time a T - shirt was just a T - shirt. A basic among basics: white coloured, short - sleeved and brand free. The T - Shirt is an everyday item and a true sustainability geek would wear it day after day. But eventually boredom will strike. To prevent the worst from happening, we gave the shirt to different people to show the garment’s versatility and the wearer’s creativity.

Ba

The original

Smoking hot

Let loose

Party proof

ad romance

Hide & chic

Crazy cute

Gangster swag

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pROJECT

The ‘Make a Forest’ project gave second year AMFI students the opportunity to deliver artificial trees for the AMFI forest, which were physically unveiled on the 11th of November. The trees were presented in AMFI’s own cosy garden where they grew out of different sustainable products and materials.

From garbage, to waste fabrics, to old trampled killer heels, even the most unnatural materials are used to create one of nature’s finest beauties. How fashion turned into a sustainable forest?

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MAKE A FOREST Project

THE ‘Knitted’ TREE The knitted sweater keeps the tree warm during the cold winter days, while the messages you can leave on it will warm up other peoples’ hearts.

THE ‘Magazine

This tree tells a comple through the visuals whic magazines.

agazine’ TREE

etely new fashion story ch were taken out of old

THe ‘Flashmob’ tree

By popping - up on places where people generally don’t think about nature, these trees are trying to bring nature closer to the modern city life.

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SYMPOSIUM

A day of inspiring, big & small ideas, joining forces and having fun saving the planet in a creative way organized by the Amsterdam Fashion Institute for the fifth time.

Photographer ‘Beyond Green’: Joris van Egmond

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More than 400 attendees at the event

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14 Being sustainable in a competitive, capitalist and ruthless business, which has profits at heart solely since the industrial revolution, is more than hard.

At times it seems basically impossible. The Beyond Green Symposium gives hope that a seemingly impossible task can be accomplished and inspires the future of fashion in a significant way.

Who would have thought that a biologically simple plant like the algae could contribute majorly to save the planet? Creative British minds have accomplished not only to make aesthetically pleasing air fresheners with this multicellular organism, they were also able to mess with its DNA programming to the point where the plant grows itself into lovely lace. A simple start of a big idea, which could lead the way to modified plants growing garments by themselves.

Nature can and should serve as the mainspring of inspiration for solutions in the matter of saving the planet. Nature never destroys itself. It works in circles.

So should we. By taking natures principles and turn them into design. The magical word is biomimicry.

In Carole Collets speech, a French mind set free at Central Saint Martins, it became clear that designers of the future will not only work in ateliers but more so in laboratories. Making use of the intelligence of nature growing haute couture accessories on and with your own skin does not seem to be a loony’s dream so much.

Ilze Smit presenting Detoxing Fashion

Strolling down the street, promenading your fabulous wardrobe and make the world a cleaner place. A striking thought! The collaboration of a designer and a scientist will make this possible in only a few years.

A special treatment of your garments will turn them into air cleansers without altering their appearance.

Cities could have fresh air, clean streets and no more of the urinal scent that usually and unfortunately is one of their characteristics.

Not only lies sustainability in the big, it starts with the small things. Amazingly enough by simply wearing weather according clothes and give up on the folly of wearing your summer wardrobe in December a large amount of heating energy can be saved, namely up to 40%.

How is this utopia of a sustainable industry reachable though? It seems like an impossible undertaking, but by taking all the parts of the supply chain into account, pay attention to the small and the big, provoke a shift in profit oriented thinking and most importantly educating the future of the industry, it can be done.

Helen Storey, Tom Domen & Stephen Fetherston discussing clothing that purifies air

AMFI students at Beyond Green

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pROJECT

‘Put on a warm sweater and turn down the heat!’ is the slogan the ‘Klimaatverbond’ shouts out to promote the national sweaterday. A day of awareness of everybody’s use of energy. Featured during this unique day is a sweater design contest, in which AMFI, of course, participated. Sustainable concepts passed by and turned out into a fabulous collection of home - made AMFI sweaters.

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Warm Sweater Project

The ‘old newspaper isolation’ sweater Why recycle paper to make new paper out of it, when you can use it to create fashion? This fashionable knit wasn’t just made from fabric. Part of it are pieces of old newspapers.

The ‘knitted sto

This heavy sweater is ma flannel shirts that have b knotted together. The m shirts creates a new story a the strenght of the garme warmer!

ories’ sweater

ade out of second hand been cut into pieces and mix of separate worn out and next to that multiplies ent, as well as making it

watch movie

The ‘fill your skin’ sweater This unique sweater is made from recycled fabrics.

It consists out of bumps, which are filled with waste yarns that can change the thickness and color of the bump, to fit both the temperature and your mood!’

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The

Green

Bitch column

ho make mama pr

oney, make mama roud!

I raise my Cosmopolitan Listen up to what I am about to say, honey, cause it’s damn serious!

I am fabulous and sexy. But first of all I am green, unlike you, you hypocrite. Excuse my harshness, but well, bitches will be bitching bitches, right? The thing that bothers me most, honey, is that sustainability is not really taken seriously. Someone had the balls to call me random. It’s gonna be random, honey, if the planet gives up on us!

Hours of lectures, loads of advertisements, fundraising, movies, songs and what not are all supposed to raise awareness. Yet we still take it for granted without acting out on it. I simply don’t get it. Why buy that skanky pair of bleached jeans, if you know that bleaching made the fish die? Why wear fur, if you know a mink was tortured to death and had its skin peeled off like a banana?

Don’t take it personal though, and don’t hate the bitch. Love her, honey, love her! I can’t help that the truth sometimes is too hard to handle. It just has to be faced and all I want you to do is to think for yourself. What can YOU do to make mama proud?

It doesn’t matter if you are a student, a teacher, a doctor or a fucking model; be green! Don’t be hypocritical and stupid about it, just be fabulous. Recycle that bottle of yours, at least once in a while. Check your label; check the fabric. This is it. It’s now or never.

The end seems near, honey, but the Beyond Green Symposium I attended and all the work I have seen from second year AMFI - students the past week have really inspired me. There is still hope for the future.

I raise my Cosmopolitan to you. Cheers!

Xoxo, Green Bitch

LIKE

Looks like solid rock but is mouldable: Cement

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EXHIBITION

Whether you are a designer looking for inspiration or someone who has an appetite for innovation, the exhibition of Materia can give you a glimpse of what our future may be made from ‌

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In this exhibition touching and feeling the samples is not setting off an alarm. On the contrary, visitors of this space in IJburg are required to activate other senses besides their sight.

As a mix of meeting platform and inspiration centre, Materia invites people to have a good look – and feel – at their versatile collection of materials. Natural stones, concrete, ceramic, wood, glass, metal and plastic – everything is to be found in the broad exhibition space, extraordinary materials grabbing the most attention of course. Leather made of cattle stomach is probably not what you dream your bag to be made of, and a wall made of snail excrements is not the most appetising either. Nevertheless: it indicates possibilities. „Sustainability is a big trend. We are reacting to the need with integrating more sustainable materials in the expo.“ Tanya Docheva, content manager of Materia, presents ‘Bio-plastic’ based on cutting waste and peel from potatoes as well as ‘Bicicleta’, a material made of recycled bicycle inner - tubes. These are only two of an array of eco-friendly samples exhibited. Not to forget the ‘Vectogramm’, a process that features a new computer - based method for transferring images onto sheet materials. Or wouldn’t you like your portrait being transferred onto concrete?

Before leaving the expo with all the new experience gained, the temporary 3D printing exhibition gives you insight in the different processes. Lamps, shoes, gloves, earrings and sculptures produced with these techniques let the mystery of 3D printing become tangible.

Unfortunately the impressive products are just to be looked at and touched – and not to take away.

Nature is a great theme for Materia

Swarovski Crystals make this material an eye-catcher

Touching is implicitly permitted

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fair concept

In case you haven’t heard, the fashionista’s look within the industry is not what you see in Vogue.

Editors, photographers, stylists, designers and even students all seem to have one of three looks: alternative, preppy or hipster chic. Which ever it may be; they all get their uniform at Charlie + Mary.

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Two years ago Charlie + Mary opened its doors at number 84 of the Gerard Doustraat in Amsterdam. The shop was founded by two AMFI - graduates who wanted to create a cool store for curious, socially engaged and creative individuals. The beauty of it, as one of the shop owners confessed to me, is that they don’t have an age - category for the tribe they intend to serve.

It’s about the aspired tribe’s style.

THE BEST WAY TO BE SUSTAINABLE: NOT SHOWING OFF

In addition to the brands offered in the shop, a house line of clothing for men and women, including some unisex pieces, is being sold. The emphasis of this line is on offering basics with a fashionable twist. The house line ensures people with a limited budget can obtain the Charlie + Mary aesthetics. The items that stand out most are the reversible tops created in collaboration with a fashion illustrator.

The concept behind Charlie + Mary is honesty and durability. Yes, this is a store selling fair and eco friendly clothing without the hippie attitude.

For the time being it’s just the two of them and every six months a new intern from AMFI. In the future they hope to expand their line and further expand their online retailing, as well as opening another store.

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fashion challenge

could you battle yourself?

with e v li u o y d Coul

othing cl any out buying

r? yea e r i t en for one

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Ileana Noordzee

In order to create awareness for the invasion of overconsumption in the fashion industry, thirty fashion addicts took on the challenge of not buying clothing for a year on 11 November 2010. The commander in chief, Laura de Jong, points out that fashion is more than shopping, it’s about creativity and quality.

Out of the thirty initial soldiers, only eighteen bravehearted survived the challenge struggling and suffering. With the opening of the Free Fashion swap shop on Friday 11-11-2011, at the By AMFI Statement Store on Spui 23 in Amsterdam, the victors are celebrating the end of the one year war of the Free Fashion Challenge.

We had a chat with Ileana, the veteran who was shell-shocked during combat.

Resisting shopping wasn’t the hardest thing, but THE assignments and the blogging wERE.

Nevertheless she continued, undercover, with military discipline. The hardest obstacle to overcome: Shoes! At this moment I’m wearing my boyfriend’s sneakers. In my opinion, besides swapping, borrowing is allowed.

In fact it is, it’s the only escape as the rules are military strict: no clothing nor accessories, not even underwear for one year. Ileana joined the forces out of curiosity: I wanted to see if my view on the consumption of fashion would change.

And did it really do so throughout the year?

I’ll reassess my buying decisions and I’m certain that my current wardrobe can easily last another year.

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fashion editorial

We spotted AMFI students Christin and Lisa at Weesperplein.

Christin loves to shop at small boutiques in Barcelona. ‘I got this leather jacket at M68.’ Minimalism, on the other hand, is Lisa’s favorite style.

Her go - to designer is Jil Sander.

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Juliette just got off her bike when we noticed her. She revealed that she loves to mix unique pieces with mainstream brands. ‘By combining my Pepe Jeans jacket with an H&M dress, I create a whole new look’.

Ryfa is another AMFI student. Bright accents are iconic in his look. He combines the preppy style of this Tommy Hilfiger sweater with vibrant urban Puma sneakers.

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What if we told you that all these fashionistas are wearing second hand clothing – other magazines would call it vintage – and bad buys, found on the bottom of closets in Amsterdam? This is just a small collection of fashionable items which are swapped in the weekend of 11-11-11 at the ‘by AMFI’ store, in honour of the one year anniversary of the Free Fashion Challenge.

management 20.000.000 profit 1.000.000 supermodel 5.000.000 shareholders 300.000 materials 20,00 child labour 0,15

Sweater 29,95

F& C

fast and cheap.com

layout

text

Katharina Barthel, Lena Dischinger

Sjoerd van Beelen, Bibian Bingen, Juliette de Dreu, Ryfa Felicia, Sannah Harman, Rebecca Herrlich, Thomas Lindenmann, Juliette Sijnja, Laura Wagemans

Images

Mentoring

Jakub Oleskevic, Justin Rahantoknam, Marije Rottier, Sophie SchaminĂŠe

Jean Casimir Morreau, Frank Wijlens

On all offers, tenders and agreements made by AMFI - Amsterdam Fashion Institute the conditions of Dutch law apply. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Although the highest care is taken to make the information contained in Beyond Tree Hugging as accurate as possible, neither the publisher nor the authors accept any responsibility for damages, of any nature, resulting from the use of this information. The editors of Beyond Tree Hugging have attempted to abide by all copyrights. If someone believes they have copyright of any part of this publication, contact AMFI Amsterdam Fashion Institute.