Brightest Blue | 10 year Jean School: A Celebration of Talent
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Fashion
A denim design exhibition by Jean School in collaboration with the House of Denim Foundation, supported by Kingpinsshow, Denim City Amsterdam, Denim Days Festival & Amsterdam Partners
In 2012, the doors of the first and only Jean School in the world opened in Amsterdam. An education during which young, creative and driven people are learning the crafts(wo)manship of denim design and development. Who could have imagined this school would create a new blueprint for the industry?
Jean School is a collaboration between ROC Amsterdam and the House of Denim Foundation.
Jean School is the first school dedicated to denim, with a focus on sustainability, circularity, innovation and crafts(wo)manship. A school well connected to the industry thanks to master classes tailored by, for and with the industry’s finest, to train denim developers and designers with real skills.
Within a few years, Jean School was rated among the world's best 100 fashion schools, appealing even more professionals to contribute to lectures and attracting students from all around the world (India, France, Turkey, Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, Switzerland).
This year marks the 10 year anniversary of Jean School x House of Denim with a denim exhibition featuring a selection of highlights by Jean School graduates, created during their studies and currently working in the denim industry worldwide.
Jean School prepares the next generation for a sustainable take on the industry and provides them with job opportunities and connections all over the world.
Great examples:
Danielle Meijerink started with a 4-year degree in fashion and tailoring and another study at Jean School. She graduated in 2019 and moved to Spain to start her career as a designer where she takes care of the denim and woven designs. Niels Mulder, a 2015 Jean School graduate, moved to Basel 7 years ago to work for EDWIN Europe GmbH, where he works as a Denim Designer/Developer.
Jean School also attracts a good variety of students internationally, including Angelo Sebastian Page. He first studied fashion design in Cape Town, specializing in womenswear. He started his own couture brand in 2015 and showed his first collection during South African fashion week. He then moved to Amsterdam and studied at the Jean School. After graduating in 2017, he started his own 3D sampling company and is currently working at BALR as a Senior Designer.
Some students start their own brand or platform. Tim Sluijzer, a 2017 graduate, founded a community brand called AICHE 3 years ago with his partner. A platform where they aim to bring creatives together and create cool things like clothing, furniture and pop-up stores.
It's not only after Jean School, but also during the courses that students are given great opportunities. Soufyan Benrhziyel, a 2015 Jean School graduate and currently Senior Denim Designer says, "My graduation collection was named The Revival Of The Mob. An ode to my upbringing where I watched the Godfather Trilogy with my father. I designed a cutting-edge collection made from hemp sourced from an Italian denim mill. This achievement took me to Levi's in San Francisco, an experience to remember. Organized by Jean School: an academy that made me believe in my skills."
The Founders:
Mira Copini, Head of Jean School & Fashion for ROC Amsterdam says, “since 2012, over 300 students have started the course and we are extremely proud of all our alumni who really make a new kind of blueprint for the industry. Jean School is the first school in the world actually training students for the sustainable side of the industry and at the same time giving them the freedom to design and develop their own vision about the future of denim.”
Mariette Hoitink, co-founder of the House of Denim Foundation & Jean School, says, ”Who could have imagined that our article in the NewYork Times, when we did the pilot, sustained into a real school. This type of education is also so unique because it is based in the denim innovation hub Denim City Amsterdam which houses a workshop/atelier, a laundry lab, showrooms, classrooms, an archive and a store. Getting educated and at the same time experiencing real life around you working ‘Towards a Brighter Blue’. It’s all about creating beauty and kicking asses.”
Jean School Exhibition:
The exhibition Brightest Blue; 10 years Jean School A celebration of Talent starts at Kingpinsshow Amsterdam October 19-20, continues at Denim Days Festival October 21-22 and Denim City Amsterdam, de Hallen, Hannie Dankbaarpassage 22 till the end of 2022. Exhibition design by Jean School graduate & artist Florian Regtien. Project managers & denim trouble shooters Mariette Hoitink, Jos van den Hoogen & Mira Copini.
About Jean School
Jean School was founded in 2012 by the House of Denim and ROC Amsterdam and offers a 2-year specialization in Denim Design & Development for fashion students and a 1-year International Course at Denim City. The curriculum of Jean School focuses on development, craftsmanship, innovation and sustainability. Collaborations with leading denim brands and industry experts are part of the program. The result—a unique educational institution with alumni working all over the world. Jean School celebrates its 10th anniversary in the fall of 2022. For more information, visit www.jeanschool.com
Contact: jeanschool@rocva.nl
About the House of Denim
The House of Denim Foundation is an independent, not for profit organization that conceives and initiates collaborative projects to connect and inspire key stakeholders in the denim industry ‘Towards a Brighter Blue’. Its mission is to ‘advocate the good’ by promoting best practices. It ‘collaborates for the better’ by building a network for industry-wide collaboration on standards, projects and resources for a dryer, cleaner and smarter industry. And it ‘educates the best’ by training a new generation of bright blue talent aiming to raise the bar on knowledge, skills and innovation throughout the industry. To name a few initiatives: Denim City Amsterdam (home of the House of Denim Foundation and Jean School) and Denim City Sao Paulo, Global Denim Awards, Denim Days and the Indigo Embassy sessions.
For more information, visit houseofdenim.org
Exhibited alumni:
Angelo Page, Bas Vos, Bram Romkes, Charlotte Leijen, Daisy Burnside, Danielle Meijerink, Danielle Nobes, Fatou Weldring, Figen Öksüz, Florian Regtien, Hillie Huijben, John Randy Anthony, Lonneke te Kloese, Max Janssen, Nick Flamant, Soufyan Benrhziyel, Stef Reijnierse, Tim Sluijzer, Vince Hale