Peter Wertmann wins Lichting 2024 with graduate collection ‘Lost Product of Society’

Peter Wertmann is the winner of Lichting 2024, the design competition of the Netherlands’ up-and-coming fashion talent. The announcement was made on Friday evening after the annual Lichting show at Amsterdam Fashion Week (AFW), held in an intimate space at De Hallen Studio’s in Amsterdam.

During the show, ten emerging fashion designers presented their creations, including seven selected alumni from Dutch fashion academies and three alumni who participated through an open call.

Wertmann graduated from the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague. His collection, ‘Lost product of society’, transports the audience into the cold. The collection reflects the essence of Arctic and Antarctic exploration, fused with the freedom of growing up in the Swiss Alps and the structure of military experience. Garments with ice and rock-like forms are prominent. The disciplined, restricted life is depicted through ropes encircling the models.

The jury announced the winner immediately after the show. Wertmann takes home the Lichting Award, worth 10,000 euros.

This year's Dutch jury consists of Ahmad Larnes, Anke de Jong, Ronald van der Kemp, and Tess van Zalinge. The international jury comprises Meike van Lelyveld, Marlo Saalmink, Gert Jonkers, and Faye Mitchell.

Peter Wertmann wins Lichting 2024

Since 2022, Lichting has incorporated an open call. Graduates who are not selected by an academy or other institution can apply through this route. Three are then selected and, along with seven designers chosen by the academies, invited to showcase their work to the jury. A total of 25 graduates are selected by Lichting, ten of whom make it to the final.

Lichting is an initiative of Amsterdam Fashion Week and HTNK International and is supported by, among others, the Meester Koetsier Foundation. During Lichting, ten talented graduates from Dutch fashion academies present their work. The aim of Lichting is to provide promising designers with a springboard towards a viable career.