Fashion Is More than Just Clothes

Function Designer, brand owner

Year 2016

Major Fashion Design

Practice Autonomous Practices

What is your occupation now?

I am the owner of the brand LIZET VAN DER KNAAP. I make backpacks and clothing collections. I am responsible for the entire process, including designing, drawing, cutting and sewing. LIZET VAN DER KNAAP is a fair trade label that is against child labour and exploitation.

Lizet van der Knaap in her studio

Photography Roza Schous

What expertise did you gain at WdKA?

WdKA taught me to think outside the box, that fashion is more than just clothes or sewing; taught to search for new opportunities and accepting as many new challenges as possible. The academy also offers a great choice of workplaces (Stations). You can learn anything you want there, but you really need to put an effort into it.

What is the future of your profession in your opinion?

I hope that fashion becomes a much more respected and conscious subject in future. Buying a garment is not just acquiring something that comes out of a machine, people must realise it has been through a long and complex process. Fashion is the second largest environmental polluter in the world, mostly because people and businesses actively participate in the fast fashion. The third of all clothes being produced is simply thrown away before it reaches the customer. I sincerely hope that in future people will wear their clothes longer, become more aware of who makes their clothes and make sensible choices. Spend a little more money on a product that is fair made and lasts longer.

You never leave your house without...?

I don’t leave my house without a backpack or a garment of my own make, somebody has to be the walking advertisement ;).

Any words of advice to future students?

Follow your own dreams, don’t let anybody tell you that your ideas are wrong or not good enough. Experiment as much a possible and try to find your own way of working. Failure does not exist, it's just a step in the right direction.

Try to figure out where you want to work later as soon a possible. Do you want a own business? Then start following business classes, expand your network, figure out how and where and to whom you want to sell your products.

Failure does not exist, it's just a step in the right direction.

Name your favourite recent project.

I’ve been working together with LARAS recently. LARAS selects the handmade, traditional Indonesian fabrics, piece by piece, directly from the makers in Indonesia, each textile is unique. For both of us it was a great opportunity to join forces, LARAS fabrics met LIZET VAN DER KNAAP bags. It’s super nice to work together with other people to make you own product different and sometimes even better.

LARAS meets LIZET VAN DER KNAAP

LARAS selects the handmade, traditional Indonesian fabrics, piece by piece, directly from the makers in Indonesia, each textile is unique.

About the author Lizet van der Knaap

Spend a little more money on a product that is fair made and lasts longer.

What is your occupation now?

Lizet van der Knaap in her studio

What expertise did you gain at WdKA?

What is the future of your profession in your opinion?

You never leave your house without...?

Any words of advice to future students?

Name your favourite recent project.

LARAS meets LIZET VAN DER KNAAP

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