TEAM MAASTRICHT
We’re kicking off with Team Maastricht! The team consists of Anouk van de Sande, Daisy van Loenhout, Antoine Peters, Iris Claessens and Esra Copur, under the lead of Branko Popovic (FASHIONCLASH).
The city of Maastricht is culturally flourishing and creatives many opportunities for young and emerging creative artists and companies – which is amazing! However, its region, South Limburg, is the unhealthiest region in The Netherlands. For the next few months, Team Maastricht will work on solutions that contribute to Positive Health: living a resilient and meaningful life. They will look at physical, psychological and spiritual functioning, as well as quality of life, social participation and daily functioning. How can fashion design contribute to better well-being? Special attention will be paid to the social participation of children and youngsters in society.
DAISY VAN LOENHOUT
Daisy van Loenhout is the owner of Lithe Lab; a research and design consultancy with a specialization in personal design and innovative concepts in healthcare. The ‘lab’ combines fashion design – in the form of supportive garments and textiles - with medical devices. Through this unique combination, Daisy aims to create more diverse options for the wearer; both in terms of functionality and aesthetics.
ANOUKxVERA
Anouk van de Sande and Vera de Pont together form AnoukxVera; a studio focused on print, motion and visual storytelling. The studio operates within the fields of textiles and other materials in the direct environment of the human body. Characteristic of their work is a playful handwriting, which bridges the gap between graphic design and moving imagery. The results tend to be thought-provoking, with a special focus on the sustainability and flexibility of fashion and interior design.
IRIS CLAESSENS
Iris Desiree Claessens is a Dutch jewelry designer based in Maastricht. Her designs reflect her love for the wonders of nature and aim to make an emotional statement by reflecting her personal emotions. The jewelry seems delicate and makes one question the world around us and the frailty of life in general. Iris herself lost her mother at the age of 22. Her work, therefore, is about life and the passing of time.
ANTOINE PETERS
Antoine Peters’s creative expressions encompass the fields of fashion, art and architecture. The overlapping concept? The relationship between clothing and the human body. The outcomes range from ready-to-wear garments to avant-garde fashion and from industrial produced pieces to one-of-a kind items made by hand. With everything Antoine creates, he aims to slow people – and their prejudices – down and to spread optimism; bring a smile to people’s faces.
ESRA COPUR
Esra Copur creates collections that reflect collective ways of thinking. The ‘herd mentality’ is often depicted as something negative. However, it can be greatly empowering when visualized and redesigned into something positive. By merging fashion design with art installations, Esra reshapes existing items and positions them in a new context that questions, for example, the basic needs in life, sustainability, ethics, and sociology – topics that deserve our attention and active response.
BRANKO POPOVIC
Branko Popovic is a creative maker who is active in the fields of fashion and performing arts. As a creative maker, his work encompasses creative direction, project development, curation and consulting. Popovic is best known as one of the co-founders of FASHIONCLASH, but also reports for various online media and is part of the advisory board at the Creative Industries Fund. Last, but not least, he is the coach of team Maastricht.