Poetry Fashion Show

Poetry and fashion are both forms of self-expression. You can wear and experience a poem in clothing, so to speak. One can also ask themselves: what role do clothes play in poetry? To what extent the two mediums compliment each other or intersect is a challenge we leave to our poets and experienced fashion designers. See it for yourself during the poetry runway fashion show! 

Director: Yahmani Blackman

Isabell Schulz is a young and talented fashion designer from Rotterdam. Her innovative designs are worn by a wide range of clients; from pop stars to drag queens, rappers to actresses and dancers to companies like L'Oreal. Combining cutting-edge technology, traditional craftsmanship and a unique vision of contemporary fashion, Schulz manages to create her own unique style and brand. Her exclusive creations defy the traditional seasons of the fashion industry and fit perfectly with the new slow fashion movement. And although most of her designs are unique, her work is always recognisable.   

Berend Brus is a queer fashion designer hailing from Rotterdam. With a commitment to addressing contemporary societal issues, Berend's creations serve as a canvas for exploring the complexities of gender norms, mental health, and historical justice. Each collection or look is echoing the voices of those who dare to defy convention and shape their own truth. Berend's work stands as a testament to the resilience and creativity of individuals forging their unique paths in the world. 

Denzel Veerkamp, is a socio-culturally engaged designer navigating topics such as dual-heritage identity and transgenerational history. Born in Amsterdam to a Dutch mother and Surinamese father, Veerkamp meticulously intertwines the collective pains of Dutch-Surinamese history with his own confrontations. His upcycling-design practice intertwines storytelling, traditional Surinamese costumes, adventurous patchwork, textile contrasts, and playful volumes. Veerkamp challenges Eurocentric approaches, striving to unlearn imposed narratives, and replacing them with alternative realities. Through his work, he critiques Western, capitalist fashion systems, fostering discomfort, openness, interaction, and innovation in his transformative narrative. 

Kéchi Nne Nomu is a Nigerian writer, poet, editor and academic lecturer based in New York. Her poetry displays an intimate perspective on big topics such as migration and displacement, violence and death. She draws connections between physicality, the body and sexuality and the effects that history has on contemporary Nigerian society. This immediate intimacy and the physicality leave her audiences with a strong and deep impression.

Eva Rún Snorradóttir is an Icelandic writer, dramatist and poet. In her poetry, she concerns herself with topics such as heteronormativity and general everyday performativity in the lives of girls and women, as well as lesbian motherhood, female friendships and sexuality. Snorradóttir's work is relatable for her peers because of the accessible and witty tone of her poems. She is an active performance poet and her work has been described as ‘avant-garde social postmodernist’.

Victoria Chang is an American writer, critic, editor and poet. She writes poetry that is both personal and hard hitting in how candidly she describes what it means to be the second generation and growing up in western society. Chang explores the gaze on Asian women in the United States and brings her poetry to life through rhythmic performances. She is inspired by art, which she skillfully and beautifully interweaves with the contemporary stories she tells.