Her designs are characterized by black and white silhouettes, sharp tailoring, femininity and complex use of traditional handicrafts and artisanal techniques. Actually wanted Charlotte Bakkenes became an architect, but still chose fashion and graduated Cum Laude from the Amsterdam Fashion Institute as a fashion designer in 2018. Yet the preference for architecture and sculpture can still be found in Charlotte's work. This week the young fashion designer highlights three of her MASTERPIECES.Text: Fleur de Jong
Image: Rahi Rezvani
Honors dress
“The dress was named 'Honours' because I made the dress during the Honors program in the second year of my fashion course in 2016. Since then, this dress has become a sought-after piece and has been frequently lent to stylists for shoots at home. and abroad. The dress was also recently featured in MASTERS MAGAZINE #44, worn by the singer Karsu Donmez. The dress will soon appear on national television.
For the shapes I was inspired by architectural and sculptural forms. Before I went into fashion, I actually wanted to be an architect. I started a study to achieve this, but after a year I switched to a fashion academy. The interest in architecture and sculpture remained. I found a way to 'build' shapes on a garment with folds. Later in my training I also dealt with it deconstruct of garments. The pleats on the dress were made in collaboration with a pleated artist Bakri Shoukeh, whom I met during the Honors talent program of my education.”
Photo: Koen HauserPhoto: Rahi Rezvani
Crystal body
“Sustainability is a very important principle in my work and I see it as the 'new' luxury. The fashion industry is very polluting, putting a heavy burden on nature. In my last collection I did research into growing crystals. With this research I then developed fashion pieces in which I grew crystals myself and let them grow on fabric. With this collection I wanted to show how much beauty nature itself creates; the crystals themselves grow in this shape, making each piece unique.
All my pieces are designed and made in the Netherlands with care, craftsmanship and love. In addition to my collections, I also make exclusive designs on request, so that the customer wears a dress or design that she is the only one in the world to own.
The crystal body will be on display during MASTERS VERNISSAGE from 8 to 12 July Okura Hotel Amsterdam."
Photo: Puck Verheul
Emotional durability
“To enjoy a piece of clothing for longer, we have to look for the deeper layer of clothing. By designing with the focus on emotional sustainability a piece of clothing becomes more valuable. For example, I made a pair of gloves with an engraving of the adoptive birth certificate of the wearer. By looking at the value of things and clothing in a different way and emphasizing the emotional layer, we can find a motivation to keep products, cherish them and ultimately have them repaired instead of throwing them away.
These extremely exclusive and personal designs are available on request. They are made with precision and craftsmanship with sustainable meanings and values that people want to preserve and possibly pass on to the next generation.”
Photo: Puck VerheulClick here. all Charlotte designs.
