Her designs are characterized by black and white silhouettes, sharp size mark, femininity and complex use of traditional handwork and the use of artisanal techniques. Actually, Charlotte Bakkenes wanted to become an architect, but chose fashion and graduated Cum Laude from the Amsterdam Fashion Institute as a fashion designer in 2018. Yet the penchant 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
Honours dress
"The dress was named 'Honours' because I made the dress during the Honours program in the second year of my fashion studies in 2016. Since then, this dress has become a sought-after piece and has been loaned a lot to stylists for shoots at home and abroad. Recently, the dress was also featured in MASTERS MAGAZINE #44, worn by singer Karsu Dönmez. Soon the dress will appear on national television.
For the shapes, I was inspired by architectural and sculptural forms. Before entering fashion I actually wanted to become an architect. So I started studying 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 use pleats to "build" shapes on a garment. Later in my training, I also engaged in deconstructing garments. The pleats on the dress were made in collaboration with 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 on growing crystals. With this research, I then developed fashion pieces where I grew my own crystals and grew them on fabric. With this collection, I wanted to show how much beauty nature itself creates; in fact, the crystals themselves grow in this form, making each piece unique at the same time.
All my pieces are designed and made in Holland with care, craftsmanship and love. In addition to my collections, I also create 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 July 8 to 12 at Hotel Okura Amsterdam."
Photo: Puck Verheul
Emotional durability
"In order to enjoy a garment longer, we need to look for the deeper layer of clothing. Designing with a focus on emotional sustainability gives a garment greater value. For example, I made a pair of gloves with an engraving on them of an 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, cherish and ultimately repair products instead of throwing them away.
These highly exclusive and personalized designs are available upon request. They are made with precision and craftsmanship with enduring meanings and values, which people want to preserve and possibly pass on to the next generation."
Photo: Puck VerheulViewall of Charlotte's designs here .
