The four-year bachelor course Fashion Design, a component of the faculty Art & Design at ArtEZ University of the Arts in Arnhem, has a long and illustrious history. The department of Fashion Design and Fashion Illustration was founded in 1953 by Dutch fashion legend Elly Lamaker, and despite its humble beginnings, soon established its rightful place in the eyes of existing visual art institutes, the fashion industry, and comparable international design programmes. The fashion programme of ArtEZ Art & Design Arnhem continues to set the standard for education to this day.

Since that time, the Fashion Design department at ArtEZ has continuously thrived. A highly skilled team of more than 20 lecturers stands ready to share their expertise with the 100-plus students, both local and international. There are two freshmen classes with 20 students each, and class sizes in the subsequent years vary between 20 and 25 students. 

In 2011, ArtEZ Fashion Design Arnhem was distinguished with the prestigious Grand Seigneur, the highest accolade within the Dutch fashion industry, granted in honour of more than 50 years of groundbreaking and innovative fashion education presented at the highest level. The department was accredited by the Dutch government (NVAO) in 2014, and was appraised as Excellent. 

ArtEZ Fashion Design Arnhem is rightly renowned both within the Netherlands and abroad, and there is a long list of former students who have gone on to build outstanding, successful professional careers. Arnhem’s fashion students regularly win coveted Dutch and international prizes, and 'Arnhemmers' can be found working in all segments of the industry.  

The primary goal of the Fashion Design programme at ArtEZ Arnhem is to provide students with a high quality bachelor level training and education in order to prepare them to enter the industry of fashion design.

Key concepts are the development of creativity, originality, a feeling for current issues, a critical and analytical capacity, the building of essential skills, and developing the appropriate work discipline necessary to be able to function optimally within the professional field, either as an independent designer or in a team environment within a company.  

In order to achieve the desired level of quality, the department maintains a clear structure, and studies are divided into a foundation phase and a secondary phase. During the propaedeutic foundation phase – in the first and second years – assignments are geared at breaking down entrenched and clichéd ideas about fashion, and students will become acquainted with design methods. The shaping of each individual’s unique formation of ideas is stimulated, and understanding is explored in both the arts and theoretical knowledge relating to the profession. In the third and fourth years, students go deeper towards the development of an individual signature. Students also take crucial steps towards the professional practice by means of the collective design project Collectie Arnhem for third year students, an internship outside the academy, and by learning how to design coherent collections, all important steps on the way towards graduation.

Students are encouraged to participate in both Dutch and internationally recognized fashion competitions such as: Lichting in the Netherlands, Hyères in France, the H&M Design Award in Sweden, the Redress Design Award and the International Youth Design Competition in China, Designblok Prague in the Czech Republic, the ITS and the Mittelmoda Fashion Award in Italy, and the Apolda European Design Award in Germany. This gives the students the chance to see how they measure up to young designers from renowned fashion institutes at a global level, and also provides an opportunity of presenting themselves to the international press and professional public. The department of Fashion Design of ArtEZ Arnhem’s continuity, recognition and international reputation and position are also strengthened in this way. 

Fashion Design at ArtEZ is a four-year Bachelor programme at the Higher Vocational Education (HBO) level. Developing student’s creativity takes a prominent place within the course, followed by the development of craftsman-like and practical skills, and theoretical knowledge. Each year, the regular academic schedule is supplemented by several weeks of studio workshops where students are encouraged to implement their designs. The academic year is divided into two semesters. This course is characterized by a large number of contact hours, especially in the first two years.  Much study time is spent within the academy, creating an opportunity for indispensable, intensive dialogue with both faculty and fellow students. 

The four years of study follow roughly the following form:

First year: Learning and unlearning
Experimental design assignments are included to break down entrenched patterns of thinking and promote each student's personal and original forming of ideas. There is a first acquaintance with visual arts subjects in general and with fashion in particular. Courses include: Experimental Design, Fashion Design, Fashion Illustration, Figure Drawing, Textiles, Visual Grammar, Pattern Drawing, Production, Computer Skills, Fashion Theory and Art Theory. 

Second year: The foundation of professional skills
In the second year, the emphasis is on the broadening of professional knowledge and the learning of skills specific to the profession. Courses include: Fashion Design, Fashion Illustration, Print Design, Publicity, Photographic Image, Pattern Drawing, Production, Textiles, Computer Skills, Fashion Theory and Art Theory. In addition a number of clinics are organized in the second year: these are meetings with specialized professionals, designed to provide information on the various professional specialisations. This is a very intensive year, with even more contact hours than in the first year. A study load of sixty hours a week or more is not uncommon.

Third year: Coming into contact with professional practices
The first semester has a full programme, with lessons in Fashion Design, Fashion Illustration, Machine Knitting, Pattern Drawing, Moulage, and Collectie Arnhem: a design project in which the third-year students design a collection together, which they then sample, style and present. This project culminates in a fashion show, organized and designed by the students themselves and presented to a professional public end of January. In addition, the students are also required to write an Art Theory thesis. In the second semester, all students complete an internship lasting a minimum of three months, either in the Netherlands or abroad. The third year concludes with an intensive design workshop. In this, the experiences gained during Collectie Arnhem and the internship are brought together.   

Fourth year: Final graduation year
The fourth year is completely devoted to the development of the student's own unique signature style, and to the final completion of studies. The final, graduating year is closely supervised by a team of lecturers in fashion design, materials and print, technique, presentation and portfolio, and theory. In addition to the permanent faculty team, external experts also take part in the process of creating and evaluating the final graduation project. In the fourth year the students make a choice between two specializations, either Fashion Design 3-D or Fashion Design 2-D, depending on their personal talent, interests and ambitions, using the experiences gained during their internship (second semester of the third year of study) and at the advice of the supporting team of department lecturers.
 

Matthijs Boelee Head of department
Alieke Broekhuizen Coordinator

Francis Ames Pattern Drawing | Production | Moulage
Wendy Barten Instructor
Matthijs Boelee Fashion Design
Melanie Bomans Fashion Design
Anne Bosman Fashion Design
Alieke Broekhuizen Collectie Arnhem | Internship
Nemo Cheminée Experimental Design
Elsien Gringhuis Fashion Design
Ratna Ho Textiles
Anya Janssen Model Drawing
Hanneke Kamphuis Textiles | Print Design
Eva Kramer Art Theory | Fashion Theory | Research
Kees de Klein Publicity | Photographic Image
Karina Lennards Pattern Drawing | Production
Jasiek Mischke Visual Grammar
Rachid Naas Show Production
Kevin Pleiter Machine Knitting
Melanie Rozema Fashion Design
Sanne Schepers Collectie Arnhem
Rolf Schoeber Computerskills
Machteld Schouten Fashion Illustration | Presentation
Gönül Yigit Instructor

To be admitted to the Fashion Design BA program of the Academy of Art & Design of ArtEZ in Arnhem, you must take an entrance exam. During the entrance exam, we will examine your chances of successfully completing the program.

After conducting online admissions for several years due to the Covid pandemic, the program will return to the physical entrance exams on site at the fashion department in Arnhem in 2025, as was customary until 2020. The advantage of a live admission at the fashion department itself is that you get a much better picture of the institute, the overall atmosphere, speaking to teachers and students, and get an impression of the city where you will study for several years.

During the entrance exam, visual creative talent, originality and (manual) drawing skills will be assessed.

The entrance exam starts with an interview of approximately twenty to twenty-five minutes with the admission committee, consisting of two teachers and two graduate students.
This interview consists of:

• A conversation about motivation and general interest.
• Assessment of the portfolio. This does not only consist of final results but should mainly contain sketches and designs that provide insight into the thinking and creation process.
• Assessment of the results of the home assignment. This is a design assignment that you receive after registering in Studielink, to be made at home and bring along to the entrance exam.

During the entrance exam, you will be tested on visual creative talent, originality and drawing skills. These are classified in the following competencies:

• Creative ability. This is the ability to express yourself visually, to work from observation and conceptually. You have insight into and a feeling for color, shape and material. Your work shows originality and creativity.
• Communicative ability. You are skilled in communication, share your fascination and inspiration and you demonstrate decisiveness and discipline.
• Critical reflection. You have an investigative and experimental attitude, an interest in art and culture and a focused interest in the field.

Depending on the outcome of this interview, you will receive an invitation to participate in the practical part of the exam the following day from 09:30 until 16:30. A design assignment will be handed out that you will complete on-site within the given timeframe. The admissions committee with whom you have the interview will advise the examination committee whether you can be admitted.

In principle, there are two admission rounds: the first is on March 14th and 15th, the second is on April 11th and 12th. For Non-EU candidates who want to apply for a scholarship it’s important to enroll in round 1. All information regarding the admission procedure is available from the educational office of Art & Design Arnhem: admissionsartdesign.arnhem [at] artez.nl.

Admission requirements for the Fashion Design BA program
You must have a diploma from intermediate vocational education (level 4), senior general secondary education (HAVO), pre-university education (VWO or gymnasium) or an equivalent (foreign) diploma.

Registration
You can register in Studielink. You will then receive information about the date you are expected at the academy, the home assignment for the program, a questionnaire (CV), and a list of supplies and materials for the practical part of the entrance exam.

Result
You will be notified within three working weeks whether you have been admitted.
If you are not invited to participate in the practical part of the exam after the interview on the first day, you will be informed immediately why you cannot continue, and you will receive advice for alternative studies if necessary. The final selection after the second day will not be communicated.

Validity of admission
A positive admission is only valid for the course for which you have registered. If you want to apply for admission for a program or specialization at another location, you must register for this separately. The admission is only valid for the academic year that immediately follows the entrance exam.

If you have any questions, please contact us via admissionsartdesign.arnhem [at] artez.nl.

Language Requirements
Starting in the 2016-2017 academic year, English will be the official language within the faculty of Art & Design; this means that the department will be offering bilingual education, in both English and Dutch. As of the 2016-2017 academic year, all students (both Dutch and international) must fulfil the English requirements of IELTS level 5.5. Dutch students with a HAVO (Higher General Secondary Education), VWO or Gymnasium level diploma automatically fulfil this requirement, but this does not apply to students with an MBO-4 level. International students whose native language is English, or those whose entire secondary education was in English also meet the language requirement automatically, as well as other international students whose diploma indicates that they have achieved the IELTS 5.5 level.

Further information concerning the language requirements is available at the Department of Student Affairs of ArtEZ at studentenzaken [at] artez.nl, or the Educational Office of Art & Design Arnhem admissionsartdesign.arnhem [at] artez.nl.

A great number of former students have achieved both national and international recognition within the fashion world after graduation. Many of them maintain close ties with the Design Department through teaching, guest teaching, or the offering of internships.

An overview of some of the graduates of the department. This list is meant to give an example, and is not intended to be a complete register.