Danie Bles

I’m good, thanks! I try to attend everything, or at least what’s on the official schedule, and to get a sense of how things are unfolding. What I really liked about this edition was the mix: shows, presentations, events open to the public, and those by invitation only. The talks, the workshops, The HUB in its new location… When I look back, of course, there are things we want to expand, rethink, or explore further, but I remain convinced that holding it once a year is a strong and deliberate choice. 

From a sustainability perspective, it’s also one of the most effective steps we can take.
And what I really love about Amsterdam is that we truly want to be Amsterdam Fashion Week. We’re not trying to become Paris or Milan because, honestly, that’s not realistic, and it would be a misguided ambition. Instead, we want to highlight our own identity, from street to couture. So we have brands like Daily Paper or The New Originals alongside Ronald van der Kemp or Iris van Herpen, who also had an event this week. I like this mix. And I like that when international press comes here, they don’t just attend shows; they leave feeling they’ve also discovered the city. Hosting events across Amsterdam and weaving culture and fashion together feels like the right approach.

The main difference is that we truly go from street to couture. That’s something we can claim. When it comes to diversity and inclusivity, I also believe we’re ahead of other fashion weeks, especially when you look at the street style. And the balance between open-to-the-public events and invitation-only shows is really unique.
Collaborating with Copenhagen Fashion Week also allows the participating brands to reach a bigger platform. As Nordics, we should collaborate more. The future is about collaboration, whether that’s putting a designer together with another brand or fashion weeks working together. So if I had to claim one thing, it would be about bringing culture, independent designers, and young talent together.

The HUB, for example, I would love to bring it to Paris. Imagine a space where you can hang out, attend workshops and talks, browse and discover small independent brands. In Paris, if you read the press, it’s all about the big houses. But I think people are hungry for attention on smaller brands. That’s something I’d love to bring there.

We have a team and an advisory board that I work closely with. I’ve been leading Amsterdam Fashion Week for eight years, and The HUB has been part of it for five. It has grown with us. At first, I asked people informally for feedback, then we set up a jury, and this year, for the first time, we worked with the advisory board to decide what should be in the programme. Looking ahead, I want The HUB to be an activation point: people can sign up for talks, workshops, drinks, and beats. You can simply walk in, have a drink, and dance.
This year, we had art by Miranda Lantink, the mother of Duran. We showcased around twenty-five brands in clothing and accessories. Next year it might be fewer, but with more focus on upcoming talent, not only from the Netherlands, but also Belgium and beyond, building a stronger Benelux presence. I’d also like to bring in more curators, not just in art but in fashion too.

It has definitely changed, though it remains very Dutch. Upcycling, for example, has become a huge movement here: swap sales, upcycling workshops, and entire communities around it. Fashion became a central way to connect with people through pop-ups, collaborations, especially after Covid. Much like ADE with music, Amsterdam Fashion Week provides a platform that people really value as a meeting point and a way to showcase creativity.
Amsterdam as a city has also changed: global brands now have headquarters here, driven partly by financial reasons, but it brings more expertise to the city. Ten years ago the landscape was very different. Still, it’s not Belgium, it’s not Paris, but the streetwear scene has had a massive impact. From Patta to Daily Paper to Filling Pieces, they built communities. That sense of community is what has really flourished in the past eight years. When I started, there wasn’t much of one. Now, every event I attend during Amsterdam Fashion Week is packed.

It happens quite organically. We promote them on our website and socials, but individual brands also promote their own events, like Daily Paper throwing a party in their store. So promotion comes from us, from the brands, and of course from press coverage. We also run campaigns across stations in the Netherlands, but social media is the biggest driver.

I’d love to. I’m always open to collaboration. But I do think it should always be linked to Benelux somehow. For example, if a Spanish brand opened a flagship here, I’d love to see them collaborate with a Dutch designer or young talent. I believe smaller independent designers need bigger brands for exposure and resources, and big brands need young designers to challenge their perspectives and push sustainability. It has to be a two-way street.

At first, I wanted to build very slowly. No big sponsors, no rush. After two editions, I decided to spend the budget on inviting international press rather than PR. But we needed to be ready for that with a strong programme across the city. So we began modestly, inviting Belgian or French press via specific brands.
In the past two editions, we expanded this, and for the latest one, we invited even more international press. Each year we’ll grow carefully. We curated this with our advisory board, including Gert Jonkers from Fantastic Man, Ida Pettersson, Borre Akkersdijk, and Stefanos Constantinou. Next year, I’d like to invest more in photography, perhaps bringing Getty on board, and strengthen collaborations with the photographers we already work with. Baby steps, but steady ones.

No, we don’t. The municipality sometimes sponsors specific projects, but not on a large scale. For example, they supported the installation with 1/OFF on the opening day. But unlike Berlin, here we don’t get that. This year, we had a show on the Ring, with Levi’s as a supplier. We paired established names with emerging talents. The municipality supported it in a small way, but nothing major. If they did more, we could grow much faster. At first, they even claimed Fashion Week wasn’t culturally relevant. But now they recognise that it is, and that’s progress.

Honestly, I’m not sure; it’s better to look at what the press wrote. British Vogue did a great piece, and I loved what W Magazine published. I like critical feedback as much as positive coverage; it’s the only way to improve. I’d love to involve even more talent, maybe collaborate with La Cambre, and I thought Lichting this year was really good, fresh, and light.

Probably something about uniqueness, that we have our own face. We’re a fashion week with international potential, but rooted in our own identity. Unlike the big four, we don’t just follow a rigid schedule of established houses. We support brands financially, and we curate based on stories. Stories matter; they’re what you remember. Each season is different; if you come back next year, you’ll find a completely new experience. It’s never copy-paste.

Brands fill out a questionnaire about their sustainability practices. Of course, no big brand becomes sustainable overnight; it starts with small steps. But many young designers already think sustainably by default; it’s ingrained in Gen Z’s approach. Larger brands need to commit to those baby steps, too.

Yes, first week of September 2026.

Nothing confirmed yet, but I’d love to.