Focusing mainly on denim, Hardeman chooses for jeans to play the role of the ultimate example of social conformism; denim pants have evolved from a workman's attire to the symbol of freedom, to an everyday wardrobe staple for the mass. However, with the collections, Hardeman tries to break free from these kinds of conventions.
By playing with existing relationships and structures that make up a recognizable garment, reality and perspective are put out of their place. Thereby Hardeman praises individuality and cheers to ‘flaws’ as the ‘new perfection’.

To be able to present my work to such a large audience has been absolutely incredible. What excites me most about fashion is the language it speaks. Besides referencing sub cultures or empower of self-expression, clothing can tell how we interact in current time frame in much smaller gestures.

New York has been overwhelming but, oh, so welcoming! For our shows we work closely together with models and participating artists. Collaborations have brought us into contact with some amazing people. It is actually the people that energise the big city, and I could sit on a bench at the underground station for days just to soak it in.

Never compromise. Know what you want. Rietveld teaches you to investigate and to develop your vision; there is not a path laid out. In the end there is no one who can push your boundaries better than yourself.

Working with film has given us the opportunity to entwine the stories with the collections; they immortalise the collections and embody the story. We met during art school at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam. It was a strong wish for me to capture my graduation collection on film, to immortalize the pieces in their full story, and to capture all the different characters and the absurd bluntness of day-to-day reality. I was drawn to Emma's work because of her interest in unusual things within daily life, detailing out beautiful moments of awkward human escapes. Emma naturally understood how the collection – the story of my unconventional jeans collection – could fit into a story line, which is underlined by Valerie's dreamy lyrics.

Hardeman is not gender specific nor does it have any limitations to who wants to wear it or how they wish to dress it.

It is key to focus on different interactions, show things from different angles, empower diversity and bring different realities together. Some people think it’s rally or protest. This is not punk; this is real. This is quirky, sexy and the clothes don't even matter. What matters is aiming to cause social change and transcending social norms by challenging what is perceived to be beautiful, tackling traditional stereotypes and changing the standards of the fashion industry.

The collection Where The Grass is Greener is made for everyday heroes. The main denim pieces take form from different workwear shapes. A handyman is the muse as well as a pregnant woman and sun-kissed kids kicking round in the hay. The models are some sort of everyday life heroes taking shape in a diverse cast. The narrative of the film focuses on a group of teens who follow a cowboy and dream of his wild escapes. The cowboy has moved to town and tries to capture the new reality with his lasso.
But the seasons are all entwined, the collections embrace different topics evolving around social interactions and how awkward it is to be ‘normal’, how we dream of being someone else versus trying to be ourselves. Denim conveys rules of daily wear and attire. The collection Rouge 66 swings between everyday commodity and high-end dress rehearsals. It was born from a fascination for dressing up, being dressed well, behaving well (proms, dates, invites, red stairways and VIPs). In Rouge 66, pants adopted the aesthetics of eveningwear by being completely uncomfortable but unknowingly elegant, and they were meant not to be worn again after attending complete surrogate social events. Awkward elegance at its best!

Hardeman aims not to change standards but to defy them completely, thereby changing the way we treat one another.