This Collection was Inspired by New Beginnings...
Hello, my name is Ruxandra, and Iām from Romania! Currently, Iām pursuing my Bachelor in Fashion Design in Amsterdam (Netherlands), being a second-year here.
This passion actually bloomed during the quarantine when my mother bought a sewing machine.
I have always liked clothes, but it was just a hobbyāI liked to express myself through clothes, but I never really thought about studying fashion until the second year of high school. When I was younger, I would make bracelets, but nothing major happened in my life other than that. It was just the pure passion to dive into this field.
I decided to study abroad because my sister was studying in Amsterdam as well, and I thought it would be an amazing opportunity. I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and look for new experiences. At first, I was convinced that I wanted to do it, but the moment I arrived at the airport, I began to have second thoughts: "Why did I do this? Was this the worst mistake of my life?". Soon, I realised that all the new experiences I got when I moved abroad inspired me every single day.
Behind the Portfolio
For studying fashion at foreign universities, you mostly have to submit a portfolio. You can include your creative process and the things youāve done until nowāI included sketches, concept boards, and garments that I made.
Specifically for the University of Amsterdam, they also required a videoāabout five minutes, in which we had to present ourselves and our connection to fashion. We also had a short online exam with questions related to art and fashion, but we werenāt given any materials to study beforehand. After that, we had an online exam where we had to be on camera for an interview, and they also made us recycle an old piece of clothing - in my case, I transformed an old t-shirt.
All universities require a personal statement. Mine was mostly about my connection to fashion and when it all started. My university cares a lot about sustainability, so I also talked about that and my vision for improving the fashion world to be more sustainable.
You need a strong work ethic and the willingness to always improve. Every assessment gives you a choice: you can either play it safe and pass with something simple, or you can challenge yourself. They donāt grade us based on difficultyāthey have other criteriaābut if you always take the easy route, you wonāt learn as much.
Money Matters
A lot of European universities donāt offer scholarships, and it was the same in my case, but that wasnāt an issue since the cost of living for internationals in the Netherlands is cheaper than in other countries. I also applied to universities in Italy and the UK, and those were really expensive. I think studying in the Netherlands is the most affordable option if you want to study abroad, and even though they donāt offer scholarships, you can work as a student.
If youāre a student and working, you can apply for DUO grants. Thereās a basic grant, which is up to ā¬400, and another grant based on your parentsā income. In order to receive both the basic and the one based on your parentsā income, you have to work 32 hours/week, which Iām currently doing. However, I canāt sustain myself, so my parents financially help me, too. They mostly help me with rent, and then I pay for everything else with my salary and the extra financial aid I receive.
Adapting to a New Life
For housing, in my first year, I lived in a student accommodation provided by my university. They usually do that for students who move to Amsterdam and I was placed in a student dorm. I shared the kitchen with 12 other students, and I was scared, but it turned out to be the best experience of my life. We all got along really well! We spent so much time together in the kitchenāstudying, cooking, and just hanging out. We were from different countries, so we were always cooking traditional meals from our cultures and sharing them with each other.
However, my renting contract ended after a year and now I live in an apartment with three other girls, but we all knew each other before, so this arrangement is perfect. The Netherlands is going through a housing crisis, but we were really lucky to find a house. We knew we had to secure a place before summer break, so we started looking in April and managed to sign a contract before we had to leave for the summer.
Definitely.
I feel like Iāve become more independent. Before, I relied a lot on my parents, but now I can manage on my own. I learned how to do everything by myself and how to stop depending on others.
I also think people who stay in their hometowns or home countries donāt grow up as fast because they donāt have to. When you move abroad, you have no choice. You have to get a job, cook for yourself, and handle your own responsibilities every day.
When you live abroad, you donāt have the luxury of staying in bed while your mother cooks for you. You have to get up and take care of yourself, even when you feel terrible. That was the most challenging partājust forcing myself to keep going.
My Learning Experience
The most interesting courses are definitely the ones in the sewing rooms. We have some pretty cool sewing rooms, and thatās where we learn pattern making. Everything we do is practical. I think studying patterns and techniques can still be called studying, even if itās nothing sort of traditional.
Besides pattern-making and design classes, we also have digital classes where we learn how to work with 3D programs. In fact, we were advised to design everything digitally first so we could see how the patterns would work before making them in real life. That was really helpful for a lot of usāit allowed us to visualise our designs better before sewing them.
This semester, for example, we were assigned a brand that we had to design for while team working. In the end, we make and sew the outfits ourselves, but before that we work together on the concept, research, and brand analysis.
Even though we have individual creative freedom when making our final designs, we still have to stick to what we decided as a team. For example, if we all agreed on a specific colour palette, we canāt just change it later. Honestly, I prefer doing things my own way. Everyone in my class has such different styles, so I wasnāt too excited about working in teams. Luckily, I get along really well with my classmates, so our teamwork has been smooth so far. We listen to each otherās ideas, study together, and support one another.
Right now, not really. We do have quite a lot of freedom. Our teachers told us that these are the years when we can go as crazy as we want with our garments. But once we enter the industry, weāll probably work for someone else, so we wonāt have as much creative freedom and weāll have to follow what the brand or designer wants.
My Biggest Achievements
I think my project from last yearās final assessment and the one Iām currently working on are the ones that Iām proudest of.
Last year, I created a garment inspired by brutalism, telling the story of my parentsā experience living under communism. The design included a corset with broken glass that I painted and applied to the fabric.
This year, I chose body dysmorphia as my themeāsomething Iāve personally struggled with and itās a huge issue in the fashion industry. Iām trying to tell the story of someone dealing with body dysmorphia through garments. I think Iām most proud of this project because Iāve successfully translated an emotional and personal story into fashion.
For that, I put a lot of attention into detail, using a technique called quilting. I drew a design onto a huge part of fabric, then stitched over every single line with the sewing machine. It wasnāt necessarily difficult, but it was extremely time-consuming.
Another big challenge is that we often have to teach ourselves how to do things. We have teachers who help us, but sometimes we have to figure things out on our own. For example, the teachers taught us how to make patterns for a basic shirt, but we had to figure out how to modify the design and make it creative. Even this year, despite having a pattern-making teacher, we still have to experiment a lot ourselves. I read books about modifying patterns and try different techniques before going to class. You have to be very observant, but also creative with the notions provided.
I still donāt know what I want to do after my Bachelor, but I do know that I donāt want to be part of the negative side of the fashion industry.
Iām thinking of becoming a pattern cutter, but Iām still not sure. Pattern cutters are the ones who bring designs to life. The designer has an idea and puts it on paper, but the pattern cutters are the ones who make the patterns work in real life.
Fashion as LanguageāThe Three Concepts of Art
1. Storytelling, When Fabric Speaks
It all starts with a concept. I make sketches and put my ideas on paper.
For example, in my project about communism, I was inspired by brutalist architecture. My garments had sharp edges and dark colours, representing the harshness of that time. The main piece was a structured shirt, but instead of being worn normally, it was designed to look like it was falling off, as if someone was using it to cover themselves. The idea was that, no matter how much you try to cover the past, itās still a part of you.
My favourite designers inspire me a lot, such as John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, and Maison Margiela. I love them because they tell stories through their garments, which are so theatrical. When I watch their runway shows, I donāt just see clothesāI feel something, like watching a play unfold. Their garments tell their own stories, and thatās what I aspire to do in my own work.
Actually, in my first year, I used Constantin BrĆ¢ncuČiās* work as inspiration. I even wrote about him in my portfolio and created a garment based on his art. Itās amazing how you can find inspiration in literally anything.
*Constantin Brancusi = a Romanian sculptor, painter, and photographer who made his career in France; considered one of the most influential sculptors of the 20th century, BrĆ¢ncuČi is called the patriarch of modern sculpture.
2. The Journey Through (Dis)Belief
I have this quote that I wrote on my wall back home in Romania: `What if it doesnāt come true? Ah, but what if it does?" Itās from a YouTuber I used to watch when I was younger, and it really stuck with me.
For me, studying fashion in Amsterdam started as just a dream. In high school, I thought it was impossible. No one around me was doing it, and I didnāt even know who to talk to for advice. I just researched everything on YouTube and watched people talking about their experiences and it felt so out of reach. But then it happened. I made it here. Thatās why I think itās important to chase your dreams instead of assuming they wonāt come true.
My mom always believed in me. Even now, whenever I feel overwhelmed, I call her: "Mom, I donāt know if I can do this. I feel like Iām not good enough." And she always reassures me, telling me: "No, you can do it. Youāve done it before, and youāll do it again."
However, this semester, I struggled with self-doubt to the point where I couldnāt even touch my sewing machine. I thought everything I made was terrible. Iāve learned that we often judge our own work too harshly. My classmates and even my teachers compliment my work, and I realised that I need to trust myself more.
3. Fashion vs. Fast Fashion
Studying fashion is highly competitive. There are a lot of people in the industry, so I think the hardest part is that Iām always comparing myself to others and what they are doing. I think thatās something common with art in general. Itās just hard to look at your own work and think that it's as good as others'. Iām never satisfied with the things I prepare for my assessments, all the garments I make. Then, when my classmates see them, theyāre shocked.
However, I think fast fashion has taken away some of the beauty of fashion. You walk into any store, and you see the same things everywhereācheap fabrics, low quality.
Personally, I feel that fashion has lost some of its meaning due to fast fashion. But at the same time, fashion doesnāt always have to be overly artistic, like what you see on the runway. Sometimes, a well-made garment with good fabric that fits well is enough.
Unfortunately, it feels overwhelming sometimes due to the amount of content we are exposed to about fashion. At my university, we discuss sustainability a lot because they care deeply about it. But honestly, I donāt think fast fashion will ever stop. There are so many people who could afford to buy better-quality clothing, but they still choose fast fashion because they care too much about changing outfits every week. But if something looks cheap and poorly made, even a thousand different outfits wonāt make a difference.
