ArtEZ Institute

ArtEZ is the only university in The Netherlands solely concentrating on the arts.offers both Fashion Design and Product Design alongside the other departments.

The four-year Fashion Design bachelor course in Arnhem is a component of the faculty of Art & Design at ArtEZ, which has a long and illustrious history. The department of Fashion Design and Fashion Illustration was established 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 at ArtEZ Art & Design Arnhem continues to set the standard for education to this day.

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 and the Frans Molenaar Couture Award in the Netherlands, the LVMH-Award and the Hyères Festival in France, the H&M Design Award in Sweden, the Mittelmoda Fashion Award in Italy, the Apolda European Design Award in Germany, and the IYDC International Youth Design Competition in China. 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 simultaneously strengthened in this way.
 

Courses Overview: Undergraduate and Postgraduate

Bachelor of Design (Fashion Design, Product Design, Graphic Design, Interaction Design)

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.

Noteworthy Alumni

A great number of former students have achieved both national and international recognition within the fashion design 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.

Mattia Akkermans
Aziz Bekkaoui
Francisco van Benthum
Mattijs van Bergen
Sjoukje Bierma
Matthijs Boelee
Anne Bosman
Berry Brun
Lenn Cox
Danny Cremers
Wendelien Daan
Henriette Daniels
Wilbert Das
Hans Demoed
Pauline van Dongen
Maarten van Dreven
Lilian Driessen
Saskia van Drimmelen
Peet Dullaert
Lidewij Edelkoort
Eefje Frankenhuis
Liselore Frowijn
Pascale Gatzen
Arnold van Geuns
Ger-Jan de Gilde
Elsien Gringhuis
Desirée Hammen
Jos van Heel
Iris van Herpen
Ratna Ho
Mariette Hoitink
Marieke Holthuis
Kaito Hori
Maarten van der Horst
Viktor Horsting
Liesbeth in 't Hout
Sjaak Hullekes
Marcha Hüskes
Joline Jolink
Carmen Kemmink
Michiel Keuper
Frits Klaarenbeek
Sander Lak
Elja Lintsen
Hanna ter Meulen
Jef Montes
Frank Muytjens
Lucas Ossendrijver
Edwin Oudshoorn
Piet Paris
Selina Parr
Yvette Peek
Antoine Peters
Dewi Pfeiffer
Oscar Raaijmakers
Clemens Rameckers
Hellen van Rees
Geert de Rooij
Els Roseboom
Melanie Rozema
Iris Ruisch
Manon Schaap
Karin Schacknat
Katja Schellekens
Sanne Schepers
Jan Schrijver
Joyce van Seggelen
Wieke Sinnige
Alexander van Slobbe
Rolf Snoeren
Truus Spijkers
Riet Spijkers
Meta Struycken
Rita Suers
Joris Suk
Jan Taminiau
Jeroen van Tuyl
Diederik Verbakel
Ilja Visser
Mark van Vorstenbos
Marian Wigger

Life in Arnhem

Arnhem is a city on the edge of the Veluwe and on the northern bank of the Rhine. The abundance of greenery offers space for all types of initiatives. Arnhem lies just ten minutes by train from the university city of Nijmegen, which offers even more opportunities! 

Tuition and Scholarship Information

There are various kinds of grants and scholarships international students can apply for. Often these are targeted for specific purposes or projects. Every year ArtEZ provides scholarships for new non-EU students: The ArtEZ Scholarship and the Holland Scholarship. For more information click here. To learn more about tuition fees click here.

Graduate Shows

You can also find videos of graduation shows and Collectie Arnhem here.