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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/masterclass_01-1.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n\u201cThe largest class I\u2019ve ever taught\u201d \u2013 says Dirk Van Saene of Antwerp\u2019s Royal Academy of Art about his 2017 MA-graduate class. The 18 fashion MA graduates not only have eye catching designs but bring a creative approach to their collections. \u00a0With collections dedicated to\u00a0identity issues, climate change and politics, this year\u2019s graduates demonstrate not only strong technical skills but also active engagement with contemporary culture and society. Out of the 18 individual collections Sleek has chosen the five you should know about.
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The Korea-born designer tries to imagine what a tailored suit would look like if it were designed by Mr. Bean. In a wonderfully ironic collection Jo gives Bean\u2019s favourite staple-\u00a0the perfectly tailored suit \u2013 a witty twist, highjacking the runway with a plethora of eccentric looks. Starting the collection with a tweed-covered turkey-shaped headgear, he goes on to show streamlined jackets with teddy bears sewn to them, mismatched shoes, multi-collar shirts and deconstructed garments. The highlight of this collection is an unfinished jacket with a hem unfolding into a long train of fabric. In \u201cBean\u2019s Tailoring\u201d the suits are quirky, impeccably cut and have a touch of masculinity.
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Sanan Gasanov’s collection is dedicated to designer’s grandmother, tying\u00a0elements to a Soviet households\u00a0\u2013 the white lace and the colourful embroidery evoke tablecloths and table napkins, ubiquitous in Soviet homes. \u00a0The puffed capes resemble pillows that would be found in your grandmas house and that she would take pride in having. \u00a0The collection is anything but simple, reproducing the visual vocabulary of a typical Soviet home. The designer honours femininity, creativity and the female strength. The boots, worn as gloves and sleeves, refer to Gasanov\u2019s grandmother\u2019s drawings and symbolize\u00a0that old Russian expression \u201cworking like a horse\u201d.![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/masterclass_3.jpeg\")
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\u201cI tried to elevate the mundane\u201d explains the German designer backstage before the show. There is a second row of buttons to a double-breasted jacket, mismatched pinstripes and gathered details to a pair of trousers. The\u00a0intricate details are what make\u00a0his minimalist designs its wearable charm.
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The 21-year old long-haired designer walked the runway alongside his models for the debut of his collection titled \u201cThe epos of the ego\u201d. Van Mierlo, whose drawings have already been included in BOZAR\u2019s \u201cThe Belgians: An Unexpected Fashion Story\u201d two years ago, was inspired by Virginia Woolf\u2019s Orlando, Dante\u2019s \u201cDivine Comedy\u201d and the duality of his own self \u2013 hence the title. The designer\u2019s ostentatiously androgynous garments\u00a0feature armour-like jackets, voluminous coats and ruffled culottes symbolic to\u00a0\u00a0the designer’s female and male counterparts, Jesus and Jeanne d\u2019Arc.
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Sofie Nieuwborg’s colllection is \u201cboth tough and fragile\u201d. \u00a0The designer combines sturdy sportswear pieces with semi-sheer garments, designed from featherweight tulle fabric. The real flowers, sewn between layers of tulle, capture the idea of fleeting beauty, while the sportswear garments stand for the fast-changing trends of contemporary fashion. Add to that dreamy prints, drawn by the designer herself, and the iconic \u201cfragile\u201d print, evoking the early Margiela years \u2013 and you will have a collection of outstanding beauty.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Meet 5 MA graduates from Royal Academy of Fina Arts Antwerp who are making waves in the fashion world<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":53215,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[81],"tags":[8831,8832,8833,8834,8835],"class_list":["post-53142","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fashion","tag-maximillian-welsch","tag-robbie-van-mierlo","tag-sanan-gasanov","tag-sofie-nieuwborg","tag-woojic-jo"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n