The Patchwork Family SS2428 Images
‘’Trigger warning: If you have any sensitivities to flickering lights, loud music, functional nudity, bold queer self-expression, or if you hold homophobic, misogynistic, fascist beliefs, or do not support a Free Palestine, the following content may be disturbing. In that case, the Patchwork Family offers their sincerest apologies, and you hereby have one last chance to leave the venue. Bye! Everyone else, please find a suitable spot and get ready for a rollercoaster of Drama, Sex, and Extravaganza!’’
This was the bold statement blasted by a disembodied voice through the dark, smoke- and strobe-filled basement where The Patchwork Family staged their latest Amsterdam Fashion Week show. As the old adage goes, “in union, there is strength”, and the blaring announcement served as a reminder that people are more powerful, effective, and resilient when working together towards a common goal – a sentiment that forms the bedrock of the rising collective’s manifesto, which centres sustainability, inclusivity, and community.
Made up of nine members, the collective has been creating brilliantly whacko clothing for the best part of four years, while also making a name for themselves throwing massive, heaving parties. For SS24, The Patchwork Family served up their signature mix of de- and reconstructed clothes as they dipped into and remixed a swathe of subcultural archetypes. With each of the collective’s designers showcasing an individual offering, Marco Blažević’s Army of Lovers celebrated queer defiance by reworking codes found in 90s resistance movements and featured two trans-masc models who proudly bared their chests, Keffiyeh scarves swung around their waists.
Salome Nnaej’s aptly titled Fruitcake presented knitted, layered, cupcake-like creations that transformed into barely-there microdresses: “They symbolise the shedding of societal expectations to reveal one’s true self,” the designer explains. Elsewhere, Joris Janssen questioned traditional business dress codes with a collection of skimpy corporate wear – one dress looked like it got stuck in the office shredder, while one model stomped down the runway in a tiny thong, clutching a laptop that barely covered their breasts. Finally, Meike van Lelyveld paid homage to the strength and independence of women, using deadstock lace and satin to subvert old-fashioned bridalwear, plastering cheeky slogans like “Divorcée to be” across a simple shirt dress.
The show marked a homecoming of sorts. After their first off-schedule show in Amsterdam back in 2022, The Patchwork Family “felt like rockstars, and rock stars go on tour.” This led to invitations from Berlin Fashion Week, London Fashion Revolution Week, and finally, an unscheduled “disruption” outside the SS23 Chanel couture show, where they stopped traffic and attendees alike as they paraded up and down the cobbled street in a series of berserk DIY looks. Now, the collective is setting up shop in Amsterdam for a while, to further hone their skills and “to learn, push, and evolve.”
As they settle back in there, here, we speak to Meike van Lelyveld, Marco Blažević, and other members of the collective about their sophomore AFW show, the influence of drag culture, and the meaning of being punk.
Hi there! You’re a collective of designers – how did you start working together?
Marco Blažević: Meike and I started The Patchwork Family together while graduating from ArtEZ in Arnhem in 2021 and 2022, along with some of our best friends who we studied with. Back then, we loved working together in person because it helped our mental health, and we were all naturally drawn to upcycling.
After experiencing the realities of the industry during our internships, we felt disillusioned with working for another brand and wanted to do our own thing. Since that idea was incredibly daunting, we decided it would be best to do it together. As best friends, we thought that at least we would have fun, regardless of our success. Over the past two years, new designers have joined quite naturally, bringing in people from other art academies in the Netherlands. Given our clear and bold profile, we seem to naturally attract the right people.
“Although we never intended it, nearly everyone in our collective identifies as queer, so it felt natural for our very first show at Amsterdam’s notorious Club Church to pay homage to the community” – Marco Blažević
While the fashion industry is notoriously competitive, The Patchwork Family is a collective built on collaborative values. How do you all complement each other?
Meike van Lelyveld: We complement each other by being very different and by challenging each other. Marco and I are actually engaged and have been a couple for almost seven years, so we naturally spend a lot of time discussing the fashion industry and our role in it. I finished my MA in Fashion Management at IFM and I’m working for Dover Street Market Paris, while Marco is focused on party and performance production while also finishing their MA in critical fashion practices. We also both still design, which aesthetically could not be further away from each other.
It’s interesting how we have very different roles in the industry but want to pursue the same goals. And the same goes for Wolter Pot and Rachel Klok, who we founded The Patchwork Family with. Wolter is a luxury retail buyer and Rachel is studying and teaching couture crafts(wo)manship. As a starting creative, it’s been so great to have the opportunity to learn from your peers and challenge each other as well so we can create the industry we want to work in together.
Marco: And then there is Billy, aka Characharaboy. Even though he is not a trained fashion designer, he is an integral part of the collective. He brings a refreshing perspective and has the perfect attitude for a collaborative group. He deeply cares about everyone and functions as emotional support. Then there is Salome, who just graduated from Willem de Kooning this year. While being a super talented designer, they are also a queen when it comes to booking and organising. They are definitely one of the sharpest members of our Family. Berber, who graduated last year from the academy in Utrecht, brings a lot of technical finesse and experience from theatre and costume design, which you can see clearly in her work. There is also Floor, who after graduating a year before us from ArtEZ, just finished her Fine Arts MA in Ghent. This makes her, similar to Billy, have a whole new and refreshing perspective on everything we do.
Meike: And our newest member, Joris Janssen, only joined a few months ago! He actually used to be Rachel’s intern, and it was so great to work with him that we invited him to stay with the family. He’s still doing his BA at the Rietveld Academie, which is honestly great for the dynamic of the group. Not only to have new people with new perspectives join in but also young people in different moments in their careers. We have members who are already teachers and people who are still studying, and having everyone work on an equal footing is so refreshing after the hierarchy in the industry that we’re used to.
Characharaboy: I think we all have different goals, and that is what keeps us going. If you set unattainable standards for an entire group, ideas become monotonous and blend. We want to explore and have fun. And by helping each other out individually, we tend to not compete with each other and give space for new ideas and passions to arise.
Performance is an integral part of your shows, which are rooted in queer and drag culture. How did this come about?
Marco: Although we never intended it, nearly everyone in our collective identifies as queer, so it felt natural for our very first show at Amsterdam’s notorious Club Church to pay homage to the community and culture that inspires us. Collaborating with drag performers and engaging with the most energetic audience in Amsterdam made us fall in love with campy performances and queer club spaces.
Since then, we’ve closely collaborated with Taka Taka the Priest, the Creative Director of Club Church, and many of the drag artists from Church’s drag houses. Over the past two years we’ve developed our own twist on fashion shows. Even though this evolution happened quite organically, it has become a significant part of our identity. Many new members joining our family are drawn to this specific style of showcasing and our community of queer performance artists.
You started upcycling out of necessity during lockdown, until it became a part of the collective’s DNA. Why is it so important to you?
Meike: Each of us began incorporating upcycling into our work individually, long before founding the Patchwork Family, and for various reasons. Personally, I believe that of all the sustainable methods available, upcycling deadstock is the most sustainable, especially when working on such a small scale like we do. Over the years, upcycling has become even more essential for us. I think our designers are particularly drawn to it because of the storytelling and intimacy these pre-loved materials offer. They provide a rich library of archetypal fashion references, which align perfectly with our passion for performances and dramatic shows. Additionally, it ties into our mission to democratise the industry for young designers. Upcycling is both affordable and accessible, particularly for those who don’t have the means to travel to major fashion cities to source their materials.
Would you describe yourself as punk? What does the word even mean in 2024?
Marco: In my opinion, you can’t call yourself punk – but if someone else does, that’s the highest compliment. A lot of people describe us as punk, so I guess there must be something to it. The Patchwork Family was definitely created to actively challenge norms and hierarchies in the fashion industry. It’s all about self-facilitation rather than relying on gatekeepers. Our DIY attitude goes beyond just making products; it’s about believing that we can claim our own space and practice fashion on our own terms.
“Fashion has long had the power to brainwash people into believing what is sexy and desirable, so our goal is to use that power to redefine what we find sexy: being ecologically conscious, expressing yourself regardless of how you look, fighting oppression in all its forms, and more” – Marco Blažević
On that note, sustainability can be such a slippery subject. How do you navigate this?
Meike: On one hand, we believe that at this point, no one truly knows what the most sustainable approach is. However, we feel it’s important to constantly and critically reflect on what we do. Both Marco and I have conducted academic research on upcycling, and our whole team is consistently challenging each other’s decisions. I actually gave a TED talk last year about my belief that there’s no single “right” way to be sustainable, especially when it comes to product creation. So, I’d never claim that we’re better than anyone else – we’re just doing our best to create work that we can stand behind in every way.
Marco: Most importantly, we always ask ourselves, “What do we want to sustain?” when thinking about sustainability. For us, it goes beyond ecological impact and includes social sustainability. We constantly question if what we do is sustainable not only for the environment but also for ourselves as makers, for our community in Amsterdam, and for everyone involved in the process, from creation to consumption.
It’s safe to say your work is very value-driven. You ‘upcycle’ old norms and ideas into something new – something for the outsiders. What kind of world do you want to live in, and how does fashion contribute to achieving that?
Marco: We want to upcycle the fashion industry itself, creating a system that supports young talent like us and includes marginalised communities, all while minimising harm to the environment. Fashion has long had the power to “brainwash” people into believing what is sexy and desirable, so our goal is to use that power to redefine what we find sexy: being ecologically conscious, expressing yourself regardless of how you look, fighting oppression in all its forms, and more. I know it sounds a bit cheesy, but we really mean it. That’s why we create these outrageous fashion shows – to show that upcycled fashion can be just as fun, if not more, than traditionally made fashion, and just as hot.
What do you love about fashion and what do you hate?
CharaCharaBoy: I love how fashion can be used to express thoughts and personality in a visual way that words or body language alone can’t. It can make you more bold or more gentle in how you present yourself to others, while also providing comfort and empowerment. What I hate is the judgement that comes with it. People assess you based on what you wear, and fashion becomes a tool for reinforcing status and economic divides. It can bring people together, but also tear them apart.
Floor van Helmond: I love creating living, breathing pieces through collaboration with performers, show elements, and co-creation. The connection with subcultures, like music artists, is incredible. What I hate is the hierarchy in the industry and how the younger generation is forced to go through the same struggles those before did, instead of rebuilding the system from the ground up.
Earlier this year, you staged a spectacle at Amsterdam Fashion Week – your biggest show to date. What went down? What did you want visitors to experience and feel?
Meike: We hosted a 45-minute show at Club Shelter in Amsterdam, a massive underground club with a capacity of 500 people that we packed to the brim. We showcased the latest work of eight of our designers through various performances. Each designer crafted their own unique universe, so our visitors were transported from my wedding collection for divorcees to Marco’s protest collection to Joris’s irreverent office wear, ensuring there was something for everyone. In keeping with our mission to make the industry more democratic, we opened our RSVP list to everyone and implemented a first-come, first-served policy for our front row. We encourage our audience to scream, dance and laugh during our shows and they did, the energy of our audience is the most magical thing about our shows I think.
Marco: For us, it was also about demonstrating that we’ve not only been organising parties for a year but have also used this time to refine and deepen our approach to performances. Most importantly, we aimed to prove to ourselves that we could pull off a production of this scale while also doing a runway format for the first time.
Meike: Exactly, it was time to place more emphasis on fashion. Our shows can be a bit overwhelming, especially when we hosted them at Club Church. I think the actual clothes sometimes get a bit overshadowed. By doing a runway show, we could truly showcase the design talents of our designers and our passion for upcycling.
What does it mean to show in Amsterdam? It’s not a city commonly known for capital F fashion.
Marco: Although it might not be the most obvious choice, we believe Amsterdam is a fantastic city to be based in. On a personal level, Amsterdam is known as the queer capital of Europe, so we feel very at home here. Additionally, Amsterdam fosters a highly collaborative atmosphere – while it’s large enough for exciting things to happen, it’s still a village compared to cities like London or Paris. This makes it much easier to get to know people quickly and build a community that extends beyond just professional networks. Its smaller scale also allows for a quicker, more significant impact – Amsterdam Fashion Week, for instance, is much more accessible compared to Paris.
“Amsterdam is known as the queer capital of Europe, so we feel very at home here” – Marco Blažević
Who are the designers, visionaries, or brands you admire?
Marco: I personally admire collectives that work with fashion but where the line to performance art or other disciplines blends smoothly. For example collectives like the Bernadette Corporation or Ravage. Then there are initiatives like Fashion Revolution or Fashion Action by Extinction Rebellion which are a great inspiration to us radically and how to claim space. But most of our role models come from our close surroundings and are usually not individuals from the fashion industry. For example my biggest inspiration is my queer mother Taka Taka the Priest who influenced my work more than any fashion designer ever did.
Salome Nnaej: My work is rooted in my admiration for the drag and club kid scene, and my biggest inspiration is definitely Leigh Bowery. They were a designer as much as they were a performer and a clubber, making them a pioneer and an ICON.
How do you stay rock and roll, while simultaneously finding success and becoming institutionalised?
Berber Struiksma: I think there will always be something to fight for and to be fair I don’t think you can institutionalise a collective like this, we are a group because we have a shared passion of not fitting into the fashion world like we’re supposed to.
Joris Janssen: It’s easy to lose what you stand for in the process of success and I think we should hold on to our inclusivity and openness. I feel like we shouldn’t ever become predictable because that’s what this industry makes you very easily. We need to keep people surprised and do unexpected things.
Salome: I think we manage to stay very “rock and roll” because we’re not trying to recreate this traditional vision of a fashion show, we carry our own vision and we’re surrounded by incredibly talented and cunty performers who bring a totally different energy to the crowd. And I think at the end of the day we’re all a bit chaotic and you can feel it in the show.
There’s an energy of ‘the sky’s the limit’ around you. What’s next? What does your dream project look like?
Marco: Take over every Fashion Week in Europe one by one and then start our own Fashion week. P(W)FW (PatchWorkFamilyWeek) instead of PFW.
Berber: I would love it if we could own our own big space, where we can forever make whatever we want; not having to explain what to the industry, invite all our friends and favourite artists to work with and create our own world. And give very crazy parties of course.
Characharaboy: My dream project would be to explore new ways of showcasing and producing fashion in ways that become part of daily routine and lifestyle. What if instead of thinking up a collection and stressing about deadlines and customers, you find new ways of releasing items, like turning your birthday or night out with friends into a reason to bring out a garment to collectively wear. Give purpose to why you produce and then find out if the market agrees.
Joris: The world is next! I would say let’s do a secret Met Gala takeover. In a way that we kick against everything it stands for, but then super hot and make everyone gag. Let’s hi-jack the established fashion world and replace it with a queer superstar version.
Meike: I would love to set up cool collabs within the industry. We have cool designers, they have a lot of leftover material, a match made in heaven I would say!
