Instead of being pessimistic, I want to focus on solutions

“One thing that really interests me is the future of fashion—how we as consumers, but also as producers, can move forward. We need to change how we produce, but also how we wear clothes. And yeah, of course, I’m really curious about sustainability issues.

I can’t pinpoint exactly when my interest started, but I can definitely remember, even from a young age, I loved dressing up and putting together outfits. I’ve always felt connected to fashion. But then, as I got older, I learned about all the dark sides of the industry, and… it really makes you stop and think: What are we actually doing?

I’ve worked retail in the past, and that’s where you really see the sheer volume of clothes we produce and sell—and the speed at which this all happens. It depends, of course, on where you work, but you can immediately feel that this pace is unsustainable. Instead of being pessimistic, though, I want to focus on solutions—how we can still enjoy beautiful fashion and express ourselves, but in a way that’s sustainable for the future.

At one point, towards the end of high school, I didn’t feel like the fashion studies available would give me the right kind of preparation for my future. So, I decided to study something that felt more secure. And for some reason, I thought law was the way to go. Back then, everyone—my teachers, my parents—were like, ‘Why are you choosing this?’ But for me, it felt like the best option at the time. I don’t regret it, but it really wasn’t the right fit for me.

So, I went back and, with my parents, we started looking at new options. The fashion programs out there didn’t really fit my needs. They were either business-focused or more practical, like design schools or textile education. But I wanted something more theoretical, something that approached fashion from a social angle—and I finally found it here.
Fashion is almost like a language we all speak. It’s relevant because we’re all part of it. We’re all wearing clothes, so whether we want to or not, we’re participating in the fashion system.
What people wear and how they choose to wear it reflects their mentality, their lifestyle. So yeah, you can discover new perspectives everywhere you go. And I think that’s really fascinating.”

Eeke Oosterhof

To learn more about the master's programme, see Master's Programme in Fashion Studies

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