Vlaanderen. Kunsttijdschrift. Jaargang 63

[p. 23]

Raffaela Graspointner

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I have always been interested in art (modern, contemporary, outsider), any kind of design, preferably 70s Italian and especially furniture design (Memphis, Eames), and of course in music and movies (70s horror). I find materials and textiles very inspiring. Colours and material combinations and the clash of aesthetics, (the ever changing aesthetic views and perceptions) have always fascinated me. But also clothing itself can be inspiring, the concept of clothing, changing in different environments/cultures/subcultures. The often unaware cultural expressions it carries, I find very impressive. I discovered quite early that the idea of ‘creating’ thrilled me the most. Fashion seemed like the best field to merge a lot of different disciplines. Mainly curiosity drew me to fashion, it seemed such a different mysterious world to me. After several internships (Vienna, Antwerp, New York), studying fashion was just the logical next step. As I had already a quite technical background I was longing for the more creative side of fashion. I've always been interested in garments, their construction, fabrics and colours, but even more in the concept and thinking process behind them. The artistic and creative approach of the Antwerp Academy, the international students as well as the platform the school provides to show your work, but also the idea of studying fashion without the need to think of commercial aspects of the business, gives you a lot of freedom to explore yourself and find your own visual language. My admiration for the Antwerp Six may also have played a little role in choosing this school and I always looked up to the amazing works of the students of the academy. After studying 4 years I am quite excited to work in fashion, not necessarily or immediately on my own label. I am looking forward to experience working in teams in different fashion houses, in different departments and in different countries.

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