"In my work, I combine fashion design and teaching."
- Design
- Fashion
"From the yarn to the garment; with machine knitting, I can determine everything myself and create my own compositions in the material. I certainly learned that at ArtEZ," says Kevin Pleiter, fashion designer, knitwear designer at Silvercreek, and machine knitting teacher in the Fashion Design bachelor's course in Arnhem. He graduated (with honors) from the same bachelor's course in 2019 and has since combined teaching, designing, and more commercial design.
"The interest in fashion was always there. I used to make a lot of drawings and enjoyed looking at fashion magazines. I also watched every season of Fashion Week online. It was very clear to me that I wanted to go to fashion school. ArtEZ had a good reputation, and I found it interesting that craftsmanship was highly valued. The fashionable aspect is important, of course, but I also want to know how things are put together. How do you make a garment with your hands? That really came to light during my education," he says.
Machine knitting
"When I first encountered machine knitting in my third year, I was immediately hooked. I found it so special that I could create a garment from scratch. Learning by doing is most important to me. That's how I developed my own signature," says Kevin. In his final year, he created a collection that showcases the versatility of knitting. "It was quite abstract and experimental, playing with when something is still wearable and when it's not. I work a lot with shapes draped around the human body. For me, it's more about creating and using the material. Sometimes I would use a natural fiber, and other times a fishing line, I love the friction in the material."
At ArtEZ, I shaped my signature."
Silvercreek
With his more experimental approach, Kevin ended up at the fashion brand Silvercreek after graduating. "I came across this brand through a recruiter; they were looking for a knitwear designer with a different perspective. At first, I wasn't sure if I was suitable because I'm not focused on commercial design. But it's actually very nice and beautiful because now I'm learning how to design and make clothes for a broader audience and how to make a fit that is wearable for many people," Kevin says.
Valuable work combination
"At ArtEZ, I was focused on innovations, discovering new materials, and incorporating details in knitting, which I can also apply at Silvercreek. There, I design the women's knitwear collection, t-shirts, and sweatshirts. This combination is really beautiful. When I was asked to teach at ArtEZ in 2021, everything came together. I teach third-year fashion students, and I find that so valuable. At Silvercreek, I focus more on the commercial and practical side of fashion, in my own studio, I work on my creative work, and through teaching, I gain entirely new perspectives.
I teach third-year fashion students, and I find that so valuable."
Learning from students
"Having conversations with students is great. I think it's important to hear their ideas about fashion; my horizon has really expanded. At first, I found it quite daunting because I hadn't graduated for very long. But I was confident that I could teach the students something about machine knitting. Through many conversations, I also learn a lot from them. I even look at my own work differently now."
Stepping outside the comfortzone
During his own studies, Kevin learned that he sometimes needed to step out of his comfort zone to gain new insights. "I'm very driven and know what I want. Sometimes I forget about the lighter side. My teachers pointed that out to me; I needed to let go more and relinquish control. You learn a lot about yourself when you do something you don't know, like learning a new technique. By not overthinking everything, I learned that I create my designs very naturally. I get into a certain flow. ArtEZ allowed space for that exploration and experimentation. When I had touched on many techniques and needed to make things concrete, the teachers guided me. That's beautiful."
Stay true to yourself and don't get carried away by others."
Staying true to yourself
"My most important advice for incoming students is: stay true to yourself. You enter an environment where everyone is working on their own creations. Stay close to your gut feeling and don't get carried away by others. It may take some years, as it did for me, but then you know what works," he says. "I created an archive for myself, a folder where I collected all sorts of inspiring images. When I got stuck, I would look in that folder and remember what drew me to fashion and designing. Sometimes take a step back to see where you are, so you can move forward again."
Fashion Design
Want to become a fashion designer? The Fashion Design bachelor's course at ArtEZ in Arnhem is one of the top fashion courses in Europe.
