ArtEZ alumni Sjaak Hullekes and Sebastiaan Kramer, graduates of the bachelor's programme Fashion Design, have been awarded the Cultuurfonds Mode Stipendium 2026. The fellowship is considered one of the most prestigious distinctions in the Dutch fashion industry and comes with a grant of €50,000.

With their label Hul le Kes, they impressed the jury with their design quality and craftsmanship. Their strong social and sustainable vision of fashion was equally convincing.

From ArtEZ to an independent fashion practice

Hullekes and Kramer met during their studies. After gaining years of experience in the fashion industry, they founded Hul le Kes in 2018. Since then, they have built a practice in which design, craftsmanship and social engagement come together.

Their work demonstrates how fashion can be about more than creating new collections. They reuse existing materials and combine traditional techniques with innovative applications, developing an alternative to conventional fashion systems.

Giving textiles a second life

Hul le Kes is known for repurposing discarded textiles. Materials sourced from charity shops and other surplus streams form the basis of new garments. The designers also work with natural dyeing techniques, using waste products from the hospitality industry such as onion skins and avocado pits.

This focus on material research, experimentation and craftsmanship reflects themes that are central to the Fashion Design programme at ArtEZ.

Fashion with social impact

Alongside their design practice, Hullekes and Kramer are committed to social initiatives. Through their Recovery Studio, people experiencing mental health challenges work with textiles and clothing as part of a recovery process.

According to the jury, Hul le Kes stands out for its strong and distinctive body of work. The jury also praised the label’s social and sustainable vision of fashion.

The designers plan to use the prize money to create space for new creative projects and to further develop their practice.