These ArtEZ alumni present their work at Amsterdam Fashion Week 2026

Amsterdam Fashion Week 2026 is in full swing. The programme features established names, emerging labels and promising designers. Among the ‘ones to watch’ highlighted by Vogue Netherlands are several Fashion Design alumni from ArtEZ Academy of Art & Design Arnhem.

Jinchoe, photo: Team Peter Stigter

Batuhan Demir studied Fashion Design at ArtEZ and met Ülkühan Akgül, who graduated from AMFI, during Lichting 2023. Together, they founded the label ULKUHANBATUHAN. During Amsterdam Fashion Week, they are presenting their first joint collection, Mens, erger je niet. Using the familiar board game as a social allegory, the collection explores themes such as patience, obedience and participation. Batuhan and Ülkühan previously won the Frans Molenaar Prize.

Pablo Salvador Willemars graduated from ArtEZ’s Fashion Design programme in 2022. Willemars presents the collection Nat bij regen, which takes an autobiographical approach to exploring the relationship between their experience as a queer and non-binary person and broader social and political realities. Sculptural garments and striking headwear are central elements of the collection.

In the historic Passage of the Rijksmuseum, Youngjin Choe, an ArtEZ Fashion Design alumnus and winner of Lichting 2025, presents a new collection under his label Jinchoe. With his new collection, Shadow Stepping, Choe builds on Duality of Light, the collection that earned him the Lichting title last year.

Alongside Batuhan, Pablo and Youngjin, four ArtEZ alumni also presented their work at Amsterdam Fashion Week as part of Lichting 2026. The annual competition brings emerging designers into contact with the professional fashion industry. Read our earlier news article about the four ArtEZ nominees.