Dutch denim talent programme funded by PVH Foundation opts for guild structure

The world is bursting with talent if you know where to look. These talents need to be nurtured and given space to develop, space that is not always available in the traditional educational system. Denim talents now have a place to go: The House of Denim Talent Incubator Programme.

The programme is supported by the PVH Foundation, the foundation behind Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger. “This is the beginning of a community, a new kind of guild structure,” Mariëtte Hoitink of The House of Denim Foundation told FashionUnited.

The incubator programme is a diversity & inclusion talent development programme. Young people aged 16/17 years and older with a passion for denim and possibly already a fashion background at the vocational level (MBO in the Netherlands) can apply.

Currently, there is room within the programme for 35 talents with diverse backgrounds in terms of gender, sexuality, religion, etc.

There are also many young people who get the opportunity to follow certain parts of the programme. It is possible to stay with the programme for one year, with supervision, but this can also be extended. If extended, the talent will be able to continue using all facilities.

The programme offers a holistic approach. For instance, it focuses on professional skills including design, development, procurement, entrepreneurship and portfolio building, as well as personal skills.

As such, there is one-to-one coaching, workshops and a focus on mental health. The aim of the programme is to give the participating talents the tools and provide them with the network to become creative professionals and authentic people, this way increasing their job opportunities.

The programme can be found at Denim City in De Hallen in Amsterdam. The House of Denim Talent Incubator Programme currently runs on the funding it receives through the PVH Foundation. It is the only project in the Netherlands to receive support from the PVH Foundation.

However, because the programme runs in the Netherlands and is ‘clearly a valuable addition to the current education system [in the Netherlands] in which there seems to be no space for a broader group from society', House of Denim also wants to attract funding from Dutch organisations.

With additional funding, it will be possible to admit more (and also international) talents, expand the opening hours (after all, this needs 'staffing') and it will be possible to train talents to teach courses and carry out repairs, for instance. Not a fashion academy, but a talent programme for craftsmanship and creativity

Not only practical considerations play into the additional funding, extra capital also allows for more master classes and coaching, while at the same time freeing up budget to pre-fund producing the young designers’ collections and buy additional machinery.

Now that the programme has been running behind the scenes for a while, some insights are emerging. Hoitink says that a daily structure is essential for these young people combined with a sense of discipline and being able to work with others.

“Furthermore, we noticed that many of these young people are labelled (ADHD, autism, OCD) and medication is prescribed (too) quickly. We are not in favour of that. In fact, your 'condition' can even benefit you in your work.”

Hoitink emphasises that there is a focus on the participant's talent that makes them get less stuck in their heads and focus more on expressing themselves. “We live in an academic world dominated by universities (and universities for applied sciences- known as the HBO level in the Netherlands).”

She continues: “It seems like everything is about going to academia, including for parents, but there should be room for practical craftsmanship combined with creativity.”

Hoitink speaks of an incubator, an accelerator where talents can set up their own label but also learn to help their fellow participants. In the same way, participants are trained to teach the House of Denim courses.

The 'Make your own Jeans' workshop is currently taught by Master Tailor Jos van den Hoogen together with incubator participants Jan de Vries and Bowie Klaassens.

This article was originally published on FashionUnited.NL. Translation and edit from Dutch into English by Veerle Versteeg.