José Teunissen on her time at AMFI: “Fashion has become more accessible”

On July 1, José Teunissen will step down as head of programme at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute (AMFI). After three years, Bregje Lampe will take over her role. Teunissen will remain as interim dean at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (HvA). How does she reflect on shaping the curriculum during a particularly challenging time for fashion?

You arrived when the organisation was in disarray. What did you find?

"There was a lot of division within the teams and the organisation was messy. The first thing I did was connect with the industry and ask professionals what they consider truly important for the course in this day and age."

What did that yield?

"We created a new curriculum centred around the core specialisations AMFI is known for: branding, design and management. The idea of making this more hybrid received criticism from the industry. The school's original philosophy has always been to have these three core disciplines in-house, because you will inevitably deal with them when working in the fashion industry. I found that a great starting point."

What distinguishes AMFI from other fashion schools?

"Other fashion schools in the Netherlands are more artistically focused. AMFI aligns with the business reality of the industry and collaborates with it extensively. We have collected hundreds of internship placements, ranging from marketing to branding."

How do you involve the industry?

"We organise discussion evenings. On July 1, there is the graduation event where branding and management students present their work through pitches and panel discussions. We invite everyone we know. There are also ongoing European projects with partners. We are researching what needs to be included in the curriculum to properly address sustainability and digitalisation. We are also developing new material that design students can use immediately."

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What have you achieved at AMFI in three years?

"We have brought back AMFI's strengths, which were always there, and updated them. Circularity and sustainability now require a very different approach than ten years ago, when you only considered the material you used. Digitalisation has also become much more than just digital design. With your PLM system and tools like CLO3D, you can now create the entire sampling process around it. There are many more possibilities than there were back then."

Which themes have become more prominent?

"Digitalisation took shape early on at AMFI with the 'hypercraft' minor, which focuses on digital product development. In management, students now focus heavily on AI and data analysis. These two areas are changing the industry enormously. As a lecturer, you have to make a significant effort to keep up because things are moving so fast. In design, pattern cutting is now taught both digitally and manually. You need technical insight to understand how to do it digitally.

Sustainability has also been part of the curriculum for a long time. We have provided further training for lecturers on topics like European legislation and sustainable fabrics. We put together a ten-morning course with expert speakers. They discussed topics including legislation, which is causing a lot of change, and the R-ladder used by brands and policymakers for the transition to circular textiles. At the end, the lecturers had to present how they would incorporate this knowledge into the curriculum."

How do you ensure lecturers keep up?

"Lecturers do not need to know everything, but they must continue learning. That is why we actively offer further training and invite speakers from the industry to talk about AI: how do they use it in practice?"

What role does ethics play in the programme?

"We look not only at prestigious internship placements but also at whether companies treat students well. Exploitation, especially in studios, is a classic risk. We are also working on diversity in the curriculum, particularly in design, including larger sizes and non-Western styles. It is important to maintain this, especially now that fashion is heading in a slightly different direction again."

What is the ambition for students leaving AMFI?

"We want to be at the forefront of the field and train our students to help with the industry's transition. You have to make students aware of what they are contributing to, while also giving them the courage and hope that it matters. It is a matter of teaching and offering accessible interpretations and solutions they can apply themselves. You can now sell your T-shirt via Instagram. “Fashion has become more accessible; you can do things in ways that did not exist until recently.”"

Achievements in branding and management are less visible than in design.

"Yes, promoting those final results is more difficult than putting on a fashion show, but there are some very interesting projects. For example, one student made an existing jewellery brand's website more user-friendly for an older clientele, so they could better navigate the product range."

What are you most proud of?

"The graduation events. There you see a wide variety of what students are working on. They are truly engaged and trying to find solutions in this complex world. I am pleased that after three years of hard work, AMFI is once again a strong programme."

Which project stands out to you?

"De Klerenpartij (The Clothes Party): a fictional, activist political party set up in 2025 by AMFI and Changency. The idea originated from a workshop with lecturers, students and companies about new values and a new narrative for fashion. Through the party, the clothes were given 'agency'. We created special headwear, held a protest and were even arrested by the police, even though none of it was real. A follow-up session took place in the council chamber in Arnhem with real aldermen. It was a fun spin-off from something that started small."

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What is next for AMFI?

"We are moving to a new building, which will allow us to think about the facilities we need. The current building is beautiful but also impractical and inefficient. It was difficult for people to find each other there."

You are moving to an interim position as dean of Digital Media and Creative Industries (FDMCI) at the HvA. You mentioned in a previous interview that this was necessary.

"A lot is happening at the HvA with the budget cuts. Searching for an external dean takes much longer. That person has to resign from their job, move here and get settled in. I do not have to do any of that. It was never my plan. However, given the current circumstances and everything happening within this faculty, I am happy to pass the baton to Bregje."

How do you see the importance of the creative industries today?

"Creativity connects people. It makes change visible and emphasises the human scale. It is too quickly dismissed as an unnecessary luxury, when in fact it is essential. It is vital not only for enjoyment in life but also for giving meaning to things and determining what truly matters. Creativity shapes the value of things."

After London College of Fashion and AMFI, you are now choosing a different field. Will you miss fashion?

"Fashion is a fun environment to work in, if only for the way the students dress. I will miss that exuberance a little. AMFI is part of this faculty, so I will continue to follow them, albeit from a distance.”

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