Collectie Arnhem '26 PLaY aT YoUR OWN RIsK at Paris Fashion Week

Working together on one collection

Collection Arnhem is a collaborative project in which students work step by step towards the design and development of a complete collection. As a student, you explore what fashion can be, the role you play within it, and how your ideas relate to the industry. This happens in an open, playful setting, where trying, failing and starting again are just as important as the final outcome.

The concept

PLaY aT YoUR OWN RIsK approaches fashion as a personal playground. Driven by a desire for safety within a harsh reality, the designers build a world in which play, imagination and escape take centre stage. The collection feels like a dressing-up box: you put items on and take them off, moving between yourself and another role.

The designs emerged from a childlike urge to make. Found and existing materials were reused and transformed. Unbleached cotton, normally intended for prototypes, forms the canvas. A soft toy acts as a mascot and reappears in gentle, comforting shapes such as underwear, machine-knitted items and leg warmers.

At the same time, the collection remains connected to reality. Details and finishes are inspired by existing coats and protective clothing. Collection Arnhem 2026 consists of eleven looks with coat-like upper layers and soft underlayers, placing comfort and a sense of safety at the core.

Learning beyond the academy

Within Collection Arnhem, students also collaborate with external partners. They developed a bespoke jacquard textile in collaboration with EE Exclusives, following a visit to their weaving mill in Heeze. There was also a collaboration with Stichting De Vrolijkheid at the asylum seekers’ centre in Leersum, where students led creative workshops for young children. This exchange formed an important part of the concept and became visible in the presentation in Paris.

In addition, Gerstaecker supported the project with art materials used for textile experiments and presentations.

Film and lookbook as part of the collection

The collection was not only presented through garments, but also translated into a film and a lookbook. In the film, performers literally step into different characters. Sound and image reinforce the idea of playing with identity. The lookbook is inspired by theatre backstage areas, dressing rooms and toy packaging. Each look inhabits its own world.