A first real fashion show at Amsterdam Fashion Week for Maaike Van den Abbeele
Excited would be an understatement. Maaike went crazy backstage as one of her last models came back to the backstage. Doing a real fashion show after graduating last year felt like growing up and finally getting the chances you deserve. Maaike Van Den Abbeele, a graduate from KASK in Ghent, had her moment during the recent Amsterdam Fashion Week and loved every minute of it. And so did I. I have been following Maaike for about two years now. As she was in my 'Fashion. Now' class, we got to know each other better. Then she asked me if I wanted to be her thesis mentor. Since Japan was all she could talk about (and I am crazy for Japan too) we struck a deal. I have seen Maaike evolve and grow over the months and years. From being unsure and doubting to 'yes, this is what I want'. Maaike had the chance to go to Tokyo and some other parts of Japan - she even met some of my friends there- and came back even more excited about her project: Ma_Japan. Her fascination is clear: she studied the subcultures of Tokyo and combined this with Japanese nightlife, whatever that can be. I love her collection. Here are some backstage pictures from her Amsterdam show.
