Young Designers United: Eritrea- Djibouti

Credits & Description:

CLIENT: Young Designers United
Founder: YDU Angelika Groenendijk
Fashion designer: Irene Heldens
Fashion designer: Anne Oomen
Fashion designer: Andrea Endresz
AGENCY: J. Walter Thompson Amsterdam
CREATIVE PARTNER: Bas Korsten
CREATIVES: Guney Soykan, Tunchan Kalkan, Max Arlestig, Robert Harrison
PR DIRECTOR: Jessica Hartley
PR ASSISTANT: Claudia Cyndecki Delcol
DIGITAL DIRECTOR: Hans Dekker
PRODUCER: Chariva Geurts
EDITORS: Tim Arnold (Tim Arnold AV), Dylan Stoel, Leora Kannekens
VIDEO: Tim Arnold (Tim Arnold AV)
PHOTOGRAPHY: Robert Harrison
ADDITIONAL PR SUPPORT: Triangle PR
ADDITIONAL PR SUPPORT: Persuasion PR
VISUAL DESIGN: Robert Harrison
VISUAL SUPPORT: Maya Rettelbach, Jolijn Schiphorst
RETOUCHER: Paul Roberts
ART STYLIST: Brechtje van den Wall Bake
VISUAL EFFECTS COMPANY: Smoke & Mirrors Amsterdam
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: David Michaels
ANIMATION DIRECTOR: Willie Torres
TECHNICAL DIRECTORS: Mike Donovan, Bram Vermaas
LIGHTING LEAD: Stanislas Hébette
CG ARTISTS: Wei Louie, Matt Burns
PHOTOGRAPHY: Witman Kleipol
FASHION PHOTOGRAPHER: Mick de Lint (Witman Kleipool)
STILLS PHOTOGRAPHER: Bart Oomes (Witman Kleipool)
PHOTOGRAPHY PRODUCER: Anne-Floor Roosterman (Witman Kleipool)
ASSISTANT PHOTOGRAPHER: Naomi Laan
STYLIST: Oana Vasilache (Angelique Hoorn Management)
HAIR STYLIST: Blanca Murcia (Angelique Hoorn Management)
MAKE-UP ARTIST: Chris Völkers (House of Orange Agency)
INTERN: Liz Megens, Axel Sypkens Smit
MODELS: Marleen de Jonge (Touché Model Management), Iris van’t Hof (Touché Model Management), Adama Jobe (Models Rock Agency)
DIGITAL PRODUCTION: Superhero Cheesecake, Jordi Romkema, Rian Verhagen, Niels van Esch, Michelle Joosten
MUSIC & SOUND DESIGN: Amp Amsterdam
Music director: Dierderik van Middelkoop
PRE MEDIA PRODUCTION: Straight, Jaap van Bruggen
FLAGS: Faber Exposize
Flag supplier: Huib Faber
Additional sound (website): Vincent de Koning (Big Orange)
Outdoor media placement: CS Digital Media/MyAdbooker
Published: April 2018
Synopsis:
In a world more divided than ever, can a dress resolve our political problems? No, probably not. But this kind of thinking just might.
Creative agency J. Walter Thompson Amsterdam is working with Young Designers United, a fashion collective from Amsterdam, and a group of Amsterdam’s top creative entities, to make a sartorial stance against global polarisation with ‘The United Collection’. A small but meaningful showcase of garments exploring what happens when the flags of conflicting nations are deconstructed and then reconstructed into fashion statements. ‘The United Collection’ is launched today (April 17 2018) with an event, a website, an online video and an outdoor campaign – and the garments themselves will be publicly exhibited in Amsterdam.
With well over 50 armed and violent conflicts taking place across the globe – and only a handful of countries living in relative peace - the world is as divided now as it was ever. Brexit and the imminent breakup of Europe as we know it, combined with a new Cold War and continued conflicts in Syria, Africa and the Middle East, presents a confusing and fragmented world order. This international climate of instability and political unrest provoked an exploration of creativity’s role within this context, which sparked the initial thinking behind ‘The United Collection’.
‘The United Collection’ focuses on three very different conflicts: Brexit is observed through the eyes of Dutch designer Anne Oomen; Romanian artist Andrea Endresz looks at the volatile relationship between the Ukraine and Russia; and finally Irene Heldens, also a Dutch national, interprets one of Africa’s many wars, the conflict between Eritrea and Djibouti. All designers are a part of Amsterdam fashion collective Young Designers United.
Eritrea and Djibouti are two neighbouring countries located in the Horn of Africa, along whose coast lies a key shipping route for global commerce. Djibouti is considered to be one of the least developed of the continent, its economy being reliant on its port. Meanwhile Eritrea carries the reputation as ‘Africa’s North Korea’ due to its internal restriction, including a lack of freedom of speech in the media and its ban on people between the ages of 9 and 57 from leaving the country.
The conflict between Eritrea and Djibouti emerged in June 2008 when Eritrean forces entered the Djiboutian territory and occupied Doumeira Island’s border. Several soldiers were taken hostage at the time and despite the Qatari mediation since, some of the soldiers are still missing today and tension between the two countries remains.