The top of the Dutch fashion industry will come together on Wednesday afternoon in the church of artists’ village of Ruigoord for the official announcement of the fourteenth receiver of the Cultuurfonds Fashion Stipendium. The stimulation prize for extraordinary talented and advanced Dutch fashion formers consists of a financial contribution of 50,000 euros and a chain designed by TED Noten. The Dutch Fashion Foundation is a partner in the implementation of the Stipendium and guides the selection and presentation of the price. Angélique Westerhof, director of the Dutch Fashion Foundation, underlines the importance of the ‘Homo Ludens’ (Latin for “playing people”) in fashion for the announcement. Westerhof quotes a series of quotes from the late designer Vivienne Westwood to strengthen her point.
Westwood was punk. A rebel. Someone who spent the spot in a playful way with the fashion industry. Westwood did not only see fashion as something to make money with. She saw fashion as something much more powerful than that: a tool to appeal to the imagination and to bring about social change.
Most people present in Ruigoord know who the winner of the Great Dutch Fashion Prize is. Nevertheless, there was a certain tension in the air for the official announcement, but as soon as Westerhof calls the name of Duran Lantink, hard applause and loud cheers sounds. The Dutch fashion designer works with residual materials and makes luxury, sustainable fashion. He was recently appointed creative director at Jean Paul Gaultier.
The previous winner always passes on the exchange trophy – a chain – to the next winner. For example, designer Camiel Fortgens gives the chain on stage to Lantink. He says about Lantink: “I really like that I can pass on the price to him. I find his work impressive, what he does, and I have always looked at him with wonder.”
The stage to people outside the mainstream
Lantink is known for its several collaborations with people outside the mainstream. Lantink is “a pronounced advocate of inclusiveness,” Westerhof emphasizes. “He has been committed to freedom of expression for years, for various bodies and identities – and he does not do that half. He really worked on it.”
Several artists receive the stage during the festive celebration of the Cultuurfonds Mode Stipendium. These artists are on stage for longer than Lantink himself. Dancer Bruin Parry, known as a multi -talented artist with Down syndrome, kicks off the party. Singer Mira Thompson then sang her own version of the song ‘Heroes’ by David Bowie, accompanied by Djuwa Mroivili on the piano.
During the screening of the film ‘Sistaaz of the Castle’ it is silent in the church for the first time. This is because the moderator of the evening, Aukje Dekker, certainly emphasized in advance that it would be respectful to be quiet during this film. So the audience is quiet for twenty minutes and looks at the lives of Sistaazhood, a group of transgender sex workers in Cape Town, South Africa, who use fashion to dream about a better life. Most women are homeless and live under a bridge near Castle De Goede Hoop in Cape Town (South Africa). The film, originally released in 2019, is part of a current collaboration between the South African group, Lantink and artist Jan Hoek.
A star rol in Paris
That Lantink wins the prize was already decided in November 2024. He used the money to show his collection ‘Duranimal’ during Paris Fashion Week, a crucial step in his international breakthrough. Douwe de Boer and Diek Pothoven from fashion brand Martan Share about Lantink: “He has already deployed his cash prize – to make this flying start on the international stage.”
Lantink is not allowed to say anything about his recently announced creative directorship at Jean Paul Gaultier. The guests are nevertheless proud of his new role. Among them Oscar Raaijmakers, former Lantink teacher at the Rietveld Academy and then during his follow -up education at the Sandberg Institute. Raaijmakers says: “It has always been known at the Academy that there was something very original and authentic in his way of working. What he has achieved in the last ten years is very impressive, especially because of the new role he has received in Paris. That is very impressive.”
Own course in the fashion system
In addition to his social engagement, Lantink is also committed to sustainability. His working method, in which he uses deadstock and recycled materials to create luxurious designs, was praised by many at the festive ceremony. Among them also Ronald van der Kemp, pioneer in this area and old winner of the Stipendium. With his RvdK label, Van der Kemp has been able to raise second -hand fashion to the Haute Couture level for more than eleven years. His approach unites circular principles with social responsibility – a path that is difficult to sustain in an industry that runs on speed and profit. “I think it’s great that a rebel like Duran has won,” says Van der Kemp. “He is original and I hope he knows how to keep his rebellious character within the large fashion system of which he is now part. And that he may even be able to tilt the system a bit.” Van der Kemp continues: “Many people change as soon as success. Keeping your principles and making it a viable model is particularly difficult. I succeeded after eleven years – but it requires tenacity and a strong own course.”
In the midst of the loud music of DJ Slimfit, Danie Bles, founder of Amsterdam Fashion Week, shares her admiration: “I think it’s right. He is a genius. What I like best is how close he stays with himself. His sharp sense of humor, his unbridled dedication – he always knows how to make something that is credible and own. That is very handsome.”
The praise for Lantink sounds unanimous. And rightly so. This presentation marks more than his personal milestone: it is a collective recognition of a new course in fashion. One in which sustainability, inclusiveness and imagination are not a side issue, but the starting point. In his word of thanks, he mentions two loved ones: his mother and his grandmother. And, with a short smile, he adds: “Oh yes, and the Cultuurfonds.”
