CAMIEL FORTGENS

 

 

 

 

Hello. This is Nishiwaki from THIRD PLACE.

Thank you to everyone who has visited us over the past few days!

For those of you who participated in our three-day weekend special program, how was it?

As a brand that values anonymity, some of you might have felt a contradiction, but

I intend to continue cherishing the things we can accomplish precisely because the brand and the shop are connected.

And thank you as well for your cooperation with our guidelines.

Now, I'd like to finally introduce this on the blog.

It is CAMIEL FORTGENS.

This is our third season carrying the brand, and it has become a favorite among many of the customers who visit THIRD PLACE.

We have heard from fashion enthusiasts in particular, saying things like, "I'm so glad I could see it properly in Nagoya!" or "I knew about the brand, but I could never find it to see in person," and it is true that there are almost no other places in the Tokai region where you can see it right now.

Today, I want to talk about CAMIEL FORTGENS.

First, let's start with what kind of brand it is.

CAMIEL FORTGENS is a Dutch fashion brand based in Amsterdam, established in 2014.

The brand name is the designer's own. Camiel Fortgens creates clothing inspired by his own daily experiences, social conditions, and societal norms.

Last year, the brand was named to the HYPEBEAST NEXT 100 2025, which drives global fashion, and its creativity is attracting attention worldwide.

As more of you may have noticed, THIRD PLACE carries three brands based in Amsterdam, including Camiel.

 

The others are "extreme cashmere" and "de dam foundation."

I didn't choose these intentionally; it just so happened that the brands I was naturally drawn to were all based there. It seems my current sensibilities have a connection to Amsterdam.

Camiel reinterprets the archetypes of ready-to-wear clothing while deliberately leaving behind nuanced imperfections, creating pieces that could be called "perfect because they are not perfect."

He intentionally exposes construction and deconstructs or reconstructs details. He isn't bound by common fashion rules, instead creating his own unique clothing through constant trial and error.

The brand began when the designer, Camiel, graduated from the Design Academy Eindhoven.

He maintains a DIY spirit, unconstrained by traditional rules or conventions. At the root of this is a perspective that views fashion from the outside. Even today, he generates new ideas through intuition and collaboration with others, incorporating imperfections—mistakes and errors—into his handmade clothing.

Even the runway shows held in Paris and Amsterdam are not held in traditional venues; instead, they take place in spaces that blur the boundaries between fashion and daily life.

This past January, I was actually invited to their runway show in Paris.

 

The venue was a space that felt like an apartment.

And the seat I was directed to was, believe it or not, on a bed in a child's bedroom.

I've attended many runway shows before, but this was a first! Haha.

Creators, artists, and designers gathered from all over the world in such a tight space. At first, it was an indescribable feeling.

 

But once the show started, I was completely caught up in their worldview.

The details of the space were truly impressive as well.

 

There were piles of magazines they liked in the room, and the dining table in the living room was set with sweets popular in Amsterdam.

 

It felt like I had stepped into the daily life of CAMIEL FORTGENS.

 

 

The collection presented at the show I was invited to is the 26AW collection that you are seeing this season.

 

 

Now, let me tell you a little bit about my personal story with Camiel.

I think it was around 2018 when I first saw Camiel's clothing and discovered their existence—around the time brands like evankinori, lownn, Casey Casey, and Cristaseya were starting to gain momentum in Japan, and STUDIO NICHOLSON had just started their menswear line.

At the time, since I was primarily working with domestic brands, the only international labels I personally was interested in and bought were standard items from Maison Martin Margiela, Carven, and Acne.

Time went on, and I was in the process of planning and preparing for the opening of THIRD PLACE. By chance, I had an opportunity in Paris to be shown Camiel's clothing.

What I felt then was that, in a good way, they "hadn't changed."

They were the same as the Camiel I remembered.

As a buyer, it's actually rare to find brands whose initial impression remains unchanged.

While many brands change to fit the times and the needs of the market, Camiel has consistently continued to do what they want to do.

 

 

And that attitude is clearly coming across.

I think that is truly incredible.

When I first encountered the Camiel brand in my 20s, I had a strong sense of "admiration."

 

 

I think I wasn't able to fully grasp their philosophy or the appeal of the fashion at that time.

 

 

But when I saw the collection again in my 30s and actually touched the clothes, rather than just admiration, I found myself thinking, "I want to choose this."

 

 

And the fact that the brand themselves said to me, "Please, do it!" gave me a huge push forward.

 

 

That's how I decided to welcome Camiel from the opening of THIRD PLACE.

 

And with this season, it has been three seasons since we began carrying them.

 

With every season that passes, I am convinced that the decision I made back then was the right one.

 

 

 

See you tomorrow for the continuation.