It started just a year ago, sprayed texts on garments and raw
feelings, shared openly, as unfiltered graphic statement expressions.
Vulnerability became the message and the response from the community
was real. So the designer took a leap; the idea of a runway show
quickly became a concrete goal and the groundwork to make it happen
began. There was no big team, no big buget. With just a vision, grind,
and a call to the community for models, photographers, makeup artists,
videographers etc. One year later the runway show is a reality and we
are here witnessing.
From the beginning, the designer gravitated toward bold, detailed, and
expressive creations. This is also what the collection shows; daring
statements, sprayed in thick graphic letters on clothing, each piece
bleached in a unique way. The designer reflects on his journey with
the brand and creative path, sharing his experiences and the reactions
to his work, both past and present, revealing a vulnerable side of
himself. The texts are in Dutch, with statements like: "Laat ik nu
maar even vriendelijk blijven" ("Let me stay friendly for now"),
"Vrienden worden vreemden, vreemden worden vrienden" ("Friends become
strangers, strangers become friends"), "Als een misfit misfit is die
een hit" ("When a misfit is a hit"), "Hoe vier je me maar steun je me
niet" ("How do you celebrate me but don’t support me"), and "Heel veel
sorry maakt veel goed" ("A lot of sorry makes a lot right").
The collection features shirts with a workwear-utility silhouettes,
paired with wide-leg pants, each piece marked by all-over hand-sprayed
distortions. There’s a cropped blazer that plays with a corporate
silhouette, alongside oversized, boxy tees and large, distressed
sweaters, some finished with chains, others left raw or with pearl,
striped torned knits with frays and a big white sprayed shawl. Cowboy
hats express emotions in bold forms, matching bags in different sizes
and colors, while an eye-catching trench coat showcases vibrant
yellow-green statements. The footwear includes Nike Air Force 1s,
boots with overlays, and sleek pumps, all sprayed with the same
designs and complementing the outfits.
Then a model steps onto the runway in an all-white outfit, her face
covered in a white lace fabric, wearing a gas mask, paired with
platform white heels, and carrying a mini umbrella. She holds a white
bag filled with graffiti spray cans. The designer then appears on the
runway, live-spraying the white outfit with bold statements,
transforming it chaotically from head to toe. It’s both a protest and
a poem; "The resistance dress", and at the same time, the
most powerful moment of the show as everything comes together, the
vision and the maker.
One standout look features a dark denim jacket paired with oversized
denim pants (first picture), both bleached and sprayed in the same
way, adorned with chains, and worn with a cowboy hat. The outfit feels
both balanced and timeless. Another favorite is the black denim
cropped blazer with a corporate silhouette, paired with a tie, white
shirt, and oversized pants, a contemporary look with streetstyle
details. Last but not least, a short faux fur ensemble paired with
matching fluffy sunglasses, creating a bold contrast between textures
and attitude.
About the brand:
The designer began by creating collages inspired by the vaporwave
aesthetic of Yung Lean, merging them with Renaissance paintings ,a
practice he started at a young age. Without formal fashion training
and unable to sew, he turned to bleach as a medium. The bleach effect
aligned with his artwork, and that very same day in 2020, he came up
with the name Bleached Renaissance. It sounded right and captured
everything: the vision, the mission, and the style. The Renaissance
was a time of rebirth, a return to the discoveries of ancient Greece,
brought back to life with new meaning. In a similar way, the brand
gives clothing a second life. Through upcycling and the use of bleach,
the seconhand garments are transformed into unique works of art.
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