Stedelijk and Camiel Fortgens

Camiel Fortgens is known for designs that embrace imperfection – crooked seams, unfinished edges, and visible constructions are part of the label’s signature. Beneath that aesthetic lies a critical approach that questions conventions within fashion. This aligns with the Stedelijk’s vision of providing a platform for makers who present new perspectives on the world. Together, they developed the idea to reconsider the everyday T-shirt: an experiment in which the design is dictated by an industrial process, with the human hand appearing only at the very end – a reversal of the usual order.

The Cut to Wear T-shirt is made from double-layered textile with embroidered contour lines. Left untouched, it remains a flat object; only once it is cut does it become a T-shirt. Each wearer determines the final form – precise along the lines, or through a freer, imperfect, and irregular approach. The result is a collaboration between industrial precision and human craftsmanship, revealing how a garment is constructed – a process often hidden behind the façade of a flawless, ready-made product.

ABOUT CAMIEL FORTGENS
The Amsterdam-based fashion label Camiel Fortgens was founded in 2014 and currently operates with a team of nine. Their designs may appear simple at first glance but reveal subtle imperfections, visible constructions, and traces of the making process upon closer inspection. In 2024, the label received the Cultuurfonds Mode Stipendium, followed in 2025 by its debut on the official calendar of Paris Fashion Week with a street show in Le Marais. Internationally, the brand is praised for its mix of imperfection, social critique, and wearable experimentation.