Breaking Through: The Role of Amsterdam Fashion Week in Shaping the Careers of Emerging Designers

Amsterdam Fashion Week is a fashion event hosted in the Dutch capital each year. Its core purpose is to position Amsterdam as a fashion city and hence a power in the global industry alongside fashion capitals such as Paris and Milan. Reflecting Amsterdam's unique culture of being a 'hub' for companies that strive to promote creativity, sustainable development, and innovation, a core value advocated by AFW is that of platforming young and emerging designers, serving as a stepping stone for their career. This thesis investigates the role of AFW in shaping these designers' careers, exploring how their participation in the event influences their professional opportunities and trajectories. Specifically, the study aims to answer the research question: How does Amsterdam Fashion Week shape and influence emerging fashion designers' careers? Through a qualitative research methodology centering on semi-structured interviews with designers who have taken part in AFW, this thesis aims to analyze some of the experiences, challenges, and professional outcomes that arise for these designers as a result of participating in the event. The findings reveal that AFW participation often serves as a platform for visibility and exposure, a valuable learning experience, and an important opportunity for industry networking and entry into the professional field. However, the impact of AFW is highly contingent on individual trajectories, with many designers using the experience to reassess their alignment with the broader fashion system. These varied responses are encapsulated in the proposed typology of career trajectories: Stop, Slow, and Straddle - referring respectively to designers exiting fashion, embracing slow fashion, or navigating its commercial and creative tensions simultaneously. Specifically, this thesis aims to examine the relative effectiveness of fashion weeks as career accelerators for emerging fashion talent. More generally, however, this research strives to highlight the current role of intermediaries and temporary clusters in the cultural and creative industries (CCIs), exploring their relevance and impact on creatives in today's digital age.