The Art of Perfect Imperfection with Camiel Fortgens

Up There is pleased to announce the arrival of the latest collection from Amsterdam-based clothing brand, Camiel Fortgens.

As is expected with eponymous brands in any realm, there is usually a parallel or two between its founder and the brand itself. And of course the same applies with fashion. Upon graduating from Design Academy Eindhoven in the Netherlands, Fortgens went on to establish his label in 2014.

To much surprise, Fortgens never attended fashion school. But as you’d imagine, forging this path allowed Fortgens’ approach to design to remain uncompromised by the rules of the fashion playbook. Instead he decided to channel his energy into bringing something entirely different to the table: reimagining conventional clothing in slightly more unconventional ways.

That’s why you’ll find raw edges and deconstructed hems on herringbone jackets and inside out seams and hand twisted zipper pulls on wool cardigans as series regulars in the Camiel Fortgens broadcast. Through working with the shape and detail of various archetypal garments, the label creates reconstructed, unpolished wearable pieces, while also reintroducing a handful of the same silhouettes each season, in new ways.

And not only has Fortgens made it clear that he has no desire to make things look textbook perfect, he works to ensure that his clothing never disguises the fact that it was handmade. Whether it’s through maximal proportions, hand-finishing and deconstructed details, you’ll see that the Fortgens is in the detail.

Camiel Fortgens’ latest Fall/Winter '24 collection is available to shop at our 69 Flinders Lane location as well as our online store now.