Standing (re) presentation (s): creating stylish outfits from second-hand clothing

March 9, 2021

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min read

Creating stylish outfits from second-hand clothing—through Standing (re) presentation (s), you will discover that you don't need expensive clothes to make your fashion dreams come true. The concept? A fashion stylist transforms second-hand clothing into styled outfits based on the favorite fashion icons of teenagers. Once the outfits are ready, it's time for the teenagers to step into the spotlight. They take part in a photoshoot with their own neighborhood as the background. This concept followed the first two photoshoots in the Molendreef neighborhood.

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Back to the roots

The concept started when Ines had a holiday job in the Molendreef neighborhood. After meeting several families and spending some time with them, she started taking photos while chatting with them. Soon they realized that this was a beautiful way to document stories. And that's how Standing (re) present (ations) was born. The team quickly expanded, consisting of photographer Ines Vansteenkiste-Muylle, stylist Fiona Rombaut, and makeup artist Catia Nulens. To achieve the best possible result, participants were always asked for their opinions about the makeup and the outfits they wore. The goal is to dismantle the stigma that styled outfits have to be expensive or unsustainable. By creating outfits with second-hand clothing, the concept aims to give the participating teenagers more confidence to dress the way they want.

Previous shoots

The first shoot took place in the Molendreef neighborhood. Some teenagers were inspired by specific fashion icons such as Billie Eilish; others were more inspired by a specific culture, such as Korean fashion. Fast forward to the second edition: two new teenagers participated in the shoot, which this time took place in Casablanca. For inspiration, more icons were mentioned this time: from Cristiano Ronaldo to Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, and Zendaya.

Latest edition: Anderlecht

Since the first two photoshoots were a great success, Ines decided to continue the project. After being contacted by Anne-Sophie, a youth worker in Anderlecht, she organized the third edition on December 21, 2020.

Aicha, Sakina, Raymé, and Wiam were the four teenagers. Each of them had different fashion icons they looked up to. Like in the first shoot, Aicha looked up to Asian fashion culture, more specifically manga and Japanese fashion. Sakina and Wiam both named Eva Queen as their main influence, while Raymé wanted to dress like the French rapper JUL. Travis Scott was also a recurring name. While the teenagers all enjoyed the shoot, opinions about the styling differed. Unlike Sakina, who was relieved she wasn't too dressed up, Wiam regretted not asking for more makeup, since she regularly wears makeup in everyday life. Nevertheless, the whole day was a success, with Aicha's Japanese-inspired outfit being the group's favorite.

Text by Kiara Santeddu, photography & concept by [Ines Vansteenkiste-Muylle] (https://www.instagram.com/ines.vm/). This project was made possible thanks to financial support from the Flemish Journalism Fund‍

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