RAFAA – Where are they now?

Quinten Mestdagh

What has been your biggest obstacle to overcome since graduating from the academy?
To realise that studying at the academy is really like living in a fashion bubble and that the reality after graduating is so much more different! It’s challenging but exciting at the same time.

What has been the most rewarding milestone in your career this far?
I think my first job at Balenciaga has been really rewarding as I was super lucky to be able to start working from day one in a completely new department within the company. I have grown so much over the last 4 years as a designer and I am very grateful for that.

Do you find that the addition of KOMONO frames to your masters’ collection made an impact?
Yes, I learned how to translate an idea from your collection into accessories which is a totally different approach then designing clothing. 

What was your favourite thing about the collaboration and design process with KOMONO?
I loved how it pushed you to think about how to shape and create a total collection image. Because of the sunglasses I could literally create a head to toe look and they worked as very strong extra element in the final styling. The team at Komono was also very open to an experimental approach to sunglasses design which was very liberating as probably none of the students had any experience in designing them before.

Looking back, what would you change about your KOMONO frame?
I wanted to translate the idea of make-up on sunglasses which was quite challenging as it had to match visually with the eyes of the person wearing them. I think I would have tried to design a shape which was more adapted to the anatomy of a face so the effect would been even stronger. 

Florentina Leitner

What has been your biggest obstacle to overcome since graduating from the academy?
To be on your own, it’s a big change to not have the feedback and guidance from the teachers in the beginning of your career. But then you start building your own networks around you and get feedback from new colleagues, your team and the people who start mentoring and believing in you.

What has been the most rewarding milestone in your career this far?
I think my first Paris Fashionweek show. The feeling of being able to show in the same city and calendar like my idols and previous teachers was amazing and a huge honour for my work and fashion brand.

Do you find that the addition of KOMONO frames to your masters’ collection made an impact?
Yes, definitely! It was my first commercial product which got sold on the global market. I got great feedback for the design and people still ask me to buy them, this also gave me a push into starting my own fashion brand. 

Looking back, what would you change about your KOMONO frame?
I think developing such a new and unconventional frame takes time and we did not have so much time as we needed the frames for our Master collection Photoshoot and Show, so the frames ended up being a bit too heavy and big on some faces, but it is also difficult to make one design that fits all faces I would say.

What influence does the city of Antwerp have on fashion?
I am from Austria and came to Antwerp to study and after decided still to stay to this point so the city clearly did something with me and made me fall in love with the people, infrastructure and support system of the fashion industry here. I am still discovering new things and that in a small city like Antwerp, I love this about the city. 

Kaya Gayoung Lee

What has been your biggest obstacle to overcome since graduating from the academy?
My biggest challenge since graduating from the academy was finding my first job. Upon completing my Master’s degree, I faced a great deal of uncertainty, which was compounded by my non-European status. Unfortunately, there were not many other non-European alumni in Paris that I could reach out to, leaving me with limited guidance on visa and contract matters.  Additionally, obtaining a job following my internship proved to be very challenging, as I felt like I had to continually prove myself. 

What has been the most rewarding milestone in your career this far?
One of the most exciting experiences in my career has been seeing my work displayed at a show and in a retail setting. However, I recognize that this is not my sole accomplishment, and I strive to maintain a balanced perspective on my achievements. While I have always been a goal-oriented individual, I have recently shifted my focus to embrace the creative process itself. Working collaboratively with my team to build a collection has been personally fulfilling and intellectually stimulating, and I find it to be a deeply meaningful aspect of my career.

Do you find that the addition of KOMONO frames to your masters’ collection made an impact?
Definitely! Adding KOMONO frames to my collection gave it a fresh and modern feeling, especially during the photoshoot and show filming. I think it was a key element that made the whole collection stand out. Also during a job interview, some recruiters were impressed by my KOMONO project. It just goes to show that having a wider design perspective can be a real asset. All in all, I’m really happy that I had the opportunity to work with KOMONO and make an impact on my master’s collection.

What was your favorite thing about the collaboration and design process with KOMONO?
One of the aspects that I enjoyed most about collaborating with KOMONO was the opportunity to work with skilled technicians and designers. Through email exchanges and detailed edits, I gained valuable experience in communicating in a professional manner. Looking back, these interactions closely mirror the way I work with vendors and developers in my current role. Overall, this collaboration provided me with a valuable learning experience that I continue to draw upon in my career.

Looking back, what would you change about your KOMONO frame?
I would definitely focus more on wearability. I’d pay closer attention to the visibility and weight of the frames. And to make sure they’d be wearable by a wide range of people, I’d try them on as many different faces as possible.

What influence does the city of Antwerp have on fashion?
Antwerp has had a huge influence on the fashion industry, and I feel fortunate to have studied there. During my time in Paris, I encountered many people who expressed their admiration for Antwerp’s fashion. Antwerp’s impact on fashion extends beyond its reputation as a breeding ground for new talent. The city has also served as a source of inspiration for designers all over the world. 

Luca Holzinger

What has been your biggest obstacle to overcome since graduating from the academy?
Probably arriving in Paris and starting to work as intern. One has to step away from the creative freedom of the academy and execute the ideas of ones superiors. I would say the change was a little hard at first but soon I realized that it is a great position to learn.

What has been the most rewarding milestone in your career this far?
I have two: One has been to assist Patrick van Ommeslaeghe and the other one has been to work at Y/Project under Glenn Martens.

Do you find that the addition of KOMONO frames to your masters’ collection made an impact?
Yes, it did. It gave my collection a more professional and complete look. I think the collaboration gives you as a graduate the chance to position yourself as a professional designer to the outside world, which is a great opportunity.

What was your favorite thing about the collaboration and design process with KOMONO?
To work together with the team. It felt great to have the support of the Komono team behind me. This gave me a lot of motivation not only for the collaboration but also for the rest of my collection.

Looking back, what would you change about your KOMONO frame?
I think the design was great for the collection. Now, I would be interested to design eyewear in a more subtle way. I think eyewear needs to be very carefully designed as glasses impact the face directly which is a very delicate area. 

What influence does the city of Antwerp have on fashion?
Antwerp has greatly impacted fashion since the 80’s. Today, there are so many talented people working in the fashion industry that have studied in Antwerp or have been influenced by fashion from Antwerp. Antwerp and fashion from Antwerp means a lot to me. Its independent and creative spirit will probably never stop to inspire me.

Julie Kegels

What has been your biggest obstacle to overcome since graduating from the academy?
Landing on planet earth after all this glory! 

What has been the most rewarding milestone in your career this far?
Working together with crazy talented people I am looking up to. 

Do you find that the addition of KOMONO frames to your masters’ collection made an impact?
YES! Especially, the pink transparent ones. They gave this subtile lace blindfold feeling. It made the circle of all kind of laces complete in my collection. 

What was your favourite thing about the collaboration and design process with KOMONO?
The Komono people were interested in the whole story, not only the glasses. They wanted to fit in my concept, I felt honoured. 

Looking back, what would you change about your KOMONO frame?
I would change the black and brown ones into transparent colours. I think it would have fitted better with the feeling of the collection.

What influence does the city of Antwerp have on fashion?
Antwerp has this very special fashion soul. It’s like a ghost spooking around. I hope it will stay forever. 

Ingmar Patton Plusczyk

What has been your biggest obstacle to overcome since graduating from the academy?
The biggest obstacle I have come across since graduating has been acclimating to a new environment after living in Antwerp for many years and finding your footing in new spaces. 

What has been the most rewarding milestone in your career this far?
I am most proud of the bonds I have made since graduating, with other creatives and it’s been amazing to learn from more senior people within the industry.

Do you find that the addition of KOMONO frames to your masters’ collection made an impact?
This collaboration didn’t just have an impact on the turnout of my collection but also impacted my Progression within fashion. Since graduating I have been focusing my path in accessory design and have been given the opportunity to apply what I’ve learned within my collaboration with Komono to the design of other brands such as Coperni where I also had the opportunity to work on sunglasses.

What was your favourite thing about the collaboration and design process with KOMONO?
My favourite thing about the collaboration was that it allowed me to express my collection through a new medium that usually wouldn’t have been disposable to me in that capacity, as well as giving a collection that was quite conceptual a commercial aspect.

Looking back, what would you change about your KOMONO frame?
If I had the opportunity I would reevaluate some of the colourations and possibly review the texture but as a whole I still am very fond of this project.

What influence does the city of Antwerp have on fashion?
Antwerp to me is the nucleus of innovative fashion and camaraderie. The city has a rare versatility that you usually would only find in more cosmopolitan/ larger cities.