Personality, social issues, pop culture and experimental design: at the fashion show on 15 October 2026, students from the Faculty of Textile and Clothing Technology at The Hochschule Niederrhein will showcase their latest collections and theses. Together with the Clothing Technology assistants from the Vera Beckers Vocational College, they will bring contemporary fashion design to the unique industrial setting of the Historic Krefeld-Uerdingen Sewage Treatment Works.
The fashion show begins at 6.45 pm (doors open at 6 pm) at the Krefeld Historic Sewage Treatment Works, Rundweg 20, 47829 Krefeld. Tickets are still available for the event: https://kalender.klaerwerk-krefeld.org/veranstaltung/modenschau-des-berufskolleg-vera-beckers/
The designer duo Margeaux et Pidgéon, comprising Margeaux Rotenberg and Leon Laaser, combine expressive, queer-feminist fashion with social commentary. Political and personal perspectives are brought to life through a distinctive artistic expression. Rotenberg and Laaser are not only showcasing their own work on the catwalk, but are also organising this year’s fashion show together with their fellow student Sophie Steffen.
Sophie Steffen, a graduate of the Bachelor's degree programme in Fashion Design Engineering, explores space as a metaphor for inner states in her final collection, ‘Raum für mich’ (Space for Me). Through six silhouettes, she tells the story of coming of age, caught between a sense of disorientation and a new beginning. Space-age influences and circular elements characterise the collection, translating personal experiences into textile forms that bridge the gap between a safe haven and inner development.
In her Master’s final collection, ‘Too Much or Too Little’, Julia Segschneider explores societal expectations of women and the tension between self-determination and social constructs. Knitwear becomes the creative medium here: soft materials meet controlling shapes, protective surfaces meet revealing details. The collection deliberately navigates between opposites – between vulnerability and strength, conformity and resistance.
Henrik Höfer takes a different approach with his final collection, “Ungebügelt”. This capsule collection for artists combines comfort and individuality with influences from hip-hop and pop culture. A key source of inspiration is the Berlin-based rapper and producer Morten, whose creative aesthetic is incorporated into the design language and logo motifs. The looks are designed for both the stage and everyday life.
Many other students from the Hochschule Niederrhein will be presenting their designs this evening, showcasing the breadth of different creative approaches within the Faculty of Textile and Clothing Technology. Pupils from the Vera Beckers Vocational College will round off the programme with, amongst other things, elegance and asymmetry, ‘Future Fashion’ made from unusual materials, and designs ranging from nightlife to ‘tradwife’ attire.
For Joel Horwitz, a professor in the field of menswear and sportswear design at the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences (HSNR), the collaboration also holds personal significance: he himself completed his apprenticeship at the Vera Beckers Vocational College. “For me, fashion is one of the most visible ways of expressing personality. It reflects the spirit of the times, but at the same time can raise questions and open up new perspectives. This makes it all the more wonderful to return today with our students to the place where my own journey into fashion began.”
The joint fashion show builds on the collaboration between the Hochschule Niederrhein and the vocational college. Last year, students and graduates from the Hochschule Niederrhein presented their work at the Historic Sewage Treatment Works alongside trainee assistants in Clothing Technology.
