The TALKS program at Modefabriek not only offers a deep dive into fashion and consumer trends for the upcoming seasons, but also provides inspiration and mentoring in the fields of leadership and careers within our industry. The interviews with Emma Vloeimans, the brand-new editor-in-chief of ELLE, and our own CEO Caroline Krouwels, as well as the lecture by strategic advisor Stephany Goncalves, attracted many young and ambitious visitors during this winter edition. There is an incredible amount happening in our industry, yet it remains the domain of people driven by passion, authenticity and connective leadership. A few take-aways from these encouraging TALKS:
EMMA VLOEIMANS: purposeful and loving it
Her friends teasingly call her Anna Wintour, not entirely without reason. “I’ve always said I wanted to be editor-in-chief of a fashion magazine before turning 35,” says Emma Vloeimans, who took the helm at Dutch ELLE just weeks before that self-imposed deadline. Trained in Business Administration and Marketing, Vloeimans previously worked as Campaign Editor for de Bijenkorf and built a broad skillset as a freelancer, ranging from writing, trend analysis and editing to managing digital media and developing content. She turned down attractive job offers and deliberately used her own platform, tributetomagazine.com, to reach her goal. Her advice: “Have a clear objective in mind. Consciously or unconsciously, you’ll make the right choices.” She doesn’t necessarily see herself as highly disciplined. “I genuinely enjoy what I do, and networking and attending all relevant events gives me enormous energy.” Her vision for ELLE: focus on fashion authority and fun events. “We need stories to appreciate and understand fashion. ELLE is a personal style guide. We show the trends, but we promote authentic style.” A book is also on the way, titled ‘You Are What You Wear’, more on that next time.
CAROLINE KROUWELS: fashion is a desire for change
She started her career as a designer at Dutch label x-As and launched her design studio CK Concepts 30 years ago. In that same year, she co-founded Modefabriek together with three other designers. “That is Modefabriek’s DNA,” she emphasises. “We created something that was missing and grew from there, continuously responding to the changing zeitgeist.” Her talent did not go unnoticed: De Bijenkorf, for whom she designed collections, invited her to join the board as Head of Styling and later Head of Creative. “The most inspiring period of my career, in which we elevated de Bijenkorf to an international level.” Her favourite pet project was Room on the Roof, the Artist in Residence tower that evolved into a permanent space for writers and artists in the luxury department store. This ties in with her vision on fashion and trends. “Fashion is a mirror of what is happening in the world, that’s what makes our work so fascinating. Look especially at designers who are ahead of the change, such as Phoebe Philo and JW Anderson. It’s also about a desire for change.” As curator of the TALKS program, she brought Lidewij Edelkoort to Modefabriek because she believes in both ahead-of-the-trends and slow trends. Her timeless advice: don’t stay at home struggling, stay connected. Focus on what you’re really good at; keep it personal, outspoken, fun and positive!
STEPHANY GONCALVES: connection behind the scenes
As a strategic media and communications advisor, she has led cross-cultural teams for over ten years at leading European fashion companies such as H&M, Zalando, Gucci, Levi’s and Carhartt WIP. Alongside this, she is building an academic career as a lecturer in branding, leadership and creative research at institutions including the University of Amsterdam and AMFI, with a focus on inclusivity, systems thinking and sustainable change. Her Talk, ‘Inside the Invisible Majority’, like her Substack account, centres on ‘Re-imagining Fashion Leadership’. She zooms in on the rapid organisational changes that have become the norm since the pandemic – attempts to respond to urgent situations – and what could be done better. “Many key roles in the industry are invisible,” she states. “We still celebrate the visibility of the few. Creativity isn’t only about output, the product, but also about systems, processes and the conditions that facilitate ideas.” She advocates more mentoring for all the talent behind the scenes, attention to the dynamics between different roles, and the growth mindset needed to open the window to the future. This requires an ‘open space’, ‘open mind’ and ‘open conversations’. In short: bringing out the best in the diversity of teams, truly listening, and connecting hard skills with soft skills, roles, perspectives and systems. Being able to communicate complex matters clearly is a crucial skill in this. The main thing is to remain curious and to build personal connections within the industry, another great reason to come to Modefabriek!
See you in Summer!
5+6 July 2026
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