YOUSRA RAZINE MAHRAH WINS LICHTING 2023
On Friday, September 1, Lichting 2023, the debutante ball for emerging fashion talent, took place at Felix Meritis in Amsterdam as part of Amsterdam Fashion Week. The top ten graduates from Dutch fashion academies presented themselves to an international professional audience and panel.
Yousra Razine Mahrah, a graduate of ArtEZ University of the Arts Arnhem, was selected as the most promising talent in the Netherlands by a panel of fashion professionals. She won the Lichting 2023 award worth €10,000, her own show during Amsterdam Fashion Week 2024, and legal guidance from Van Kaam IP, Media & Privacy.
All candidates; André Konings, Annalie van Doorn, Bastiaan Reijnen, Berke Taslidere, Eva Marie-Louise Vos, Floyd Rorije, Joseph William Raidt, Tim van der Plas, Ulkuhan Akgul, and Yousra Razine Mahrah, presented their collections during a vibrant and well-attended runway show. The young designers addressed various themes through their diverse works, ranging from Limburg folklore to an exploration of Turkish wedding traditions, from the dark web to a fresh interpretation of punk.
YOUSRA RAZINE MAHRAH
Yousra Razine Mahrah, a graduate of ArtEZ University of the Arts, entered the Lichting program through an open call and was selected by the Dutch jury to participate in Lichting.
Yousra grew up in a strict Moroccan upbringing and created a false identity around her family to navigate between different worlds. This caused confusion but also strength in Yousra. Her identity is interwoven through her collection ‘K*TMAROKKAAN’ via four different ‘worlds’ she experiences as a Moroccan woman: sensual lingerie juxtaposed with modesty, Berber goat leather traditions, and stereotypes imposed in the Netherlands. With an artistic fusion, Yousra embraces these contrasts, not only bringing these concepts together but also delicate fabrics with rugged textures, creating dynamic tension.
Photos by Team Peter Stigter