Standing (re)presentation(s): turning second-hand clothes into stylish outfits

March 9, 2021

min read

Turning second-hand clothes into stylish outfits, through Standing (re)presentation(s) you will discover that you don't need expensive clothes to make your dream clothes come true. The concept? A fashion stylist turns second-hand clothes into styled outfits based on teens' favorite fashion icons. Once the outfits are ready, it's time for the teens to step into the spotlight. They participate in a photo shoot with their own neighborhood in the background. Following the first two photo shoots in the Molendreef neighborhood.

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Back to the roots

The concept began when Ines had a summer job in the Molendreef neighborhood. After meeting several families and spending some time there, she began taking pictures while they had a chat. Soon they came to the realization that she could report great stories this way. And so Standing (re)present(ations) was born. Soon the team expanded, consisting of photographer Ines Vansteenkiste-Muylle, stylist Fiona Rombaut and make-up artist Catia Nulens. To achieve the best possible results, the participants were always asked for their opinions on the makeup and outfits they wear. The goal is to dismantle the stigma that styled outfits have to be durable. By creating outfits with second-hand clothing, the concept should give the teens involved more confidence to dress the way they want.

Previous shoots

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

Latest issue: Anderlecht

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

Aicha, Sakina, Raymé and Wiam; the four teenagers. Each of them had different fashion icons to look up to. As with the first shoot, Aicha looked up to Asian fashion culture, more specifically manga and Japanese fashion. Sakina and Wiam both cite Eva Queen as their big influence, while Raymé wanted to dress like French rapper JUL. Travis Scott was also a recurring name. While the teens all enjoyed the shoot, ages differed on the styling. In contrast to Sakina's relief that she was not too dolled up, Wiam regretted that she had not asked for more makeup, from that she regularly used live makeup in everyday life. Nevertheless, the whole day was a success, met with Aicha's Japanese-inspired outfit as the group's favorite.

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

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