This year's AFW feels like a city tour with modular moments: you slalom from an intimate garden show to a rowdy warehouse and end with drinks where half of creative Amsterdam is talking to each other. The brand lineup confirms that mix. Expect established names alongside conceptual newcomers and international guests; AFW remains emphatically a place where handwriting takes precedence over bombast.
One of the public-friendly anchor points is The HUB Pop-up Store: a curated mini-department store descending this year in Grimm Atelier (New Looiersstraat 47) and on Wednesday, September 3 and Thursday, September 4 is open from 12:00-19:00. Ideal for trying on designs between shows, speaking to makers and scoring a limited.
The program overview once again displays that typical AFW spread throughout the city: from museum gardens and landmark buildings to industrial spaces. Think a poetic outdoor setting on Tuesday and an evening slot that gently opens the volume knob - AFW loves contrasts. The exact schedule and venues change, so always check the live calendar just before leaving; changes are part of the game.
"AFW is not one catwalk - it is a choreography of places, people and moments."
Finally, AFW continues to be the week when talent strikes through. Keep an extra eye on the youngest names in the schedule - that's where the unexpected silhouettes and fresh castings come from. Amsterdam doesn't pretend to be Paris; it wants to be itself, with a wink. That's exactly why AFW is a must-see every year.