The festival opened spectacularly on Friday evening 15 November with the performance program The CLASH House at a very special location, namely the still consecrated St. Anne's Church (Sint-Annakerk) in Maastricht. Under the guidance of Aya Noël, it was a memorable evening where the art of fashion brought reflection and emotion. Speeches were held by FASHIONCLASH directors Branko Popovic and Els Petit-Carapiet, theatre director Noah Janssen and the Mayor of Maastricht, Wim Hillenaar.
During the opening, two performances were shown that were developed from the Amarte x FASHIONCLASH project. The first image of the opening was 'eight', the installation performance by Taiwanese drag artist and designer Naza Løtus and costume design duo The Nightmare Disorder. A performance that transforms costumes into narrative media, combining fashion and drag to create a unique blend of cultural stories and artistic expression. With 'I SEE YOU SEEING ME' by designer Katharina Spitz in collaboration with poet/artist Manka Menga, questions are asked about being a woman, the desire for rituals and the location of the physical body in space and time. Manka and Katharina are inspired by women who, through their resistance to societal norms, have earned a place in both the history books and in the hearts and minds of society.
The Sint-Annakerk location was a conceptual connection with and a preview of “Heiligdomsvaart” Maastricht (holy procession). FASHIONCLASH was asked to organise the main program of the procession in June 2025. Inspired by the theme of “Heiligdomsvaart” 2025: 'Be a bridge builder', a catwalk was built over the altar in the shape of a bridge. This is metaphorical for the various bridges or clashes that FASHIONCLASH is building between fashion, people, disciplines and society.
