Darwin Winklaar
Darwin Winklaar was born and raised in Aruba, San Nicolas. His work reflects a personal story: practicing a lonely dance between Nostalia and Melancholia. His childhood years are essential to his creative process; he reinterprets memories, feelings, and cultural symbols from his childhood. His mother Violeta is one of his main sources of inspiration. Darwin constantly embodies rituals and family habits through his work as a way of honoring the female figures who shaped him. His work is the result of a in-depth investigation into the folkloric religious practices that are predominant in the Caribbean.
Winklaar’s work shows a conceptual process that transcends the fashion design field and operates on a multidisciplinary frequency. By his use of embodied storytelling, music, dance, and singing he tries to convey an artistic practice that reintroduces a new genre informed by their Aruban roots: Neo-Folklorism. Fashion design has been a playground for him; he sees fashion as a lifestyle, overcoming technical limitations by using unconventional materials to construct his garments. In doing so, he challenges the fashion industry and history. Darwin graduated from the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in 2020. In 2021, he won Lichting, a competition between the best graduates of Dutch fashion academies.