About me

Pauline van Dongen (Amsterdam, 1986) is a Dutch fashion innovator.

Her work stands out by its minimalist design and clean look, but especially by an experimental and innovative approach. Pauline started her own label Pauline van Dongen in 2010.
She creates womenswear collections that combine high tech materials and new technologies with traditional techniques and craftsmanship. During her studies at the Academy of the Arts in Arnhem she developed an interest in the technique of moulage. By working directly with fabric on a dummy she translates her conceptual approach into a visual aesthetics around the body. Pauline examines the space between the body and the garment and challenges herself to emphasize this void in her designs. The body plays a central role in these shape experiments. She prefers the idea that the body is what gives shape and expression to a garment. Resulting in an aesthetic that has been described as “sculptural science”.

Pauline has the skills to discover innovations, to implement and deploy them.Working with unconventional materials and new techniques challenges her to investigate the application, processing and finishing of it in a garment. Pauline prefers to work like a researcher. According to her, “Innovation is the only way forward.” With her designs she wants to create ‘a proposal for the future’; an image that transcends the contemporary world. Besides clothing Pauline also designs shoes. An example of her innovative approach are the 3D printed shoes ‘Morphogenesis’ (2010) which have been developed in collaboration with the company Freedom Of Creation.