Here in Flanders, while university students are cramming as much as possible for final exams, students at the renowned Fashion Department of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp have already faced the judges of their final collections. Last week designers, buyers, fashion journalists, photographers and the greater public piled into Antwerp’s Waagnatie for the big, annual catwalk show by students from one of Europe’s most famous design schools.

The week leading up to that all-important moment for a design student is, as you might expect, an endorphin-heavy mix of stress and anticipation. We caught up with two of them – rushing to finish, adding the final touches and hoping that the response to their collections is as excited as they are.

Name: Mariel Manuel
Age: 23
From: Switzerland
Gets inspired by: long haul flights
Year at academy: fourth (and final!)

“I've been at the academy for almost four years now, and I’ve learned all about designing, sewing, pattern-making, drawing, illustrating and organising. Over the years, I think I certainly became better at the last quality. I evolved a lot in the way I work by being more efficient and not losing as much time doubting things.

I would describe my style as fun, ironic and intricate. I like to work with wool, silk, latex, glitter and kitschy prints. I always mix a wide range of fabrics, trying to make everything come together in a new way. Seeing what other students are pulling off motivates me to do and dare more. Competition works as a motivator, in my case.

The biggest challenge at the academy is to keep going and going, to make it happen again and again. Every year has its own story, mood and feelings. I actually learned who I am and how far I can go. The weeks leading to the final show are especially busy. Even though I got the support of two teachers, in the end, I’m the one who has to make all the choices.

I sometimes stressed and panicked so much I forgot to eat or fell asleep still dressed on my bed. But it’s amazing to see how much I can produce under this kind of pressure. Although it’s probably a bit scary for people who don’t know me too well to see me in this state.

For the final collection, we have to make 12 designs, including shoes and accessories. I had one school year to build up everything – from books to designs to patterns, designing my own fabrics, making shoes abroad, creating a portfolio and looking for models. One year seems like a long time, but in that time I had to make a whole collection that normally requires the work of a team of four people.

My show starts with Brigitte Bardot’s "La Madrague", very quiet and poetic to welcome the first models. Then she trails off and the music switches to a hard electro beat where all the other girls come rushing out one by one. It will be a powerful show with 12 divas.

After the final show, I think I’ll travel and sit on the beach with a good book. I could do with a bit of a tan, actually. I want to draw a lot, too. I’ll see where the wind brings me; I’ve got a few dreams to fulfil!"

Name: Enya Vandenhende
Age: 21
From: Antwerp
Gets inspired by: modern art
Year at academy: third

“I was only 18 when I started at the academy. But I learned a few valuable lessons I’ll carry around for the rest of my life – such as ‘listen to your heart’ and ‘don’t let everything get to you’. A sense of humour and enthusiasm are musts. The competition with the other students can be very hard, but we do help each other out, as well.

I would describe my style as pure. At the moment, my favourite materials to work with are light fabrics, hand dyed or otherwise manipulated. I like all shades of white or very pale, pastel colours. My style has always been similar, but along the way I filtered my personal interests. My inspirations grew in importance. I believe you find your style by making mistakes, but aesthetics and elegance are things you can’t learn at school. You have to feel them. To me, a collection is a personification of the designer. You should be able to recognise the designer just by looking at the collection from a distance.

The item I’m most proud of is an accessory I made for the collection XXXXX last year. The so-called selftanning glasses are inspired by posters and comics where women sunbathe with a reflecting screen to catch more sun. The glasses are extremely reflective and shiny and are a take on all the science fiction collections we’ve seen over the last seasons. The actual result turned out to be even better than what I first sketched.

For my final collection this year, I made eight silhouettes and accessories. We are scored on the general impression we can evoke as young designers. I turned my collection into a catwalk performance where models are dancers and the proportions of the dresses are doubled. The first impression will be a surreal image; a woman in a three-meter long gown carried by a man. The audience will see a stretched female body with two male legs peeping from underneath the dress.

These extreme proportions are a reference to Italian sculptures in cathedrals. I chose pale and matte colours and fabrics like canvas, silk and flannel, also referring to modern Italian monochromes. The focus has to be on texture and colour, so the models wear a minimum of make-up. For music, I chose a mix of opera, bird song and work by the Peruvian singer Yma Sumac.

As for the future...I’ll wait and see. I want to close my eyes and jump into the next adventure.”