To celebrate four centuries of Turkish-Dutch diplomatic and trade relations, the clipper ship “Amsterdam” sailed to the Bosphorus to host a number of festive events. The House of Denim was a part of this program in partnership with the City of Amsterdam.

We’ve been on the board of “Stad Amsterdam” in Istanbul for “Towards a Brighter Blue” denim industry expert seminar, which is organized by The House of Denim Foundation and Partners, on October 15. James Veenhoof, Mariette Hoitink, and Fuat Gozacan shared ambitions for innovation and sustainability. Their motto is “Towards a Brighter Blue” as they aim to make the denim world dryer, cleaner, and smarter; meaning less water used, less toxic waste, and more recycling.

The Regional Community College of Amsterdam (ROCvA) and the founder of House of Denim, James Veenhoof, had been our guests after the seminar and told us how the idea of opening a Jean School came to pass. A unique three-year technical program began in September 2012 and has been teaching all the ins and outs of the profession and everything about the production process of jeans.

By setting up this program, ROCvA and James Veenhoff are meeting an important need of denim industry. The school focuses on the denim industry worldwide. Well-known denim brands like Levi’s, Tommy Hilfiger, Scotch&Soda, Denham and KOI support the initiative and participate in the program by providing guest lectures, assignments, and internships.

For more information on the Jean School and Denim Program, you can visit: www.jeanschool.com

For further information about House of Denim, you can e-mail: [email protected]