1

introducing SLEMAfter almost two years of preparation we are very proud to introduce you to our new footwear innovation and education center called SLEM, by means of the first SLEM magazine. Our activites will expand as we go along, so please keep checking our website:www.slem-waalwijk.blogspot.com.

You will find that this magazine is filled with an abun-dance of valuable information about footwear innovation and education, covering both long term and short term developments in footwear design. We welcome any questions and input, for which you can email us at: slem.waalwijk@gmail.com.

Nicoline van Entercreative director SLEM

Carl van der Puttenproject manager SLEM

SLEM is a nonprofit organization; by buying our maga-zine your are supporting our activities and we kindly thank you for that. Currently we are preparing to move to our final location and we will keep you posted about our official opening celebrations in September of 2012.We look forward to seeing you there!

3

A shoe design school in Holland?!

SLEM is not just a school, but a new innovation and educa-tion center for footwear and leather based in Waalwijk, The Netherlands. Many people don’t realize that The Nether-lands - although it is a small country - is in fact among the biggest importers and ex-porters of footwear in the world, so we understand that this might not have been the first place that came to mind in relation to shoe design, Yet without even knowing it you might actually be wearing shoes right now that were de-signed in Holland!

You are probably familiar with the term ‘Dutch Design’ though. Due to their conceptual way of thinking and no-nonsense yet humorous sense of style Dutch fashion and product designers have made a great name for themselves all over the world. It is fair to say that their vision is a direct result of Dutch culture and this is reflected in the way we teach design here. Schools such as Eindhoven’s famous Design Academy - which is near SLEM - are attracting students from every corner of the world who are eager to learn this unique approach.

Don’t know where Waalwijk is ....?

Waalwijk is in the south of the Netherlands, about one hour drive from Amsterdam and about half an hour drive from Eindhoven. It is situated right in the center of an area called ‘The Longstreet’, a region with a rich background in footwear and leather. Until the sixties of the previous century it was one of the main centers of foot-wear production in Europe and it is still an important hub for footwear trade today, hosting a great variety of companies designing and trading all kinds of shoes.

Viktor & Rolf

Malika Fadil

Malika Fadil

What will I learn during the course?

The MIFD course is an intensive 6 month program. During the first 4 months you will take classes for 2 days a week and do a traineeship at a local footwear company for 3 days a week, working as a junior footwear designer. SLEM provides a list of available traineeships and will aim to make the best possible match for your personal preferences.

The goal of the entire course is to challenge students to design footwear concepts that are innovative yet functional and can be produced industrially within commercial price limits. The first classes cover all technical details of footwear, both traditional and highly innovative. After that you will start doing a series of real assignments covering men’s and women’s footwear and sneakers. You will learn all aspects of footwear design, from researching and developing your con-cept to making professional design sketches, presenting your designs to the company, providing tech packs and directing the production of samples. We have already worked with a great variety of brands: Fornarina, Blackstone, K-Swiss, Supertrash, Durea and Le Coq Sportif, among others,

Once you have completed both the assignments and the traineeship with good results, you will work full-time on your graduation collections for the final 2 months. You will de-sign two mini collections: one based on your own concept and one based on a brief supplied by a company.

Why would I want to study at SLEM?

SLEM’s Masterclass in Industrial Footwear Design (MIFD)is a post-graduate course for those who already have a bachelor’s degree in footwear, apparel or industrial design, yet want to make certain that they will be able to land their dream job working as a footwear designer for a renowned company.

The curriculum of MIFD has been tried and tested as a part-time course over the past three years, with great success, mean-ing that all graduates have found work in the field of footwear design, either as an employee or as a freelance designer. Some even work on their own collection.

This is because upon graduation each student can show a professional portfolio with real work, since all assignments during the course are done for actual brands from around the globe. For the Masterclass students this portfolio will be even more elaborate, since you are both studying and do-ing a traineeship for a footwear company of your choice.

Chris van Middendorp

Chris van Middendorp

5

Who are teaching at SLEM?

Head teacher for MIFD is Liesel Swart. She has extensive international experience in foot-wear design, having worked for companies such as Fornarina and Reebok, and she is an expert in shoe making, which she teaches at various academies in The Netherlands and Belgium. In her classes she will push students to make sure that all their designs are technically viable.

You will also take classes from Nicoline van Enter, SLEM’s creative director. She is a renowned footwear forecaster and design consultant, working for companies such as Timberland, Caterpillar and K-Swiss, and is

also a regular guest teacher at leading footwear design schools in Hong Kong, China and Italy. Her focus is on con-ceptual thinking, innovative techniques and sustainability.

Through their network they will also bring in expert guest teachers from around the world and of course you will learn a lot from the brands you work with for the assign-ments, not to mention the company where you do your traineeship. Furthermore, SLEM collaborates with Panyu Polytechnic, a footwear design school in Guangzhou, China, which allows students to come and graduate for a Chinese company, offering mentoring and accommodation.

Will we go on any excursions?

During MIFD we will visit a variety of companies and trade shows, both in The Netherlands and abroad. For exam-ple, we will travel to Italy to visit Lineapelle and several factories in the Le Marche area, To help students build a network of valuable contacts for the future we will have them organize meetings with footwear associations and they will present their work at GDS in Düsseldorf,

Which computer skills are involved?

Upon graduation we expect our students to be proficient in both hand sketching and visualizing designs using a com-puter. This is why we offer an optional course module in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. If there is enough interest we can also offer a module in 3D design software, such as Rhino. Each module consists of several classes and for those who already have prior knowledge it is possible to only sign up for the more advanced classes.

Will I learn to make shoes by hand?

MIFD does not teach shoe making; you will learn how to direct others to make your samples, just like you would in the industry.

design in Rhino by Jean-Pierre Melville

Vivian van Schagen

So how much does all this cost?

SLEM is a nonprofit organization that is widely supported by the local community, which allows us to keep prices as low as possible.

The course price for MIFD is 5200 euros. This is including the excursion to Italy, but excluding the optional modules in Illustrator, Photoshop and Rhino. Prices for these are to be determined and depend on how many classes you need.

SLEM provides student housing in Waalwijk for low prices and you will receive a modest monthly payment for your traineeship, which will also help cover the costs of your stay.

Yet the biggest investment we expect you to make will be in focus and dedication! MIFD is an intensive high-level course and apart from your classes and your trainee-ship you will have lots of homework for your assignments, amounting to at least an average of 12 hours a week! This means you will not be able to have a weekend job.

When is the next course?

The next edition of MIFD starts in the first week of Septem-ber 2012 and ends in the first week of February 2013. Upon graduation you will receive a certificate; MIFD is a post-graduate course, not an official master’s degree.

How can I apply?

SLEM’s Masterclass in Industrial Footwear Design is open to international students who already have a bachelor’s degree in footwear, apparel or industrial design and have sufficient English language skills.

Since we allow no more than 12 students per course, we have a strict selection procedure. To apply we ask you to email us your resume, a copy of your diploma and a letter explaining your motivation (no more than one page). These should all be in English. You should email these to slem.waalwijk@gmail.com before the 15th of June 2012.

Based on these documents we will have a first selec-tion round. If you make it through this, you are invited to come to SLEM to present your portfolio and to do a small design assignment as an entry exam. This will take place in June/July; the exact dates will be determined with the applicants. We are currently opening our new building, so for any questions we can best be reached by email or you can check our blog: www.slem-waalwijk.blogspot.com.

SLEM is made possible by:

Chris van Middendorp

Chris van Middendorp

7

SLEM magazine is made possible by:

www.slem-waalwijk.blogspot.comslem.waalwijk@gmal.com