Nights of Nostalgia

In his solo exhibition Knights of Nostalgia, fashion designer Stijn Koks presents two short films alongside a spatial installation: a hand-built ‘cyber forest’. The exhibition serves as a visual and thematic extension of his most recent collection, in which nostalgia, childlike fantasy, and playfulness take center stage—blended with contemporary fashion and social reflection.

Stijn Koks explores how, as adults, we become estranged from our original imaginative powers. His designs aim to bring back that sense of innocence and wonder into a world increasingly focused on efficiency, control, and outward perfection. He works with reused materials and readymades—not only as a sustainable choice but also as carriers of collective memory. Everyday objects from the past—such as toys, household items, and textiles—return in a new context, transformed into garments, accessories, or sculptural elements that balance between kitsch, satire, and sincerity.

The two films shown at EXbunker were initially created as visual interpretations of the Knights of Nostalgia collection but here function as autonomous artworks. Under Koks’ artistic direction, the films were shot in locations such as an abandoned government building, where alienation, play, and imagination intersect. The films portray a dreamlike world where models appear as life-sized action figures, evoking an atmosphere of youthful escapism blended with adult melancholy.

The installation at EXbunker features a self-built set previously used during Koks’ fashion show in collaboration with De Nijverheid in Utrecht. The ‘cyber forest’ is a physical translation of the conceptual world behind the collection: an alternative space where wonder and play are still allowed to thrive. It raises questions about our contemporary relationship with nature, technology, and identity, allowing the viewer to briefly detach from reality.

With this exhibition, Stijn Koks unites various disciplines—fashion, film, installation art, and design—into one cohesive whole. He invites the audience not just to observe, but to relive: a childhood without boundaries, where imagination served no purpose other than to exist—and found its strength in precisely that. Knights of Nostalgia is not a literal look back, but an attempt to reconnect, in the present, with the playful essence of our humanity.

Stijn Koks (1997, NL) is a fashion designer, whose work mirrors nostalgic echoes of childhood, while deploying contemporary techniques. His designs evoke a sense of playful wonder, reflecting a profound exploration of the contrasting perspectives between adulthood and the imaginative world of youth. This tension between the responsibilities of maturity and limitless imagination serves as a driving force in his creations, as he aims to capture and preserve the uninhibited fantasy inherent to an unconditioned mind. He encourages you to reconsider the highly structured world of grown-ups and the limitless possibilities that come with a child’s imagination. Koks embraces a bold design philosophy, fearlessly incorporating tacky and kitsch references and straightforward messaging.