Graduation Day at Kolding School of Design
- You’ve filled the classrooms and corridors with questions and ideas, with thoughtfulness and creativity. In a way that makes it clear that design here at Kolding School of Design may be about form and function – but it’s also about relationships, experiences, transformation – and taking responsibility. For people, and for our planet, acting Rector Trine Lumbye said in her speech.
And before sending the newly graduated designers out into the world, she left them with an important message: stay curious, ask bold questions – and remember, you don’t always have to fit in:
- There will be moments of doubt. Moments when you feel small. When you’re asked to prove your worth. But remember: your job is not to fit in – your job is to make a difference. Even if that sometimes means taking a detour or asking questions that don’t have clear answers.
The voices of the new designers were heard too, as Head of Education Eva Kappel invited selected graduates on stage to speak about their final projects.
Scholarships
As per tradition, the day also featured the presentation of scholarships from generous benefactors – including the main award Danmarks Nationalbanks Jubilæumsfond – a travel scholarship for DKK 25,000, which was awarded to Floor Maria Paulina Klaassen, Master of Arts in Design for Play and Fashion Design.
The motivation by Professor Helle Marie Skovbjerg and Head of Programme Karen Feder read:
- During her Master’s studies, Floor has been committed to giving a voice to those who need it the most, using her expertise in fashion design, play design, and social design. Her Master’s project “Uniforms of Unity” likewise explores how the intersection of fashion and play can empower displaced youth in reclaiming their agency, self-expression, and confidence. This is achieved through a strong foundation in design craftsmanship and a high-quality design output that reflects the level of a master's graduate in design. Grounded in a participatory, practice-based design approach, the project engages marginalized teenagers as co-creators, using fashion not just as a product, but as a tool for storytelling, experimentation, and identity-making. While fashion and play formed the methodological core, football emerged as a shared cultural language - a familiar world through which participants connected, expressed pride, and navigated identity. Floor’s work is a powerful example of how play can contribute to the development of the fashion design discipline, and how fashion design, in turn, can expand the boundaries of what can be played with. This grant enables Floor to continue her vital work on how fashion and play design can become strategies for visibility, resilience, and self-becoming – for the people who need it the most.
Additional scholarship recipients:
HK Privat Ophavsretsfond – travel scholarship for DKK 10,000
Laura Nørgaard Henriksen, Bachelor in Communication Design
Gudrun og Erik Kauffeldts Fond
Aksel Thygesen, Bachelor in Accessory Design DKK 10,000
Valdís Arnaldardóttir, Bachelor in Fashion Design DKK 10,000
Tobias Lucas Hansen, Bachelor in Industrial Design DKK 5,000
Valdemar Pontoppidan Hansen, Bachelor in Industrial Design DKK 5,000
Kastanje Mithilde Mattson Olsson, Bachelor in Textile Design DKK 10,000
Aura Puerava, Master of Arts in Design for People and Fashion Design DKK 10,000
Mudita Agarwal, Master of Arts in Design for People and Communication Design DKK 10,000
Amalie Storm Ege, Master of Arts in Design for Planet and Textile Design DKK 10,000
Natalie Toft Dupont, Master of Arts in Design for Planet and Industriel Design DKK 10,000
Saira Inam, Master of Arts in Design for Play and Textile Design DKK 20,000
Universal Design Award (Bevica)
Projects with a Universal Design theme that is deserving of recognition:
Caroline Lehtonen Kildall, Bachelor in Accessory Design DKK 5,000
Samiah Bilal, Master of Arts in Design for People and Communication Design DKK 5,000
Congratulations to all!
Photos: Sofie Falk
