Mudguard x RKC Waalwijk: Inspiring the next generation
From Inspiration to Creation
Between December 2024 and April 2025, Mudguard partnered with RKC Waalwijk Community Champions to host seven workshops for young talents aged 15–17. Each group of 15–20 boys and girls stepped into a world where fashion wasn’t just about fabric, it was about vision, voice, and self-expression.
Founder of Mudguard, Kik Dekkers, opened every session with a half-hour inspiration talk, sharing his journey of starting Mudguard at just 21 years old. The do’s, the don’ts, and the raw reality of building a clothing brand. His message was clear: you’re not just selling clothes, you’re selling a story.
The Workshop Process
After the inspiration session, it was time to create. Every participant began by searching for inspiration, building moodboards with Pinterest, music, and personal references. Then came the first sketches on paper, translating raw ideas into visual concepts.
With the guidance of the Mudguard team, these sketches were digitized, turning concepts into potential designs. But this wasn’t a contest for “the prettiest drawing.” It was about impact. Each student had to answer: why should someone buy your tee? What’s the story behind it?
Everyone is Creative
The most powerful moments came from the students who walked in thinking they “weren’t creative.” Some expected just another lecture, only to discover they had the strongest stories to tell. Time and again, these were the ones who won, proving that creativity lives in everyone, even if you don’t see it yet.
And the Winners Are…
Each group selected one winning design, chosen by Mudguard’s design team together with Teun Hoefs. The winning concept was refined, made print-ready, and transformed into a real Mudguard t-shirt.
The winners’ reactions said it all: pure pride. Wearing their own design, produced by Mudguard, gave them something no store-bought piece ever could, a story they created themselves. The picture you can see here, is one of the winners of one of the workshops.
More Than a Workshop
These seven workshops weren’t just about teaching design; they were about unlocking confidence, inspiring entrepreneurship, and showing young people that their voice matters. For Mudguard, it was proof that fashion can be more than drops and collections, it can be a platform for growth.
And for RKC Waalwijk, it was another step in their mission to build community impact through their Community Champions program. Together, we showed the next generation that style isn’t about following trends, it’s about daring to tell your own story.
