Reflecting Us: Henri Hoefnagels

Paris Mirror not only investigates contemporary fashion design but also delves into the concept of identity. The Paris Mirror team is made up of four students from different ends of the world, giving us each unique perspective on culture, and how our own cultures have influenced our identities. This project gave us an opportunity to explore ourselves, and our heritages, re-examining them in the context of Paris. Each member decided to note their experience in Paris, how it has affected their identity, and the mutual interaction between themselves and the city of Paris.

Henri Hoefnagels

Head of mediation

About:

Born in Germany

Bachelors in German-French Communications, Masters in Branding Management. His interests are art, culture & design.

My French adventure started in the fall of 2019 when I moved to Paris to finish my studies. After three internships and an Erasmus semester in German-speaking countries, I felt that studying and working in the capital of France, art, and fashion, would improve my French and expose me to a different type of international cultural environment than I had encountered in Strasbourg, Germany, and Austria.

It was my first time ever in Paris and I was very excited to move there. Immediately after my arrival, I fell in love with the „Ville de lumière“. I had studied for 4 years in Strasbourg, but compared to Strasbourg, Paris is a true metropolitan city.

I walked through the streets of Montmartre and Montparnasse, following the footsteps of Claude Monet, Voltaire, Edith Piaf, Jean-Paul Sartre, and many others. I visited the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, and other famous places in Paris. For the moment I study arts and luxury management in the world capital of luxury, design, and fashion! There’s a constant familiar breeze in the streets of Paris, which always feels good, but is never quite the same. Paris is monumental, both due to its size and its wealth of architectural heritage! The Parisian lifestyle is a mixture of different cultures, diversity, and artistic inclusiveness, which allows me to enjoy working and living with people from many cultures and backgrounds. But what I truly appreciate is that people in Paris are authentic and very approachable. The main point of the Parisian Attitude is about being proud to be yourself.

For the last two years, I have been inhaling this Parisian feeling and now Paris is a part of me, just as I am a part of Paris!