Madison Van Der Lingen, an Albuquerque-based fashion designer balancing sustainability and maximalism, comments on the importance of being earnest, even while transcending worlds.
When one describes Albuquerque, New Mexico, “fashion capital” might not be top of mind. Leave it to Madison Van Der Lingen: a maximalist designer, using her sewing needle to pierce through the atmosphere of style agnosticism with asteroid-like determination.
Born and raised in Taos and trained as a theatrical costumer, Van Der Lingen relishes in transformation. In her hands, discarded textiles doomed for the landfill are Frankensteined into wearable sculptures designed to cheat death—to be loved eternally.
Since its inception in 2019, MadVan Design has crossed state lines, oceans, and disciplinary bounds. One moment, she’s dressing a mannequin in Richard Levy Gallery’s group exhibition Art of Reuse (2026) in Albuquerque. Next, she’s packing an ensemble of high desert animal entities bound for the epicenter of high fashion: Paris Fashion Week. Before she can catch her breath, she’s sending an extraterrestrial dressed in fluorescent-fringe garb down Meow Wolf Denver’s Absolute Rubbish runway en pointe.
Van Der Lingen is also the executive producer of Albuquerque Fashion Week, launched in 2025, which showcases local couturiers. Now, Albuquerque’s avant-garde fashion space is a void no longer.
In all of her mercurial pursuits, one thing shines through: Van Der Lingen’s work has a center of gravity that commands a room. Fostering runway chaos in Albu-quirky is just one force in her weirdo revolution.
How is the label “outsider” liberating? How is it limiting?
There is a unique power in being an outsider. When you are not constantly influenced by external opinions or trends, you have the freedom to develop an identity entirely your own. As a fashion designer navigating the art world, I often feel like an outsider, and I embrace that. Rather than a limitation, I see it as an advantage. Different disciplines offer a new way of thinking about silhouette, texture, movement, and storytelling. Growing up, I spent a great deal of time alone. I learned that loneliness and solitude are not always the same thing. Some of my most meaningful ideas emerge when I am removed from distractions, sitting quietly with my thoughts. I often step away from my community for periods of time to focus deeply. These moments of seclusion are not about disconnecting from the world; rather, they allow me to reconnect with my own instincts.
Sometimes the fringe offers more freedom.
You have moved between the grassroots Albuquerque fashion world, the Southwest art world, and recently, the European high-fashion world. What keeps you centered as you cross these thresholds?
As I continue to grow and find myself in bigger, more prestigious rooms, what keeps me grounded is my sense of humor, commitment to quality, and staying true to the MadVan universe. I’ve learned to trust the process and let the universe reveal what comes next.
What is traditional to your textile practice that may be alien to others?
I save every scrap of fabric that passes through my studio. Throwing away fabric has always felt difficult, knowing how much waste the fashion industry generates. As a designer, I feel a responsibility to be mindful of what I create and what I leave behind. I strive to operate as a zero-waste fashion house.
What is your most unwearable piece?
The loofah dress I made for Meow Wolf’s 2024 Absolute Rubbish runway. It’s extremely heavy to wear because it has around eighty loofahs hand sewn onto it!
Who’s a superstar you’d love to work with?
Sarah Squirm [Sarah Sherman of Saturday Night Live] or Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
What is your star sign?
Gemini.
Any advice for people on the fringe (of the mainstream and of something brilliant)?
Protect your weirdness, but don’t worship it. The goal isn’t to be different—it’s to be true. Don’t rush to become the “best.” The center comes with expectations and pressure to repeat yourself. Sometimes the fringe offers more freedom.
