Amsterdam Fashion Week is Warming Up

 

Every body is getting ready for the openingnight of the 16th edition of Amsterdam Fashion Week. The first pictures are being taken, the first interviews and backstage the models are getting ready.

Cold Method Catwalk Fashion Show Amsterdam FW2012

On Tuesday night we all gathered at the Compagnie theater in the center of Amsterdam to see the brand new collection of fashion label Cold Method. In a large – yet still very crowded – theater room with an old skool backdrop of wooden boxes and activist poster the brand took us back to the late sixties.

Inspired by student’s revolutions of that period Cold Method showed a rough and raw collection, named The Gentleman Activist. ‘Cause even though those students were fighting against the authorities back in 1968, they did so in style; like gentlemen.

Head designer Dieter de Cock translated the activism of the student revolutions by expanding his range of suits (in tweed, woolen, corduroy). He showed how to wear those suits in combination with wax coats and fluff jackets. He also came up with casual chinos and corduroy 5-pockets worn with a shirt and a jacket.

His key items for fall turned out to be his field jacket, checked jersey cardigan and a woolen caban. A selection of gorgeous knits was added to the mix as well. And in stead of using a lot of black Dieter introduced shades of dark blue and grey combined with seventies shades like ochre, burgundy and navy blue.

Besides the regular male models two famous Dutch faces, singer Jim Bakkum and actor Patrick Martens who are often spotted wearing Cold Method, made their appearance on the runway too. Together with the show area, the theme and the strong collection that made up for a special Cold Method night. After the models had left the stage we went on it to celebrate Cold Method’s new collection and the fact that the brand turned five this year. Hurray!

Marloes Blaas Preview Amsterdam Fashion Week

Marloes Blaas will show her fall/winter 2012/2013 collection on Friday 27 January at 04.00 PM. She spoke with us about her brand new collection and how she came up with her source of inspiration.

Show
“I have showed my work during Amsterdam Fashion Week before, but it was always pretty tough to come up with the large amount of money they charge designers. This year I have the help of sponsor shoelabel Clarks, which I am very grateful for. They even provided me with shoes from their f/w2012/2013 collection, which are now produced earlier especially for my show.”

Inspiration
“My collection is called ‘A common silver spoon’ and is based on a Dutch saying (Geboren met een zilveren lepel in de mond). I came up with this when I was on the phone with my mum. She told me she had some old silver for me, which I maybe could use in my work. Right then the inspiration for my collection was born.”

Theme
“The collection is built around the after war period. In other collections I used to look at the forties; this time I focused more on the fifties, a prosperous period in which everyone seemed to be doing well. It was a time of solidarity, working together and large families. Especially those family portraits intrigued me. I started looking and old photo-albums from my mother’s family (she grew up in a family of 12 children). People used to really dress up in their best clothes. They didn’t look at all like themselves, but they did put a lot of effort into those pictures. I used bits and pieces of looks from that time and translated them into something modern.”

Collection
“My collection of 20 looks is divided into 3 parts. 1. In the first part jewelry plays a big role. I used real silver spoons and made necklaces out of them. The clothes in this first part are heavy, dark and are made in shades of grey and black. 2. The second part of the collection is more tough. For this part I studied old school pictures. They inspired me to come up with several school uniforms and school bags. 3. For the third part, which is more about the reconstruction after the war,  I used my own print with rocks. It has shades of burgundy and sand in it.”

Jacob Kok Preview Amsterdam Fashion Week

Jacob Kok will show his fall/winter 2012/2013 collection on Friday 27 January at 02.00 PM. He spoke with us about his brand new collection and his plans for the future.

Title
“The name of my collection is Schat Zoeken (Treasure Hunting). I began with the idea of minerals and crystals and eventually I added the world of mineworkers to it.’

Inspiration
“My inspiration for this collection is a result of the winning collection I showed on Project Catwalk. There I designed clothes with stone details and I thought it would be nice to start from there. The mineworkers theme is very visible, since I used many work clothing details. Also, I added some sort of treasure to every look…”

Materials
“The treasures in the collection can for instance be a special fabric. I developed my own fabrics at the Audax Museum of Textiles in Tilburg , which represent my treasures. The clothes might appear pretty normal; it’s the fabrics that make it special. Besides those new fabrics I also used recycled ones, so there’s a real contrast between old and new. I, for instance, worked with blankets movers use when they want to protect the furniture.”

Colors
“Overall the clothes look quite dusty. Even if I used colorful fabrics; they still have this washed out feeling to it; as if everything is covered in dust.”

Stress
“I was actually planning on coming up with about 20 looks, but as fashion week is approaching I think that number might diminish to 15 or 17. There’s still a lot to do, so I’ll definitely work till the very last hour. I have really panicked about this, but now I am planning on just doing the best I can and not stressing out any more.”

Goal
“With this collection I am not planning on impressing buyers and press, like others. I just hope my knowledge of fabric and the way I work with it will get noticed. It’s not my goal to create a new collection every six months and sell as much dresses as possible. I would love to just work together with an established fashion brand. For instance, a collaboration like Peter Pilotto and Kipling; I would love to work on a project like that. I don’t even have to work with clothes necessarily; I think I am much better in creating accessories anyway. I don’t see myself as a fashion designer, yet more as an art director.”

Sage & Ivy Preview Amsterdam Fashion Week

Fashion brand Sage & Ivy will show it’s fall/winter 2012/2013 collection on Friday 27 January at 05.00 PM. Designer Alexia van Engelen spoke with us about her brand new collection and her exquisite show location.

Amsterdam
“We have new agents in Russia and Canada which we’re very excited about. Yet even though we’re focusing more on the international market right now, we did think it was important to show our collection in Amsterdam. Not as much clothes will be sold here, but the press in Holland is very positive and uses Sage & Ivy quite a lot.”

Time
“This time we’re more on schedule than with previous collections. Especially since we’re going to Paris a week before our show a lot had to be done. We even had to make two new winter collections of around 20 looks, instead of the one we’re used to. Our agent in Russia needed one fall/winter collection as well; so we’re doing twice the amount of work.”

Show
“Our fashion show will be held in an old mirror studio in Amsterdam. In this studio old mirrors from the 18th and 19th century are restored. It’s an old workspace with concrete floors and raw walls on which over 200 mirrors hang. It’s a very special space. It feels very French to me; almost as if I am in Paris.”

Inspiration
“The collection is called Pelgrimage, which also was my inspiration. I thought of a strong woman making a long journey. The previous Sage & Ivy collections were always very sweet, yet this one is much more raw than what people have seen before. I had enough of the soft shades and the light fabrics and wanted to show another side of femininity. A tough, raw side, almost like an armor.”

Materials
“This raw look & feel gave me the opportunity to work with different materials. I used tulle decorated with patent paint; raw but still soft. I made skirts and evening dresses out of fake fur done in a jersey way; very soft but still rigid.”

Colors
“When I was in Paris to look for fabrics I ran into the perfect deep green fabric. I knew right then I really wanted to work with it. So with this green shade as a starting point I have been collecting the rest of the color palette. I used deep blue, black and nudes; all shades which work really well with the specific green.”

Changes
“The silhouette of the clothes is more tight than before. And even though I paid a lot of attention to details, they are less obvious. I think this collection is more grown up, just because I’m getting older as well. I feel really good about showing this part of me. In my opinion the Sage & Ivy brand becomes more balanced like this.”

Bas Kosters Preview Amsterdam Fashion Week

Our third preview is about Bas Kosters, who will show his fall/winter 2012/2013 collection at the openings-night on Wednesday 25 January at 09.00 PM. He spoke with us about his brand new collection and the amazing show he is planning to hold.

The show
“During our fashion show we’re not only presenting a new collection. We are also launching the second edition of my own magazine Extrakak, a new song and a new video. Last year’s show was not your average fashion show, but for us it was a big success. We probably won’t be able to exceed that show, but we’re definitely trying to build a party just as big within the boundaries of the Amsterdam Fashion Week.”

Side-Projects
“Like always we’re working on many different projects at once, yet it’s those extra projects, like making a magazine, that give me extra energy and get me inspired. So, although it’s quite busy at the moment I love doing such a variety of things. Besides, I have seven interns which can help me out to get everything done in time.”

Stress
“I am pretty confident everything will work out right and in time, so I am not really stressed. The days of working nights to finish off the collection are behind us. Now we just start working a little harder and longer several weeks before the show, so there’s less pressure. Yet we probably will still  work the weekend before the show.”

Amsterdam
“We’re very excited to be part of the Amsterdam Fashion Week again. Especially since the ‘International’ has been left off and it’s more about the fashion than the event. I am also very glad Carlo is now on board. It’s thanks to Vodafone that we can participate. Otherwise we would probably not have showed during fashion week, since we’re trying to focus a bit more on the international market. Luckily Vodafone and us turned out to be great partners. They’re more than just the sponsor, so we’re already talking about doing more projects together.”

Best Part
“The great thing about holding a fashion show is experiencing the moment in which everything falls into place; it’s something magical every time. I also very much enjoy looking back on the photos and videos afterwards; it’s so rewarding. And we work with a fantastic team, great models, good make-up artist and very talented music producers so working with these people is already such a joy.”

Theme
“The theme of the new collection is called ‘1, 2, tree’ and has everything to do with the contrast between life in the city and the longing for nature. We try to combine those two in a visual and a conceptual way. For instance, we’ve created two monsters city versus nature. One is evil, impatient and arrogant, the other is sweet, loving and fragile. Those two metaphors will be visible in our new prints.”

Colors
“We worked with off-tones, black, deep-blue, but also with ‘non-colors’ like mustard and petrol. In the colors, as well as in the materials you will clearly see the contrast between city influences and nature. That’s all I can tell, the rest you will have to go and experience yourself!”

Photography Jeannette Huisman@Team Peter Stigter

Sjaak Hullekes Preview Amsterdam Fashion Week

Sjaak Hullekes is the second designer to reveal a little bit of the collection he will show at the Amsterdam Fashion Week. Together with Bas Kosters Hullekes will present his  fall/winter 2012/2013 collection on the opening-night, Wednesday 25 January at 07.00 PM. He spoke with us about his brand new collection.

Show
“The first time I showed my collection during Amsterdam Fashion Week was in 2007. Although it’s been a while, I’m glad to be back. I decided to show again during AFW since the fashion week has made a new start. It’s more about the fashion again, instead of the people and the party.”

Goal
“For us showing at AFW is about showing my work to the press and trying to sell. Yet we also want to give everyone in the audience a small stimulant. It’s good to be able to show our collection to a broader audience.”

Time
“We’re right on schedule for this collection. Since we’re going to Paris a few days before the show, everything had to be done in time. There’s still some work to do but I am not worried. At some point you just have to have faith in the people around you, so I am actually pretty calm.”

Inspiration
“Our inspiration for the show is Gemstone. The collection is about the contrast between the way we work with technology nowadays versus the way in which people just used to work with what the earth had to offer. To get in the mood for this collection we watched the movie Pink Narcissus and we watched clips of Serpentine Dancers. The city Marrakesh was also a big source of inspiration. We visited the city a couple of times and just love how everything stimulates your senses; the hammam, the gardens, the herbs.”

Look & feel
“The color palette of the collection is very rich, we used deep shades like amber and aubergine. We also used Berber influences and you’ll see aesthetic and mystic references.”

Dance
“We’re going to show a total of 40 looks; 32 looks we will show on models and 8 other looks will be shown on dancers. I cannot tell you anything more about that. Let’s just keep it a surprise until Wednesday.”

Photography: Jeannette Huisman@Team Peter Stigter

Elise Kim Preview Amsterdam Fashion Week

Today we will start a new series of previews of fashion-collections as an appetizer for the coming Amsterdam Fashion Week. We will start with designer Elise Kim.

Of course we will write and post our review after the official show or presentation plus photos of the complete collection. We’ll keep you posted!

Elise Kim will show her fall/winter 2012/2013 collection on Thursday 26 January at 06.00 PM. She spoke with us about her brand new collection which is all about the moment we fall asleep…

Time
“The collection is already finished, so we can be quite relaxed. I always make sure I’m right on schedule with my work; I am a real planner. Besides, I got a little help too from one intern, and two seamstresses.”

Amsterdam Fashion Week
“This is going to be my third collection. I am very glad to be able to show my work during Amsterdam Fashion Week. If Grazia had not supported me I should have held a smaller show. I hope that through this show people will get to know my work better. I hope it will result in some extra publicity and maybe, just maybe, some extra sale points. Yet this won’t happen so easily, since my clothes are pretty expensive. In Paris, where I will go in March, I will probably do better.”

Inspiration
“Epiphenomenon is the theme of this collection. It’s the first part of a trilogy. I will show the second and third part in my upcoming collection. It’s all about the fragmentation of reality at the moment you’re starting to fall asleep. The collection will be an abstraction of the moment in which you loose sense of collateral things. You move into another dimension.”

Looks
“The theme of the collection is visible in every single one of the 30 looks. It will be translated through (pretty vague) music, the use of fabric and my choice of colors. For instance the order of the clothes will represent the phases from being awake to falling asleep; from dreamy and soft to tough and real.”

Colors
“Shades of blue, deep blue, black, nude and black again will represent the phase you go through from being awake to falling asleep as well. The nude stands for the moment right before you fall asleep and wake up just a little bit.”

Materials
“I used silk, cotton, leather and a special kind of wool, which doesn’t even look like it comes from sheep, cause it’s so long. New for me is the knitwear I used, for instance on a long knitted dress. I also created my very first own print at the Textielmuseum in Tilburg. It’s a kind of feather print, printed on white silk.”

Women
“I make clothes for women who know what they want and who stand for quality. I would love to see women like Carice van Houten or Anne Hatthaway wear my clothes, but then again I’m flattered by every single woman who puts on my designs.”

Photography: Jeannette Huisman@Team Peter Stigter

ELLE Style Awards 2012 – Guests

Pearls, feathers, headbands, flapper dresses, hats and slick suits; oh my, the twenties definitely revived Thursday night during the ELLE Style award show. All guests, hosts, members of the jury and press really made an effort to stick to the dresscode and look as twenties fab as possible.

Where you present at the ELLE Style Awards or are you just curious how everyone interpreted the Roaring Twenties theme? Check out our image gallery below with all pictures of the arriving guests.

Claes Iversen Catwalk Fashion Show ss2012

After having traveled through all four fashion capitals in the past few weeks, last night the fashion circus arrived at it’s final destination: Amsterdam. It was Claes Iversen’s show which brought Dutch celebs and fashion professionals together at Zuidpark on Thursday evening.

Inspired by a small group of women, who seem to have everything in the world Claes came up with a whole lot of elegant dresses, duo colored pants, sheer skirts and detailed blouses.

Crosses seemed a big theme in the show, in which models walked on a cross-shaped catwalk. They were used as embroideries on skirts, short jackets and long evening dresses, varying in shape and color.

A poppy print (in white and orange/red) was used in many of the couture-like designs as well. It beautifully mixed in with the rest of the color palette (many whites, cardinal, cyon).

Huge (filled) shoulders and large bows (on the models’ chests) gave the designs a more structured look.

Going through Claes’ Tweets of the past few weeks we learned not everything in the design process went as smoothly as the designer had hoped. But on Thursday night, when everything just came together, there was no sign of all of that. I was just a perfect presentation of a graceful, beautifully made and positive spring/summer collection.

 

 

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