SIS by Spijkers en Spijkers Catwalk Fashion Show Amsterdam SS2017

“… The two girls grew up at the edge of the ocean and knew it was paradise, and better than Eden, which was only a garden…” – Eve Babitz –

‘Eden’ is the name of SIS by Spijkers en Spijkers’ brand new collection presented at the Gashouder on Friday night. A collection full of passion, leering and seductive giving the audience a taste of life without limits. Clothes designed for the love ones, invisible to those who don’t know love and inspired by stories about Paradise. For decisive women who like to be challenged to investigate, experience and be loved endlessly.

As with every collection Truus and Riet once again picked a muse. They found their free loving rebel in party-girl, style icon and artist Eve Babitz.

How this all translated into wearable womenswear looks, you wonder? Well, love was written all over the daring, sometimes revealing fabrics. Models paraded around in airy dresses, blouses and skirts made of silks and viscose crepes. Elegant designs mixed with sportive touches. Just as jackets, bombers and shorts added some contrast to the Love-themed collection. Floral prints and stripes met each other halfway. Beige suede pants and a leave printed green shirt formed a rather casual outing. As an off shoulder airy printed dress added some seductive sassiness. Richly decorated T-shirts and sweaters were given an admirable designer touch and the graphic SIS details were unmistakable.

If we ever have to deal with a Paradise dresscode, we know who to turn to. We don’t just like this, we LOVE it!

Ala Blanka By Anbasja Blanken Catwalk Fashion Show Amsterdam SS2017

Showing the same white, off shoulder, ruffled top fourteen times in a row could quickly get your audience bored. Yet at Anbasja Blanken’s fashion show Friday afternoon there was no sign of boredom. That white top was a sign, a sign we had to keep our eyes on the pants. ‘Cause if you know Blanken, you know she’s all about trousers. Luxury womenswear trousers that stand out because of their color palette and choice of fabric. A focus that seems to be the perfect niche market. ‘Cause even though today was Blanken’s first collection presentation her pants have already been featured in some of the biggest Dutch fashion magazines.

The starting point of this forties/fifties style collection had everything to do with it’s name. Blanken: “My inspiration for this collection mainly comes from the meaning of ‘Ala Blanka’; white wings as the symbol of ultimate freedom. They radiate strength, magic and mystery.”

This translated to dreamy, romantic and ultra feminine looks. Dusty pink and powder hues were alternated by touches of red, yellow and emerald. The off shoulder tops, the parted, wavy hair and natural make-up added to the overall elegance and classic feel of the collection. Airy and shiny fabrics, floral appliques and embroideries turned the pants into extravagant showstoppers. Wearing pants was never as ladylike as it is with Anbasja Blanken.

Jef Montes Amsterdam Fashion Week Experience SS2017

Ever experienced a massive storm? Well at Jef Montes you were in for a treat! No straight up catwalk show here, the young designer set up a fashion experience. An experience for himself as well as for the audience. Jef Montes decided to create the opening outfit of his brand new collection Tormenta (storm) in front of his guests. A chance for us to take a look inside his design studio, see how it’s done. Not your average workplace we tell you! Like a true storm Jef Montes raged around his experience space using all different types of chemicals to create his design. We got to witness all design phases; epoxy at first and finally black ink to cover it all; the dress, the space and himself. The result? Some fascinating designs shown against an eerie backdrop representing Jef Montes’ thought on life in the here and now as well as the hereafter. We’re blown away (by the storm). Quite the experience.

Juliëtte Heijnen Catwalk Fashion Show Amsterdam SS2017

Any customer of Julliëtte Heijnen can be rest assured he’ll be looking as original as can be. It’s hard to even give the collection a general description, since all twelve menswear looks were so diverse. With the search for new silhouettes and interdisciplinary presentations as a starting point Heijnen’s male models sported XL T-shirts and sweaters with black linings, holographic prints (in a lovely color palette), raincoats, mesh tops, 7/8 pants and macramé tops worn as dresses. Accessories in the form of pompoms, twisted scarfs, a fishnet mask, double buns and a knitted beanie topped it off. Outfits and styling exercises you can hardly describe in words, you just need to see.

Streetwear MBFWA SS2017 Day 1

It’s Amsterdam Fashion Week, so what are you wearing? That classic Proenza Schouler bag, that vintage felt hat or just an explosive mix of bright coloured high street fashion items like some of the fashion week goers above did? This was our selection of streetwear for day 1. We don’t judge, we’re not the fashion-police, we just enjoy fashion and your own personal style. We’re looking forward to seeing you and your fashion week attire at the Westergasterrein!

Front Row Lichting 2016 AFW

Curious to see who came to support the upcoming design talents participating in Thursday night’s Lichting 2016 award show? Here are some of the Amsterdam Fashion Week opening night’s front row guests.

DANIAL AITOUGANOV wins LICHTING 2016

On Thursday night the Dutch fasion scene gathered at the Gashouder to attend the Lichting 2016 show. After ten years of Lichting show this was the first time the Amsterdam Fashion Week scheduled the young talent award show on the opening night.

Fourteen fashion graduates presented their impressive graduation collections to an international jury of fashion professionals and of course the audience. Sometimes chic and wearable other times fantasy driven en over the top, but always outstanding en qualitative. There were two awards to be won; one winner to be chosen by the jury, the other voted for by the audience.

Danial Aitouganov graduated at AMFI became the big winner of the night. He presented five looks from his “The second sex – vol. II” collection, an expressive and colorful collection based on the idea of a forth feminist wave; a generation of women who with the right manner fight for their right. Daniel won the Lichting Award; a money prize of 10.000 euro to be used on the development of his work.

The audience’s favorite turned out to be Marlou Breuls, also an AMFI graduate. With her outstanding red hot collection, including a majestic dress made out of a carpet, she won the Audience Favorite Award powered by Converse, a money prize of €3.000,-.

Congrats to the winners!

Karim Adduchi Catwalk Fashion Show Amsterdam SS2017

Aaand fashion week is officially started! Illustrator, artist and fashion designer Karim Adduchi (1988, Imzouren, Marokko) opened a fashion filled week with his ‘She lives behind the courtyard door’- collection. Ignoring trends and other fashion codes Adduchi took us to a place where tradition and mystic determine everything. His designs represented hidden beauty and strength, as colors and patterns also referred to Adduchi’s Moroccan roots, his dreams and barriers. Lots of focus on detail, which is much appreciated after years and years of minimalism. Carpets, both fresh from the loom and antique, are draped and sculpted, combined and mixed, their heavy wool textures contrasted by the occasional shimmer of elaborate modern details. All pieces are handmade and unique; the carpets hand-loomed in Morocco, the seams hand-stitched by Adduchi. Drawing inspiration from his own heritage, reconstructing it and using this history to tell us about courtyards and the women living in them. Adduchi invited us to create our own story, handing us the material to dream and to follow him behind the courtyard door. Adduchi is a storyteller, and fashion is his way of communicating without having to speak. Oh well, enough words, just take a look at the image gallery above and you get an idea.

Backstage at Viktor & Rolf Haute Couture Paris FW2016

Take a look backstag at the Viktor & Rolf show yesterday in Paris. Hair- and beautyteams preparing the models, the dresses getting a last finish and oh, take a closer look at those beautiful fabrics.

Viktor & Rolf Haute Couture Fashion Show FW2016

Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren have kept everything from their old collections, even the leftover silver sequins from the collection that won the Dutch duo top prize at the Hyères festival back in 1993.

They repurposed those sequins, and scraps from collections across their career, for their fall couture collection, weaving their own fashion history into rag-rug embellishments on vintage trenchcoats, military jackets, sweatshirts and denim.

Their impulse was sustainability — and to challenge themselves to create something different from fragments of the past. There were bits from their “Blue Screen” and “Van Gogh” shows — fall 2002 ready-to-wear and spring 2015 couture, respectively.

Beyond the fabrics, the silhouettes referenced past Viktor & Rolf shows, particularly the bulging finale coats, recalling their “Russian Doll” collection.

The sweatshirts and military jackets were marvels of jutting ruffles and twinkling patches of vintage buttons and errant crystals, the patches repeating on cropped jeans and khakis. The show reached a dramatic crescendo with a clutch of trenchcoats that morphed into full-skirted ballgowns, scraps of tulle tinted into delicate dégradés.

The white gown that capped the display also winked to Viktor & Rolf’s next move: A collection of wedding dresses to debut in October during New York Bridal Week.

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