Arts Holland, a first introduction from Arts Holland on Vimeo.
I’m currently working with Arts Holland as an editor since May and I’m loving every second of it! We promote Holland internationally as an attractive cultural destination. We have a website, an open data platform and the very first edition of the magazine which was launched yesterday at the Bimhuis in Amsterdam in cooperation with SICA. With a dazzling view of the Ij river, we celebrated with the presence of the press, contributors, our colleagues and our partners.
It’s great meeting the other people who are also part of project: Arts Holland is a collaboration of the Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions (NBTC), the Waag Society and the Nederlands Uitburo (yours truly and my awesome colleagues Kim and Anna who are the center of the editorial and creative team). Ambassadors and diplomats from Dutch embassies all over the world and partners from KLM, Total Active Media and the cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, the Hague and Utrecht were also there. It’s very heartwarming to see the reactions of the people upon getting their hands on a copy – all smiles and cheerful gushes! I hope people would love and be inspired by our magazine – we definitely enjoyed working on it and put a lot of love in it.
Weren’t there for the launch? You can still read the magazine online:
“Best in Show: Between Space and Structure” highlights the best and the brightest Dutch fashion designers today. I wrote an online piece for the website which talks about selected designers featured in the magazine, and the history of contemporary Dutch fashion:
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Best in Show
Holland is home to avant-garde, innovative and inspiring fashion. Art academies in the country are highly regarded in the global fashion industry, with talented graduates such as Viktor & Rolf who believe that “couture should be a field for experimentation.” With absolute dedication and a clear vision, Dutch designers are in the forefront of avant-garde contemporary fashion.
What characterizes Dutch fashion? Radboud University researchers conducted an ambitious study aiming to understand and reinforce the cultural innovation of Dutch fashion in an international context. Dutch Fashion Identity in a Globalised World is based on the assumption that Dutch fashion is capitalized on a unique cultural mix of individualism, innovation and post-modern design. Dutch Modernism in fashion came to its peak in the 90’s, when a group of six recently-graduated Dutch designers calling themselves Le Cri Néerlandais presented their works at the Institute Néerlandais in 1994. These promising designers were Saskia van Drimmelen, Pascale Gatzen, Marcel Verheijen, Lucas Ossendrijver, Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren (Viktor & Rolf). The international press showed positive feedback for the group. I-D magazine even hailed them as the successors of the Antwerp Six, and the ones to determine the future of fashion.
The promise of Le Cri Néerlandais are fulfilled today in the works of young Dutch fashion designers. Art academies in Holland train their students in fashion design to focus on individual expression and conceptual thinking. This method brings an emphasis on the freedom to experiment, but at the same time it also encourages a positive attitude towards functionality and rationality. Therefore, resulting pieces are conceptual and introspective, artistic and practical, experimental and wearable. These values translate well in the collections of young, contemporary designers from Holland.
Take a look at some of the best and brightest fashion designers of today’s Dutch fashion scene. These selected designers are featured in the Arts Holland magazine article ‘Best in Show‘. In addition, we have provided addresses of where you can shop and take home these wearable pieces of art.
Mattijs van Bergen
Mattijs van Bergen was educated at the prestigious Central Saint Martins in London. His most recent collection showed feminine models dressed in hues of black & gold, blue and orange. The pieces incorporated distinct lines with soft flowing skirts: a cross between science fiction and glamour. Structured, surprisingly wearable, and never over the top experimental, Mattijs’ pieces are subtle works of art.
For point of sale, please visit the website.
Iris van Herpen
One of the most striking designers of this moment, Iris van Herpen, stands for a reciprocity between craftsmanship and
innovation in technique and materials, inspired on the world to come. Iris van Herpen creates a new direction of couture that combines fine handwork techniques with futuristic digital technology.
- Margreeth Olsthoorn – Witte de Withstraat 5a, 3012 DK Rotterdam
- United Nude Flagship Store – Spuistraat 125A, 1012 SM Amsterdam
- SPRMRKT – Rozengracht 191-193, 1016 LZ Amsterdam
Jan Taminiau
Far, far away from the dogmatic strictures of fashion, Jan Taminiau searches for new forms and new horizons. In the quest for the perfect fit new shapes and unconventional techniques are being pursued. The meticulously constructed creations enable the wearer to experiment endlessly with form.
- Atelier Jan Taminiau – Rijksstraatweg 117D, 1396 JJ Baambrugge
Hyun Yeu
Hyun Yeu’s label ‘Ado Les Scents‘ sets the standard for menswear. The label vision manifests itself in elegant, high-quality menswear with innovative shapes and fabrics. ‘Ado Les Scents’ aims for a young-minded crowd. These men are not afraid to stand out and show their vulnerable side.
For point of sales, please visit the website.
Spijkers & Spijkers
Spijkers & Spijkers are twin sisters Truus and Riet Spijkers, graduates of ArtEZ Institute of the Arts who have started their own label in 2000. Since then, they have built a distinctive and instantly recognizable style which rewrites the stereotypical ideas of femininity. The duo is inspired by 1920’s modernism, artistically mixing soft materials with hard and sharp lines. The result: bold and functional designs with a wisp of dreaminess, emphasizing the female body in a strong and independent way.
- Van Ravenstein – Keizersgracht 359, 1016 EJ Amsterdam
- Margreeth Olsthoorn – Witte de Withstraat 5a, 3012 DK Rotterdam
- Buise/ Can’t Do Without – Cornelis Schuytstrat 12, 1071 JH Amsterdam
- Margriet Nannings – Prinsenstraat 8 1015 DC Amsterdam
