Spring/Summer ’16 Fashion Shows: FUTURE GENERATION

The following post is written on July 14th, 2015. I wrote this post with a fellow student for our website Trendpit.nl . This post is about Jazz Kuipers and Jef Montes’ fashion shows, during the Mercedes Benz Amsterdam Fashion Week July 2015.

The ‘Future Generation’ show contained two parts: two catwalk shows and an exposition of five different designers. These designers gave their personal vision on the future of fashion, creating unique worlds where fashion is as serious as it seems relative.

White lights and fog appeared at the beginning of the catwalk. Dark music began to play when the ‘warriors’ of Jazz Kuipers appeared one by one out of the fog with a truculent look on their faces. Jazz Kuipers showed her collection ‘TWO’. The male models were dressed in black architectonic clothing with a lot of leather. They looked raw and tough. Some of them wore face-concealing masks. Our feeling of the future after seeing this show is dark and truculent.

A boat sailing through the wild ocean fighting against the rough waves appeared on the screen while shrieking, irregular sounds were screaming through the room. It felt like we were on a boat floating through the wild ocean that seemed to sink. The first model walked down the catwalk, dressed in a white dress with a white balloon in her hands. The balloon cracked and the water splashed over her dress. This is where the show began. Jef Montes showed his ‘Velero’ collection, which means sailboat in Spanish. The clothing was mostly white, but some of the items were black and blue. The silhouettes were organic and had imperfect details.

White can mean the end of life but it can also be seen as the beginning of a new life. Water was clearly an important subject during this show. Water is unpredictable, just like our future, and water could be one of our dooming scenarios in the future. Jazz and Jef showed us architectonic fashion versus organic fashion in one night. Are we ready for this future?

Spring/Summer ’16 Fashion Show: FROM A WILTED TO A BLOOMING FLOWER

The following post is written on July 14th, 2015. I wrote this post with a fellow student for our website Trendpit.nl . This post is about Maria Cle Leal’s fashion show, during the Mercedes Benz Amsterdam Fashion Week July 2015. Maria is a designer from Spain and her show was a-ma-zing!

The presentation of Maria Clé Leal during the Mercedes-Benz Fashionweek Amsterdam showed a perfect transition from spring to summer. With the performance of a classic dancer, Maria showed that fashion is related to any other form of art and that they can support each other in a story.

The story of Maria started with darkness and a sober feeling. The sound of broken glass and a wheezy person filled the dark room. Dark clothing, thick fabrics and body covering outfits past the runway. The silhouettes of the first outfits looked like closed, wilted flowers. But under the sound of raindrops, the flowers began to bloom. They grew into beige seeds and bright pink flowers. The classic ballet dancer performed beautifully and showed the audience a withered flower, broken and fragile during the cold. But she bloomed as the show continued, the season changed and the weather got better.

It looked like a ray of light awakened the life from within the core of the flower. The thick fabrics changed into light and flowing silhouettes, which breathed summer. Is this symbolic for a withered flower in the wind, like a dandelion?

The concept of the show was so clear and perfectly worked out in detail. The show sends a positive message into the audience: you need to plant and invest to be able to grow. Our lives could be influenced by so much darkness. It is our job to find the brightness and stimulate the fragile growth of a flower during changing seasons.

Photos taken by me.

Spring/Summer ’16 Fashion Show: READY TO WEAR

The following post is written on July 11th, 2015. I wrote this post on my own for our website Trendpit.nl . This post is about FUTURA’s fashion show, during the Mercedes Benz Amsterdam Fashion Week July 2015. Minimalistic mens fashion.

We stepped into another world, which felt like a disco. Loud music was pumping out of the speakers and purple and blue lights illuminated the room. In the centre of the room stood a turntable where two DJs were playing live music. The front of the turntable was covered in big white letters, which said ‘FUTURA’.

Male models walked along the catwalk one by one. The first two models were wearing colourful outfits, shorts and a jacket in pink and turquoise with high sport socks and shoes. Because of the colours, these first two outfits stood out to us. Further clothes from this collection were mainly white, black and blue. Variations of t-shirts with shorts, to firm coats with long trousers made of sturdy denim fabric. The tops’ and jackets’ silhouettes were straight and square. The t-shirts had a graphic design and some jackets had visible stitching, which both created a graphic effect.

 

The models were quite normal, just like the clothes they were wearing. The entire collection was ‘ready-to-wear’, minimalistic and sporty. The music was loud and the models walked quickly.

The designers of FUTURA are young and creative. They found an innovative way to partly finance this fashion show, namely ‘Crowdfunding’. A couple of weeks before their fashion show FUTURA was selling t-shirts and sweaters on their website. This money was used to finance the fashion show. In addition, the public and people of interests immediately were involved. This shows that young creative designers are not afraid to use creative ways to show their talents to the world.

Photos taken by me.

Spring/Summer ’16 Fashion Show: WHITE AFRICA

The following post is written on July 11th, 2015. I wrote this post for the website Trendpit.nl . This post is about Zyanya Keizer’s fashion show, during the Mercedes Benz Amsterdam Fashion Week July 2015. It was an amazing show.

All white everything in African style. The catwalk was covered with white flour and above the catwalk dangled three airy canvases. Amidst this white ambiance stood just one dark African model. She was covered in a strong structured white dress with her head behind a mask.

In this extraordinary setting the other models were different from the African one. The models were white-skinned and their foreheads were painted in orange. Their hair was braided and coloured white. The collection of Zyanya Keizer consists of light and earthy colours, like white, brown and grey. Notable was the wide variety in shapes and materials. Beads, little balls and strings graced the garments. There was a clear contrast between soft loose-fittings and hard structured pieces. In many of the garments organic forms were visible. Zyanya does often take inspiration from the connection between man and nature and this characteristic was clear to see. This collection was definitely based on influences and the improbability of Mother Nature.

      

After seeing the white models in an African setting it became clear that Zyanya wanted to pay attention to a social problem. A major social problem in Africa is the aversion that prevails against albinos. According to many Africans an albino goes against nature. Today the white skin models occurred as the African albino. Our nature can be improbable and this improbability was visible today, the albinos were in the majority.

With this collection Zyanya will support the African albinos. Next week there will be an auction where different garments will be acutioned. The money will be given to the Foundation for African Albinos.

Photos: Team Peter Stigter

Spring/Summer ’16 Fashion Shows: DIVING DEEP

The following post is written on July 9th, 2015. I wrote this post with a fellow student for our website Trendpit.nl . This post is about fashion show of Judith van Vliet x Chris van den Elzen, during the Mercedes Benz Amsterdam Fashion Week July 2015.

On the opening night of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Judith van Vliet and Chris van den Elzen presented their second collaboration called ‘Dark Depths’.

The oceans are the lungs of our planet, which are contaminated by humanity with trash and chemicals. People are not aware that de dark depths of the see have many secrets, and that the dark water holds unknown knowledge. In a darkness where time does not exist, a world full of secrets is hidden. This was the inspiration for the show tonight.

The show started with some pink lights, like little fishes in the ocean. When the first model appeared, the room was still in darkness. It felt like we were deep down in the ocean. She was wearing a dress, with an armour that was glowing in the dark. In the middle of the catwalk she stopped, the lights turned on and the music started. The music consisted of noises that we associated with the depth of the ocean and submarine sounds. During the show we saw the glowing in the dark in every outfit, combined with the colours black, blue and coral. While some outfits were really light and floating, others where heavy and knitted.

The outfits designed by Judith van Vliet were styled with the shoes of Chris van den Elzen, which seemed to us as a modern day interpretation of the jelly sandals.

The show was a perfect combination of 3D-printing and craftsmanship and a perfect combination of two young talented designers.

We think, in a time where we seem to forget about the oceans and what we are doing to them, we need reminders as these. By making the creatures of the oceans look human, we feel more responsible for this important part of nature. We can not wait to step in to a submarine and find out what is really hidden in the depths of the oceans!

Photos: Trendpit

Spring/Summer ’16 events: GETTING INTO THE FASHION WEEK SPIRIT

The following post is written on July 11th, 2015. I wrote this post with a fellow student for our website Trendpit.nl . This post is about the downtown event; Zalando Fashion House, during the Mercedes Benz Amsterdam Fashion Week July 2015.

When we arrived at the Zalando Fashion House event the atmosphere changed into a relaxed and summery beach vibe. There was a terrace ‘outside’ and the drinks were flowing. The terrace and delicious drinks gave everybody the chance to talk about the interesting pieces, made by the designer Zyanya Keizer. There was an opportunity to get ready for the fashion shows; the make-up studio did the make-up and hair for anyone interested.

There was a ‘fashion truck’ that gave us insights in Zyanya’s inspiration for her new collection. On the walls were images of African tribes with fitting colour and material samples. She showed three dresses of her previous collections, but what grabbed our attention was the central piece of her latest collection; an off-white dress with accessory piece, both with organic shapes and interesting structures. This appeared to be the showpiece of her latest collection.

Zalando presented two racks with clothing and accessories of their summer collection, which is available on their website. They were made of soft, floating and light materials. The colours were mostly light pink, white and brown. The clothing fitted with the whole ambience.

During this event we had a short conversation with Zyanya about her latest collection, which will be shown the 10th of July at the Mercedes-Benz Amsterdam Fashion week. She told us she is involved with the ‘African albino foundation’. This wasn’t only her inspiration, because she also supports this foundation. She will auction some of her pieces and donate the proceeds.

This event was a start of the Uptown Fashion Shows, to get into the fashion week spirit. We are looking forward to the upcoming Uptown Fashion shows and after this event in particular Zyanya Keizer’s show.

Photos: Team Peter Stigter

Fashion Show: LINGERIE ACTION ROLE PLAYING

The following post is written on January 28th, 2015. I wrote this post with a fellow student for our website Trendpit.nl . This post is about Pretty Wild Lingerie’s fashion show, during the Mercedes Benz Amsterdam Fashion Week January 2015.

The show started, big white letters appeared on the screens saying: ‘Pretty Wild lingerie’. Thrilling music was pumping out of the speakers. The first model showed up on the catwalk. Dressed in a black with pink-laced corset and black with pink-strapped knee tights, full of confidence she walked down the catwalk. 

‘The concept is simple: it’s all about emotion and feelings wrapped up in a beautiful box.’  

The collection was an equal mix between romantic pieces of lace combined with sexy, edgy leather details. This mix exactly subscribes the way woman would like to feel nowadays. Women don’t want to be seen as sex symbols, but on the other hand they still do want to look attractive. This collection symbolized the perfect balance.

By wearing this kind of lingerie a woman can empathize better with some kind of sexiness she want to act like. The experience than becomes more real and increases their self-esteem. This is the reason why wearing several lingerie garments perfectly fit in with the experience economy.

Photos: Team Peter Stigter

Fashion Show: TROUBLE IN PARADISE

The following post is written on January 26th, 2015. I wrote this post with a fellow student for our website Trendpit.nl . This post is about Dennis Diem’s fashion show, one of my favorite shows, during the Mercedes Benz Amsterdam Fashion Week January 2015.

We all know Adam and Eve, but do you know Lilith? She was the first woman God assigned to Adam. God created Lilith just like Adam from earth. However, when they got intimate, Adam wanted Lilith to lie underneath him, which means, that she would submit to him. She refused, because she was equivalent to Adam. And then there was trouble in Paradise.

During Dennis Diem’s fashion show Lilith, the nightly demon, appeared floating on the moon while the models walked down the catwalk. The collection was fully based on the story of Lilith and therefore also with the earth and feminism. The silhouettes remind us of the style of the perfect 1950’s housewife, contrasted with wide-hemmed masculine pants and tuxedo jackets. On the garments we saw the rainbow elytra’s of a beetle which was embroidered in a snake scale pattern. These snake scales refer to Lilith, because she is symbolically rolled up like a snake in our unconscious. The flowers on the suits and dresses were made from pearl shells. These pearl shells refer to Lilith because she decided to flee from Paradise away to the waters of the ocean. Where she still lives today..

The women has been “underneath” for thousand years. She is trapped in a role imposed by cultures and religion. This made the male and female fall into a large imbalance. Now in our time the male and female are more in balance. But it is still an issue that emancipation hasn’t finished yet. We are convinced; as long as Lilith stays in the ocean, feminism will remain.

Photos: Team Peter Stigter

Events: UNIQUE GOODS AND CULTURAL DREAMS

The following post is written on January 26th, 2015. I wrote this post with a fellow student for our website Trendpit.nl . This post is about a downtown event during the Mercedes Benz Amsterdam Fashion Week January 2015.

Local goods and fashion, a nice combination on a Sunday afternoon. Walk around ‘De Hallen’ and you will see an amount of stands with fashion, jewellery and beauty products. But these products are not just regular products, you won’t find anything ordinary on this market. Every product, every label has a story waiting and wanting to be told. Vintage, homemade, organic, you name it. Every story is different but equally inspiring.

What we thought was most inspiring, was the ‘young designers’ area. A number of young individuals showed their designs and visions. Visions on design as well as their vision on life and how to live it; your way. Don’t worry about opinions or standards, dare to be different and ‘It’s ok to be fake’ . Also, the importance and inspiration of different cultures was shown, open up and see the world through different eyes. Be an individual and let the rest be individuals as well!

Judith van Vliet, a young fashion designer with a great passion for fashion. Judith showed pieces of her latest collection during the local goods market fashion edition. Her collection was made in collaboration with Chris van den Elzen. Chris designed the shoes, which are 3D printed. The clothes are inspired on decayed buildings, turning into pieces of stone covered in flowers, moss and plants. She finds the contradiction between organic things and architecture interesting, organic versus technology. Everything Judith designs is handmade and she does everything herself.

We’ve seen a lot of young designers who follow their dreams, create unique designs while being aware of sustainability.

Photos taken by me.

Streetstyle: WE DRESS HOW WE FEEL

The following post is written on January 24th, 2015. I wrote this post with a fellow student for our website Trendpit.nl . This post is about streetstyle during the events at the Mercedes Benz Amsterdam Fashion Week January 2015.

Oliver Gonzalez ‘’I bought my clothes in Denmark but I currently live in The Netherlands. I never check if my outfit fits, I just wear whatever I want. In my private life I love to work as a DJ. I just dress to the occasion, so there’s not really something that gives me inspiration.’’

Rolf Kok ‘’My boyfriend is a digital art designer so the sweater I’m wearing is Art and Fashion combined. I normally dress the way I feels, but I do sometimes combine my outfit with my boyfriend. Fashion makes me very happy so that’s what I want to show the world.. I find it very funny to see that people dress their age, but I don’t want that. I want to dress the way I feel.’’

Vancha ‘’I like to dress the way I feel and that is how I want to present myself. I get inspiration mostly from the streets and Instagram. I don’t particularly look at signs I just see something when it looks good and that’s what I think is cool. I mostly wear black but only black can be boring sometimes, so I add something just like this sweater.’’

Theun ‘I love the darkness and don’t show my feelings, so black is my favourite colour.
Because black is my colour, I wear it everyday and combine it with everything minimalistic. I normally choose one piece and from there I style the rest. Swedish bloggers are my inspiration.’

Photos taken by me.