Dutch models: Lara Stone

One of the Dutch Models that is internationally moving towards the top is Lara Stone. The daughter of a Dutch mother and a British father is doing well in the modelling industry. Ever since she signed with modelling agency IMG in 2006 she’s really breaking through.

For spring/summer 2010 we saw her in shows of Givenchy, Chanel, Miu Miu, Hermes and Prada. Yet she’s also doing well in photo shoots. The French Vogue payed a tribute to the Dutch model in their February issue of this year and The British Vogue recently named her Girl Of The Year. Stone appears in big photo shoots in major international fashion magazines, as if she was born for the modelling business.

Every big fashion brand wants her in their show or campaign. And although Lara Stone didn’t walk in the Louis Vuitton fashion show, she will feature in the SS2010 ad campaign of the brand. In this position she will follow up Madonna, who was the LV face for 2009.

It seems Stone will be one of the future super models. Will she be the next Kate Moss or Claudia Schiffer? Anyway, we’re very proud she is Dutch. 😀

Christopher Bailey: Designer of the Year at BFA

Christopher Bailey, the creative whirlwind who has helped turn the heritage brand, Burberry, into a global luxury label, was wednesdaynight named ‘Designer of the Year’ 2009, at the British Fashion Awards. It is the second win for Bailey who previously was awarded the title in 2005.

Last night’s fashion “oscar” capped a remarkable year for Bailey, the 38-year-old Yorkshireman, who received the MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours earlier this year, and whose spring/summer 2010 Burberry Prorsum collection was the highlight of London Fashion Week, in September.

In addition, Burberry took home the Designer Brand award. In his acceptance speech, Bailey, who is chief creative officer, announced that Burberry Prorsum would continue to show at London Fashion Week in February.

You want to know why we like Christopher?

Bailey knows how to mix classic and modern and his particular skill is to cleverly update the brand stalwarts, like the trench, with enough fashion flair to make them seem fresh and wantable, season after season. The figures speak for themselves: while other brands languish in the recession, Burberry saw its revenue rise by 21% in the last financial year.  That translates into a lot of product sold — and Bailey is in control of it all. Everything you see ath Burberry’s headquarters has been passed by Bailey, not just the building, but the website and the furniture, right down to the bottles of water. He micromanages some areas, such as a new store concept, and macromanages the rest.

So is Bailey a scary control freak, unable to let go of even the smallest detail? “I’m so lucky,” he told Colin McDowell at The Sunday Times. “My role is challenging. It is so multifaceted, but that enables me to absorb many things that really interest me: the music for the shows, the website, the ad campaigns, the fragrances — and the clothes, of course.”

Bailey was brought up in Yorkshire; his father was a carpenter and his mother worked as a window-dresser for Marks & Spencer. Direct, natural and always articulate, he is a true Yorkshireman and no pushover. He trained in a tough school, working with Donna Karan, then as chief womenswear designer for Tom Ford at Gucci, before being chosen by Rose Marie Bravo, the chief executive at the time, to design for Burberry.

Despite all appearances — he is always in jeans and a T-shirt, but rarely without a jacket — Bailey is a fashion businessman as well as a designer. “The power that my job gives me is huge,” he says. “It would be so easy to be overwhelmed by the pressure. The deadlines, the budgets, the fact that my life at Burberry is so scheduled, and my days are full from 8.30am until late, usually well after 8pm. And the meetings. I’m always conscious that Burberry is much bigger than I am. It’s 153 years old. My life here hasn’t even reached 10 years yet, but I have been here long enough to say that Burberry flows in my veins. I love its values. I respond to its strong foundations and, of course, its history is a constant inspiration.”

According to Bailey, there is a knack to being a fashion polymath. “I can compartmentalise different aspects of my life in my head, so that, on one side, I have work and all the different projects we are involved in at any one moment, and on the other, my personal life. Keeping them in separate boxes contains them so they can both be made manageable. At work, I need order: cool, clean spaces that really help me to think clearly. But at home, I want that order to be scrambled.”

He has learnt how to go into performance mode in public, but he likes his private life to be private. “You know, I often think I could easily become a hermit,” he says. “I certainly know I can live by myself, although I would always choose to live in a loving relationship.” He is in one now, having recovered from an earlier relationship that ended in tragedy when his lover died. Maybe that’s why he claims: “The most wonderful thing is being happy with someone. Someone who can give you mental stimulation as well as emotional support.”

And he is very loyal. “My best friend is Rebecca. She was my best friend at school and she is still the person I ring more often than anybody, apart from my family. I go to Yorkshire whenever I can, have Sunday dinner with my parents, talk to Mum in the kitchen while she’s making the gravy. That’s when I feel totally happy and content.” He has a house not far from his parents; it’s an old farm, and he loves driving up there from his flat in Chelsea in what he claims is “a really clapped-out old Mini”.

Once he’s there, he has his way of unwinding. “I put on my wellies — I love my wellies — get the wheelbarrow out of the shed and bring in the logs and the coals. My great luxury is that I have a fire in the bedroom. Then I go to see the cows. I usually have friends to stay. We often end up at the local in the evening, having a few drinks.” It’s the same with holidays. “Nothing glamorous,” he says. “I just don’t need it.”

“It’s not looks, it’s character that counts with me. And really, I suppose, I like people in the same way that I like houses: a bit rambly and slouchy. People I can put my feet up with.”

See, that’s why we like him.

Groupielove #3

Christopher Bailey, chief creative officer of Burberry, and one of Great Britains best-known designers, collected last monday his MBE from Buckingham Palace. Bailey, 38, was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire  in June this year, for his services to the fashion industry “This award also recognises the incredible team that I work with and it is a privilege to be a part of Burberry, a great British brand” Bailey said.

The recognitions are the latest in a long list of awards for the talented Yorkshireman. In 2004, Bailey received an honorary fellowship from the Royal College of Art, from where he graduated with an MA in 1994. He also holds honorary doctorates from the University of Westminster and the University of Huddersfield.

Dutch models: Patricia van der Vliet

Dutch models were well-represented at the catwalk this year. One of the ‘new faces’ we saw in many big shows was  Patricia van der Vliet. The blond girl popped up in shows from Prada, Balenciaga, Nina Ricci and Yves Saint Laurent. She even had the honor to open the Louis Vuitton show (the only time we saw her with black (afro) hair).

Patricia once participated in the Dutch tv-show Holland’s Next Top Model. Although she did not win, she ultimately made her way into the modelling business.

Her diverse appearances in shows of the largest brands in the world showed us how versatile Patricia is as a model. In some shows she was hardly recognizable.

Style.com already discussed Patricia as one of the ten new faces on the catwalk. Hopefully we will be seing a lot more of this girl. If you ask us, we already consider her as a Top Model.

Tess van Daelen

For sale soon: Peter Stigter on the wall

One more day to go before Peter Stigter will launch his latest charity-project: Peter Stigter aan de Muur. Fashion- and photography lovers can buy limited edition large format photo’s via the website www.peterstigteraandemuur.nl. The sizes of the prints, made in collaboration with Canon,  will be 100 x150 cm. or  70 x 100 cm.. They will be accompanied by a certificate of originality.

The photo’s will be wrapped in a special cloth developed by TextielLab in Tilburg and send in a tube designed for Peter Stigter aan de muur.  Prices start at € 750,-.

A small selection of photo’s are exposed and for sale at photogallery Fashionmania by Rollan Didier in Amsterdam opening friday the 13th of november
Peter Stigter aan de muur @ Fashionmania by Rollan Didier
2e Laurierdwarsstraat 64
1016 RC Amsterdam

13/11 – 20/12 2009
Openinghours: thursday – sunday.
thu & fr: 16.00 – 19.00 uur
sa & su: 14.00 – 19.00 uur
www.peterstigteraandemuur.nl

All dressed up at the MBDFA 2009

Since it was storming outside and the red carpet was all up in the air, there were no good picture-moments during the arrival of the guests at the Mercedes Benz Dutch Fashion Awards last friday at the Grote Kerk in The Hague. So when everyone was inside and had modelled their hair and powdered their noses we took our chance and spotted some interesting guests in striking outfits.
It appeared Dutch design was well represented. While a few people wore outfits from upcoming designers, others wore clothes from well-known brands. Many women wore dresses by Klavers van Engelen, the winner of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Award 2007. The designs of Bas Kosters, one of the night’s nominees, were clearly present too.
Of course we asked everyone which nominated designer they thought should win. Although every designer was named a few times, Bas Kosters en Mada van Gaans seemed to be the favourites of the audience. Yet, unfortunately for them, the jury gets to decide who will win on this important Dutch fashion night.

And hopefully next year, we will spot men in the designs of Sjaak Hullekes, this years winner.

Tess van Daelen

Thijs Willekes over insecten en meubels

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPY-CpUUaCY[/youtube]

Front row at Badgley Mischka and Ilja Visser

Peter Stigter aan de muur

Peter Stigter just revealed his latest project Peter Stigter aan de muur, an online photo gallery which will be launched in november this year. Peter opened up his archive of thousands of fashion pictures and put his favorites in a photo gallery. The photo’s are printed in a very small limited edition and profits will be donated to projects helping the blind and visually disabled. The website peterstigteraandemuur.nl will be launched november 12th at Fashion Mania in Amsterdam. A blog will inform about the work in progress starting by the end of august.Keep an eye on this site, Dutch magazines and  newspapers. To be continued…

Dutch fashiontouch in Milan

We’re not the only Dutch fashionpro’s sweating our way around in Milan. John de Greef from Elsevier (at the backround) never misses a show and nearly any presentation, Michou Basu of De Telegraaf (right) always stays until the end and Bas van Schaik (middle) is there were the action is!

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