Winde Rienstra & Marije de Haan Catwalk Fashion Show SS2013

Winde Rienstra
Standing here for the fourth time, Winde Rienstra is not a new face anymore at Amsterdam fashion week. She’s slowly putting herself out there as one of the new great talents showing here. And so far, she’s doing a good job.

Rienstra’s work is known for the handcraft, strong details, graphic shapes and the fact that she’s not afraid to experiment with several and sometimes complicated materials. And that’s what she showed us again today. The show started with a video portraying the different materials she worked with for this collection in a kaleidoscopic way. We saw sequins, silk, wool, and even pieces of Lego. Materials with totally different characters, but Rienstra knows how to make them work together and how they can intensify each other. Soft and hard reunites effortlessly.

We saw some long, silk dresses in soft colors like white, pale blue and salmon combined with wooden keen-edged constructions and revised with embroidered details. A faux fur skirt had knitted flowers on both sides. And the shoes, made of Lego that made the models cradle sometimes, screamed structure.

Although her designs may not always be easy or comfortable to wear, it was a nice collection. Rienstra knows what she’s best in, but is not afraid to renew herself. And that’s what we like about her.

(Eva Dusch)

Marije de Haan
Uncommon runway models walked in this afternoon’s Marije de Haan fashion show. Bearded, tattooed, stout, short and old guys played the part of Marije de Haan’s sailor men. They sported sailor underwear, carried bottles of beer in leather sleeves in their hands and did in fact appear slightly drunk.

Marije created striped ‘underwear’ shorts, checked buttoned tops and what appeared to be two combinations between a cape and a blouse. Dutch flag details were visible on a leather-ish/fringed, three colored jacket, a knitted scarf and a top with a flag attached to it. One of the guys even wore a line of dirty, striped and checked red  – white – blue flags around his neck.

Two tough bearded guys were dressed in the most adorable designs; one nude colored lace ensemble and a heart printed pair of pj’s. We can already picture them strolling around in the harbor on their Palladium boots on a Sunday morning.

“That can half up the sails that can swallow the moon. And he drinks, and he drinks, and he drinks once again.”

 

Jan Boelo Amsterdam Catwalk Fashion Show SS2013

Once again Jan Boelo’s show was fully booked tonight. Several Dutch celebs came to support the 24-year old designer, who gave his first evening show. The Boelo spectacle started with a backdrop video in which transsexual model Valentijn de Hingh vandalized a car, which lit on fire a few minutes later. The fire remained a backdrop during the rest of the show in which Jan Boelo’s military team returned home after battle.

His female models wore sexy shiny dresses, T-shirts with shoulder pads, tight statement jackets and figure accentuating pencil skirts. The guys sported sleeveless leather jackets, fully buttoned blouses, shiny shorts and hand knitted sweaters.

To make the dark, leather looks even heavier Jan added his signature chains, personalized Jan Boelo medals, eye-catching guys’ earrings, military caps and a heavy metal soundtrack that almost blew up the AFW-speakers. Valentijn Hingh closed the show and after all models appeared on stage Jan Boelo went out with a bang.

Bas Kosters Amsterdam Catwalk Fashion Show SS2013

No evening show for Bas Kosters today. Instead he held a matinee show this afternoon. It started with an on stage interview with the famous Margreet Dolman who asked him about the big inspiration for his spring/summer collection…Love!

Turns out when Bas Kosters and his partner broke up after a nine year relationship last year Bas felt he just had to do something with love. When he was ready to leave his grief behind he tattooed the word ‘love’ on his chest and moved on. He used his broken heart experience for his new collection, named Love Fuck Yeah, inspired by the love of his family and friends, the love for himself and his work that strengthened him.

And loaded with love it was. In a nine minute during show Bas gave us all the love he had to give to the tunes of 90 different love tracks (Love for the Sake of Love – Love me like a loaded Gun – Love is a drug). All looks were colorful and printed, like you’d expect from Bas. Prints included checks, dolls and hearts shapes, which maybe looked innocent but in fact were made out of porn images. His bright sequins were heart shaped too and a male model dressed in an enormous tule dress was just too cool for skool.

After all models had left the runway they came up once more picking people out of the audience dancing with them and just sharing the love. Then the church bells rang and the last song started… “Going to the chapel and we gonna get married..”, we heard as Bas wearing a veil came on stage with someone in an enormous heart costume. As a wedding cake was brought on it was clear: Bas is madly in love again and ready to share it with the rest of the world.

Fred, Britt & Jacob Kok Catwalk Fashion Show SS2013

Some familiar faces during today’s LAB shows.

Fred Farrow, who won the Frans Molenaar price in 2010, and his friend Britt Avalon Tan presented their spring/summer collection. Their models appeared to the tunes of an acapella song played in the corner of the room. They looked elegant in a selection of handmade macrame designs in a beautiful color palette which included lots of white and some accents in yellow, mint green and rusty.

Then Jacob Kok, who we know from last year and winner of the Dutch television program Project Catwalk, showed his collection named WROEG. Inspired by the end of times of the Maya calender he sent his men down the runway carrying their own light installations. They had a radar projected on their chest, guiding them in the unknown. Jacob showed some stunning prints, which he developed himself together with his sponsor Dylon.

Lichting 2012 Amsterdam Catwalk Fashion Show

On Thursday night the top notch of Dutch fashion students presented their work in a crowded tropical warm show area. Fourteen upcoming designers all showed their skills by each sending out four of their best looks.

We spotted some serious talent and very much enjoyed the diversity of the collections.

See all the looks of the fourteen designers:

Esther Kruyer, Brian Geradts, Nadja Wering, Miriam de Waard, Ilona Putkaradze, Sara Veenstra, Tess van Zalinge, Yvonne Kwok, David Laport, Poul Brouwer, Morta Griskeviciute, Judith van Vliet, Jef Montes, Dagmar Lindeijer

Melissa Siegrist & Rebecca Ward Amsterdam Fashion Week SS2013

Melissa Siegrist and Rebecca Ward both showed a very small selection of looks today.

Melissa started with six sportswear inspired menswear outfits. She showed sporty shorts with visible pockets, tank tops in different variations (linen, striped and shiny) and two chic jackets. A small but well tailored selection. We would love to see more!

Rebecca Ward’s collection was all about curves. She presented a series of corset-inspired looks and added circular shapes to her bodies, skirts and pants. A structured grey skirt and a nude shaded body looked stunning, as did a kaleidoscopic nude dress. It might be a while before those futuristic pants get picked up, but they sure fit well in this small and cohesive collection.

Cold Method Amsterdam Fashion Week SS2013

After he presented his previous collection in a grand theater in Amsterdam Dieter de Cock kept things small and intimate for Cold Method this time around. He held a small collection presentations during which he personally talked the press through his designs, highlighting some of the details and pointing out some of the functional extra’s.

For next summer Dieter was inspired by the documentary, Sympathy for the Devil (1968), in which the Rolling Stones work on a track with the same title. The clothes therefore had a true London sixties feeling and a Mick Jagger look to it.

Divided into three themes the collection of suit jackets, shorts, smoking shirts and knitted sweaters took us from soft (blue, light pink, white) to preppy (yellow, navy, camel) and urban cool (blue, purple, red, navy) shades.

Dieter told us he wanted to focus more on the real Cold Method man and with this collection that guy will certainly be pleased.

By Borre, Day show

That was quite a surprising show By Borre gave in Amsterdam this afternoon. It was all about movement indeed. Sportsmen demonstrated the comfortable, easy outfits of Borre Akkersdijk while performing gymnastics.

Jan Boelo Amsterdam Fashion Week Preview

Going big
After having presented his previous collections in the afternoon Jan Boelo will hold a big evening show in collaboration with phone company Sizz during upcoming Amsterdam Fashion Week. And so Jan is going big with his collection too this season. “We’re creating about forty to fifty looks this time, twice the number of looks we did last year”, says Boelo. “Of course it tougher, but the number of team members working on the collection is doubled too and we’ll get some extra help the coming weeks, so we’ll manage. Since I only want to show the strongest looks we eventually might edit out about five of them during the styling process, but for now we’re just creating enough options.”

In the navy
The theme of Jan’s spring summer collection will be military, inspired by an editorial in French Vogue. “I’m showing all kinds of variations of the uniform. The army and the navy will be big themes in the show. The runway show will be a triumph, after battle. This means besides uniforms I will present garments men and women wear when returning home after war, for example leather long johns. All designs (in shades of sand, army, navy, red, white, blue, silver and gold ) will be slightly destroyed and the models’ hair and make-up too will look a bit off, in line with the theme”, Jan explains.

Seks & wax
The pieces will have a slightly different fit compared to last season, yet there’s no doubt they will still breathe the same amount of sex and rock. Jan: “The military jackets will be extremely tailored, T-shirts will be super tight, yet pants will be slightly looser and there is a focus on the shoulders. You’ll see my signature leather and jersey, plus I’ve used a special wax fabric for some of the coats and jackets. I will even present a sweater knitted out of chains, we are working on right now.”

Shine on
Jan already has a famous clientèle of mainly artists (Caro Emerald, Daily Bread and Ellen ten Damme) who wear his designs on stage. And it seems he inspires them as much as they do him. “The fabrics I use work really well on stage, since they’re often very shiny. It’s the stand out pieces (his metallic pants and baroque jackets from previous collections) that are selling the best. In Paris (where his designs are sold at Le Vestibule) a selection of Jan Boelo jackets was even sold out in four days. Jan: “The great thing is that even abroad mostly musicians and performers, people I’m inspired by, buy my designs.”

Celebs
And oh my do stars love Jan Boelo. Ever since his first fashion show he has had a star studded front row, something he never would have imagined. “I’m only 24 years old and I am actually just starting out. Sometimes I can not even believe some of the famous Dutch artists would actually come to my show.” Looking far ahead with his career is thus something Jan doesn’t do. “It’s hard to plan things, but of course I would love to expand. I would like to sell my clothes in London, Italy, Germany and Scandinavia, but time will tell if that will happen.”

Friday the 13th
For now Jan is finishing up his collection and is excited about the show. “I’m showing on the same day as Bas Kosters and Spijkers en Spijkers, so it will be a great day even though it will be Friday the 13th. I’m looking forward to putting on a great show together with them. ‘Cause I feel making Amsterdam Fashion Week a success is something you do together.”

Jan Boelo will show his Spring Summer 2013 collection on Friday 13 July at 09.00 PM

Paul Smith Menswear Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2013

Paul Smith seemed very optimistic regarding his crisp and colorful collection. Smith’s signature slim silhouettes reminded us of the Mods — the double-breasted suit jackets had strong shoulders and were paired with ankle-length pants in mismatched shades of  peach, mustard and teal. A more laid-back vibe came in cotton or leather biker and blouson jackets. The whole collection offered a modern spin on Smith’s very British tailoring.

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