Aziz Bekkaoui Frontrow Catwalk Fashion Show Amsterdam SS16

Seen our catwalk images? Read our show review? Here´s a selection of frontrow images. Who´s is who at Aziz Bekkaoui.

Aziz Bekkaoui Catwalk Fashion Show Amsterdam SS16

“There will be a surprising guest-model walking down the runway tonight”, Dutch tv-host and male model Dirk Taat revealed a few minutes before show time. That already started many rumours about the opening show of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Amsterdam. And it was up to artist and designer Aziz Bekkaoui, who has his roots in Morocco, to warm up the fashion audience. And it seemed to be the follow-up of his last season show. While his fall collection was all about love, named United Hearts Now, this time it was about United Origins. His aim was to redefine everyday lines, squares, colours and symbols that have been around us for ages, surrounding us in the streets and in the media. Sometimes it’s good to look at regular things from a different angle, change your perception and see it in a new and refreshing daylight, considering them more than just a colour or solid constitution. The result was a clean graphic pallet of black, white, red and blue held together by golden cement. In some outfits a bold orange caught our eye, in others the British flag peeped out, perhaps the epitome of his message. Some outfits looked modernly clean, others were richer, more accessorised or slightly preppy. Oh and not to mention those white sneakers. Any guy who wouldn’t want to wear those crispy whites during summer time? We kept on flipping the pages in our ‘How to Stay Cool During the Summer’ guide, which was underlined by Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black and an upbeat Dutch hip hop finale song, which was a direct link to that mysterious guest on the runway, Dutch rapper Yes-R. One thing’s for sure; Aziz gives you a one way ticket to a cool urban attitude.

Aziz Bekkaoui Catwalk Fashion Show MBFWA FW2015

In times like these, it doesn’t always feel right to just show a collection of pretty clothes only the wealthiest people can afford. Sometimes, you need to be able to make a statement with fashion too. Yesterday Edwin Oudshoorn already presented us with his torn down world instead of his usual happy ever after. Today Aziz Bekkaoui had something to say too. He seemed to be making a political statement by using what looked like a Palestine flag print as the main print in his fall/winter collection. On socks, skirts, tops, blouses, dresses, beanies and backpacks; it popped up everywhere! Aziz’ message was all about love; a little reminder of what life should actually be all about. The show opened with the sound of a heartbeat, Aziz named the collection United Hearts Now and used heart shaped prints, embroideries and necklaces on most of his looks. Now his message might be political, the show had a cheerful feeling nevertheless. Old school hip hop songs by DJ Manga and the models’ funky styling made sure of that. As did the bright pops of color. Green, red, burgundy, pink and blue were all in the mix with the black & white graphic (pied de poule and jacquard) prints. Glass and wool, cashmere and silk. Urban danced with classic. Loose shorts, polo shirts, chunky knits, short sleeved vests and the models’ cool attitude brought everything together. Oh and not to mention those white sneakers. The fashion world wouldn’t be the same without those and Aziz knows all about it.

Aziz Bekkaoui Fashion Week Amsterdam FW2014

Aziz Bekkaoui’s fashion show was the closing ‘act’ of tonight’s opening ceremony. The artist and designer, who has his roots in Morocco, treated us to a grande fashion spectacle – named Images Rule – that never seemed to end. “An homage to diversity”, as he stated in his show notes. A selection of soldiers dressed in black opened the show, marching to the beats of Fight the Power. Dark designs followed in a mix of materials like leather, lace and fur. Both men and women paraded in the show, yet their ensembles weren’t all that different for most of the part. Strong silhouettes, mix of textures and Bekkaoui’s eye for detail came through in all of the creations. Some looked modernly clean, others were richer, more accessorized and therefore appeared more classic. Enormous fur bags, high collars, long gloves and heavy head pieces made it a true f/w collection. No worries if next winter will be freezing cold; with Bekkaoui’s collection we’ll have plenty of warm pieces to choose from.

Watch the video of the show Images Rule below: