Fashionweek Amsterdam: SuperTrash

Posted on 27/01/2014 by Mimi Berlin Amsterdam

SuperTrash: BIG BANG! The fashion show by Supertrash was held yesterday at De Suikerfabriek (an old, huge, sugar factory) in Halfweg.

SuperTrash F/W 2014

Olcay Gulsen thanking the audience.

After the ST BIG BANG Fashion Show

The guests are ready to party

Olcay Gulsen dressed to party in a ST golden evening dress

As we entered the runway area we saw a big white ball in the middle of the stage, that looked promising! It almost took an hour to get all the guest seated and so the show started fashionably late. This F/W 2014 collection had a Science-Fiction theme. Continue reading →

Fashionweek in Amsterdam

Posted on 26/01/2014 by Mimi Berlin Amsterdam

The runway shows at the Mercedes-Benz Fashionweek Nederland are held at The Westergas terrein. Dutch fashion designers will show in two places at The Gashouder which is the main building, and at the smaller Transformatorhuis (January 23rd.> January 27)

Opening Night of Amsterdam’s FashionWeek

Mattijs kicked off at the main venue of the mercedes-benz catwalk. Picture this: On the stage a row of leafless trees. Opening in a very quiet way was a woman in a black evening dress singing Starry Night a-capella, she was pregnant. (This is Jolanda van den Berg, actress and the muse of Mattijs.) After she finished her song the models came on stage showing an autumn leaf color palette in plissee, prints (inspired by the painting techniques and the use of colors by Van Gogh) and knitwear. It seems like Mattijs toys around with the bounderies of couture and ready to wear. His choice of fabric is high-end, the shapes less so. He loves to mix, for example “evening wear” with a casual sweater. His autumn-winter 2014 is called Complementary.

Mattijs

Maison the Faux

Aziz Bekkaoi

MAISON the FAUX showed for the first time ever in the smaller Transformatorhuis venue. The show was opened by an opera singer (a member of maison the faux) she performed throughout the entire show getting more and more heated-up towards the end, we loved that! Maison the Faux created an orchestrated chaos on the catwalk and showed about twelve outfits, very extravagant ones, worn by young and older models, all in a pandemonium of pink, plush, ruffles, flowers and glitter. This show was clearly an introduction to the Maison the Faux Family, not so much to a collection of clothing. At the end the entire “family” (they are 6 in total including PR) came to clean up the stage creating an atmosphere in which the audience didn’t leave. Neither did we. We lingered on and went backstage to view the designs up-close: they are really more detailed and refined than one can comprehend during such a vibrant show!

Aziz Bekkaoi closed the first evening of the fashionweek in Amsterdam at the Gashouder. The Dutch newspapers were filled with reads on Aziz last week-end, probably because he showed for the first time in 10 years in Amsterdam. Aziz’s inspiration was clear and simple: the streets of the inner city in New-York with it’s mixed religion and different cultures in the eighties of the previous century. That was clear from the opening of the show on; a large group of dancers dressed in black bomber jackets moving to “Fight the power” by Public Enemy. Continue reading →

Cold Method

Posted on 19/07/2013 by Mimi Berlin Amsterdam

Cold Method showed on the last day of Amsterdam Fashion Week. The place was packed, all seats were taken and there were many people standing to see their Spring/Summer collection for 2014. Cold Method is a label with a fresh take on casual wear ranging to clothes more suitable for the office. The usual suspects like checks, stripes, color and fabric blocking were incorporated to match a cheeky rock ‘n roll vibe.

Cold Method SS2014 runway at AFW

Our favorite outfit at the Cold Method show, we do love dots! (courtesy of Cold Method photography by Team Peter Stigter)

(Backstage: courtesy of AFW photography by Team Peter Stigter) This was the last collection for Dieter de Cock, after about 3 years at Cold Method he will be pursuing his career at Calvin Klein.

From now on designer Karen van der Zon will be responsible for the Cold Method collections. Karen left JC Rags to join the Cold Method team. Yeah! Gratuliere dear Karen.

(These photo’s are an impression of the show, venue and crowd, for more clear photo’s of the clothes best go to Team Peter Stigter)
This was the last collection for Dieter de Cock, after about 3 years at Cold Method he will be pursuing his career at Calvin Klein. From now on designer Karen van der Zon will be responsible for the Cold Method collections. Karen left JC Rags to join the Cold Method team. Yeah! Gratuliere Dear Karen.

Francisco van Benthum

Posted on 18/07/2013 by Mimi Berlin Amsterdam

We attended Francisco van Benthum‘s fashion show for Summer 2014, at day 4 of the Amsterdam Fashion Week. We had never seen his clothes on the catwalk before. We’ve seen men (and women!) in real life dressed in FvB, they always look spiffy in a very chique way. So did this show, it was well choreographed (by Kim Vos), was impeccably styled (by Jos van Heel) and had a great soundtrack (by Joost van Bellen and Sander Stenger). We thought the most clever part of this collection, named Marlin, was it’s contrasts, in both fabrics and shapes: traditional tailoring, color-blockings, sweaters and suits with a boxy silhouette next to the use of super light weight fabrics, mega over-sized trousers, slouchy trousers, coats and backpacks. The ‘soft side’ of the designs worked very well within the rules of Francisco van Benthum’s rather geometric style, it gave this collection it’s modern, casual and wearable look. Van Bethum has a flagship store in Amsterdam.

PS
Color chart: black/white/grey/khaki/cobalt blue/yellow ochre
Fabrics: High-tech: semi transparent nylon, metallics and neopreen. Natural Fibers: linnens and coated poplins.
Prints: bi-color, inspired by the fragile underwater world
Shoes: Classic Dr Martens.
Surprise: 2 female models wearing regular menswear on the catwalk.

Fransisco van Benthem S/S 2014 (fotografie: Peter Stigter

Fransisco van Benthem S/S 2014

Fransisco van Benthem S/S 2014 (fotografie: Peter Stigter)

Fransisco van Benthem S/S 2014

Fransisco van Benthem S/S 2014 (fotografie: Peter Stigter)

For professional catwalk photo’s best go to Team Peter Stigter

Want to see some AFW pre and post show party pictures? CLICK HERE

Lichting 2013

Posted on 17/07/2013 by Mimi Berlin Amsterdam

“The last show of Amsterdam Fashion Week, was Lichting, an awardshow. In a spectacular runway show 13 fashion graduates presented their collections for a jury of national and international fashion professionals. They chose Henriëtte Tilanus, graduated from ArtEZ Institute of the arts, for upcoming fashion talent of Netherlands. The ‘ G-Star RAW Talent Award ‘, consisting of a monetary award of €10,000 and a backstage experience during an international G-Star event, was presented by Remco de Nijs, Brand Manager of G-Star RAW.” (taken from the press release at schoondenboer pr)

Henriette Tilanus Photo by Peter Stigter

Niki Miloni, Amsterdam

Loekie Mulder, The Hague

Anna Kathryn Gregor, Maastricht

Dewi Bekker, The Hague

Wenda Harmsen, Utrecht

Katrien Baaij, Rotterdam

Henriette Tilanus, Arnhem BA

Anbasja Blanken, Utrecht

Maartje van Hooij, Rotterdam

Duran Lantink, Amsterdam

Duran Lantink, Amsterdam (finale rehearsal)

Jazz Kuipers, AMFI Amsterdam

Jazz Kuipers, AMFI Amsterdam (finale rehearsal)

Anneleen Bertels, Arnhem

Anneleen Bertels, Arnhem BA

Anne van den Boogaard, AMFI, Amsterdam

Anne van den Boogaard, AMFI, Amsterdam (finale rehearsal)

voting by profs in the audience

The winner is Henriette Tilanus, Arnhem BA

MADNESS BACKSTAGE_Lichting 2013

See and read about the graduation shows of ArtEZ Institute of the arts.
See the graduation shows of the Gerrit Rietveld Academy.

Anne de Grijff

Posted on 16/07/2013 by Mimi Berlin Amsterdam

Anne de Grijff showed on day 4 of the Amsterdam Fashion Week. She presented her collections previously at various venues but it was the first time for Anne de Grijff at AFW. Maybe that’s why she called this collection (Spring/Summer 2014) To Show. Her main idea; neatly pressed, folded garments, was executed with tight precision throughout the show. Next to the clothing, details, accessories, hair (by Olaf van Wildenberg) and choreography (by Martin Butler) were molded into the concept of straight lines crossing each other. We liked the garments in the first segment of her presentation, the geometrical creases were pressed into fluid materials in nude shades. In the second segment, introduced by the color orange, heavier materials, in black, took overhand. De Grijff translated the “folded” concept also into patchwork, in the form of a 3/4 leather A-line skirt with a zipper at mid-front and an A-symmetrical hemline, for men. All together it became a bit too much of a concept for our taste.