Margiela, The Hermès Years

Posted on 22/05/2017 by Mimi Berlin Amsterdam

Martin Margiela

Martin Margiela was the creative director for Hermès from 1997 to 2003: at the Fashion Museum in Antwerp they made a complete exhibition out of this fact! Mimi Berlin Blogger Team visited. We were especially stunned by the beauty of the showcase below. It wasn’t allowed to take photo’s at the museum but we simply had to make this one.The skirt and the upper part of the boots are made in the same fabric, a traditional Hermès cloth. The leather parts are in Navy (that’s dark blue)

What would you wear with this set? We decided upon a Navy, fitted twinset……. Continue reading →

Choke Chokers

Posted on 05/09/2016 by Mimi Berlin Amsterdam

Choke Chokers

On Instagram we noticed the Choke Chokers, a project by designer Sinéad O’Dwyer and project manager Ottilie Landmark. The project was “born out of a desire to re-imagine leather waste materials.” These lovely leather sexy sustainable necklaces debuted at Copenhagen Fashion Week with a pop-up shop. And today you can get them custom made for your neck in London. More info @choke_chokers on instagram

screenshot Choke Chokers

“What is Choke Chokers?

It started with a simple design idea for a choker. We used what materials we had to make the first and realised that this principle was important to us. Thus all our leather and fur are remnants from the fashion industry that would otherwise be discarded. This project is therefore not just about creating a high quality handmade product but has also opened a window for us to provoke a dialogue about sustainability.

Continue reading →

The Maracatu Travel Cabinet

Posted on 05/08/2014 by Mimi Berlin Amsterdam

Now wouldn’t you want to have this object hanging in the corner of your Hotel room when far away from home? We certainly would! Brazilian designers and brothers Fernando and Humberto Campana devised this unique, limited-edition cabinet de voyage. The sustainable-design–conscious duo used recycled leather from one of Louis Vuitton’s workshops to ornament the fringed, foldable travel cabinet, which has three shelves and a hook for easy hanging. Designed in 2012, it was available at the Louis Vuitton Miami Design District location or made to order, the piece costs $51,500; only a dozen were produced—each in a different color.

The Maracatu Travel Cabinet was part of the “Objets Nomades” collection for Louis Vuitton which consisted of a number of designs by a.o Patricia Urquiola, Maarten Baas, Nendo and others. First presented at the Design Miami Fair in December 2012 and premiering in Europe at the Salone Di Mobile in Milano in 2013. (images via dezeen / AD)

Grobbebollen. images via maroesja-lacunes.com

Mimi’s first association with this design is a childish one.

Fong Leng Fashion & Art

Posted on 13/12/2013 by Mimi Berlin Amsterdam

Entrance at the Amsterdam museum, Fong Leng and her muse Mathilde Willink in the 1970s, the photo is taken by Paul Huf

Overview of the first exhibition room at the Amsterdam Museum

vintage coat by Fong Leng

vintage coats by Fong Leng

vintage summer dress by Fong Leng

Vintage leather dress by Fong Leng

a corner of the first exhibition room at the Amsterdam Museum

Detail of wall covering in leather patchwork

“Painting with leather” Fong Leng

A corner of the second exhibition room at the Amsterdam Museum

The colorful summer ensemble on the rightside was used in MImi Berlin’s Fashion Fest #2 !!

Butterfly Two Piece (1978 – 1980) Portrayed in Mimi Berlin’s Fashion Fest #2 (recently purchased by the Amsterdam Museum)photo courtesy of Amsterdam Museum

We were told this lady has been working with Fong Leng for a long time.

“Painting with leather” Fong Leng

One of our favorite works

Overview of the first exhibition room at the Amsterdam Museum

Friends for a long time…on the left side Fong Leng

Yes, we know, this is very intimate but we couldn’t help ourselves: What a friend wrote for Fong Leng (remember our trip to London? Shiny coat! Gon)

Artist Aad Veldhoen signing the guest book

Mr Veldhoen’s message, again too intimate to photograph but we couldn’t help ourselves, Sorry.

Fashion Designer Bas Kosters having a Selfie moment with Fong Leng

Fong Leng Fashion & Art. The other day we attended the opening of the exhibition Fong Leng, Fashion & Art at The Amsterdam Museum. Continue reading →

Beja von Bis: Meant to be

Posted on 03/09/2013 by Mimi Berlin Amsterdam

Meant to be, but not for me…..

Vintage finds I loved but weren’t meant to be..
Photo’s by Beja

Leather Postcards

Posted on 30/12/2011 by Mimi Berlin Amsterdam

Leather postcards were very popular from around 1900 to 1909 when the postal service banned them. They were apparently too difficult to process using the sorting machines then in use. The postcards were generally made from deerskin and were decorated with the tip of a hot implement. The process was called pyrography and was a popular art form for middle class young women. As well as leather, the process was also used on wood and some wooden postcards have also survived.

One popular way to use the leather postcards was to collect them and sew them together to make a pillow. In fact, some leather postcards were produced with holes pre-punched along their edges for this purpose.