Last week we visited Trash & Treasures during the Amsterdam International Fashion Week. Trash & Treasures, a Downtown programme, is a garage sale where you can find new and vintage clothing, shoes and accessories.
The best shops, brands, work of young designers, artists and many more are a part of this event. We spotted Lilyscloset and Les Tai Tai. There was also a signing session with designer Bas Kosters.

Trash & Treasures is inspired by garage sales in Brick Lane in London and Mauerpark in Berlin. They started 1,5 year ago and now you can find this lovely event (almost) in the whole country.

An ideal place for special items and a lot of other treasures.

Amsterdam – Roos van de Kamp started her label Roparose -meaning Rosa’s clothes – won the Dutch edition of Project Catwalk. Part of her prize was a chance to show a collection at Amsterdam’s International Fashion Week. Last Sunday she got the chance to do so.

It was a hot outside and it was hot in the salon. Some visitors used their fans from Redken to scare the heat away. It wasn’t until the first model hit the runway that I forgot about the heat.

The Collection Roos had show the jury during the finally of Project Catwalk aroused lots of controversy. Some people did not believe that she had done all the work herself.  Ans so expectations were set high. Would she be able to do what she had done before? With a new concept and the same quality?

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We are still speechless…that’s because of the show of Bibi van der Velden (a well-known Dutch Jewelry designer and artist). It was the last show of the Amsterdam Fashion week 2010. Definitely Goosebumps! One by one the models walked in trough a tunnel… of blue laser lights. All of them wore skin coloured or black underwear. It looked like little ballet ensembles. The audience felt immediately overwhelmed because the first model said under load volume: “ Can anybody hear me?”

Carried along and it was like If you suddenly walked in that tunnel. One of the models showed spherical shaping bracelets and another model showed a chain with air bubbles of glass and high-heels looked like icicles. There were a lot of conspicuous ornaments such as bulb-shaped sculptures for the head, knees and chest. Also they showed iron masks and caps. The last model was Ifke Sturm. Definitely last but not least! Must be the reason but she was Queen of the tunnel or…..Oops show! A very Beautiful and spectacular show from beginning to end.

Pictures: Peter Stigter

Amsterdam – A year has passed since Malou Verharen and Ferdinand Sebastiaan Hartgers showed their first  work at AIFW. They both graduated from Utrecht’s School of the Arts in 2008 and started the brand ‘Marlousebastiaan‘. You cannot tell by their work that they have just popped out of school.

I saw a model walking through the lounge earlier that day. Her hair was tied up into two buns. Both buns were decorated with beige blocks. “Cool” I thought, it seemed to hint at some kind of uniqueness I had not seen before. The sandy colored blocks reminded me of dried land. But it looked classy, feminine, a little childlike too. After showing us a mysterious (really short) film the first model came down the catwalk. The girl that had been sitting next to me during the  Karssenberg/Greidanus show pulled her camera out of her bag and started taking pictures.

The outfits that the first model wore had a prehistoric sense to it. It was a beige top and pants made out of bone shaped figures. It seemed that nature had been the inspiration for the color pallet; the fleshy beige, moss green, a bright flowerish salmon and icy blue.

It looked like the outfits had become part of the models bodies. The models even had an animal-like walk, a graceful one.

Lifu Hsiao, how is born in Taiwan, graduated at the Fashion Institute Arnhem in 2008. After working at Veronique Branquinho in 2009, Hsiao is now launching his own womens label.

For his a/w collection Hsiao was inspired by his favorite pianist Glenn Gould, playing the Goldberg variations from J.S. Bach. He associate his interpretation with the Amish people.

The religious and somewhat restrained dress of the Amish is visible in reversed shoulder pads, which create an oblique shoulder line.The modern and refined collection displays a full range of womenswear, including skirts, dresses coats, blouses, trouser and shirts.

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Fashion designer Hyun Yeu presents “RAIN” the second collection from his menswear label “ADO LES SCENTS”. The Korean designer Hyun Yeu graduated at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in 2008. In 2009 he won the Frans Molenaar competition and started his own menswear label. With ‘ADO LES SCENTA’ the label aims at young minded men that are not afraid to stand out.

‘Rain’ is a menswear collection based on having fun on a rainy day and about daring to face the rain with a smile. The main character in the collection is the coat. Classic menswear items as suits, shirts and pants are combined with youthful and playful garments, the cape, rain coat and bomber jacket. A lot of attention was paid to the development of form, fit and cut of different garments. This has resulted in beautifully tailored jackets, sharp shirts and comfortable knitwear. The collection is smartly styled with classic black and dark blue brogues by Van Bommel and leather gloves by Gloves by Pia. Read More

Marloes completed her master year at the Fashion Institute Arnhem in 2009 and presented her collection, ‘Tolinger” during the Paris and Amsterdam International Fashion Week. This gave her the drive and motivation to continue her work as a designer.

As a designer Marloes have always been interested in old an traditional patterns. It always claims a roll in her collections, in shape, material en craft. That is why she is always looking for old tailoring and functionality in clothing.

The collections was made from wool, cotton, leather and silk. We saw knitting and a lot of embroidery. Natural colours like browns, beige, creme and whites where the main colours. Blue was the only colour accent that was used. The collection is based on old patterns patterns.

A collection that brings the past into the present.

Before Amsterdam International Fashion Week started Fesjon got the opportunity to interview Marloes.

Linda Valkeman is travelling all over the world and collect everything she find. She is very fascinated by the timlessness of the things she collect. The fact that lives like a nomad influences here work, which she describes as highspeed folklore.

The collection is handmade form unexpected handmade materials (pieces of embroidery) the shapes she just for here collection made the collection very futuristic where tradition and humor are key. The colours of the collection are mostly earth tones, blacks and blues. Linda is seeing here collection as a inspiration for a more wearable collection. You can follow Linda’s journey through her site www.lindavalkeman.nl

After the show Fesjon had the opportunity to interview Linda. The interview will soon be available at FesjonTV.

Pictures: Peter Stigter

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The catwalkshow of INDIVIDUALS was great during the Amsterdam International Fashion Week. The collection “The Porcelain Papillon” radiates a lot of femininity. The multi-toned en wearable collection is a tribute to the flattering curves of the feminine body.

The students of AMFI (Amsterdam Fashion Institute) have made a beautiful and elegant collection for a/w 2010. The designs inspired by the year ’30 look constists colors like black, white, grey, nude, red and yellow. Striking were the overknee stockings and lak pumps fitting in every design. The models (with red lips and water waved hair) striked a year ’30 look.

INDIVIDUALS is a new clothing label, designed and made by AMFI (Amsterdam Fashion Institute) students. Twice a year they design and present their collection.

For more information www.byamfi.nl

Pictures: by AMFI

Last week on January 28th during the twelfth edition of AIFW Mada van Gaans exposed her fall/winter 2010 collection.

Her new collection showed in the beginning a little equation from her previous collection that was inspired by snakes.
But nothing seemed what it looked like.
It was a successful collection that looked like a good follow-tailed from her previous collection.
This time “The serpent goddess”, also known as the snake goddess of Greece, inspired Mada for this collection. Read More