The Popularity of Dutch Fashion Designers Is Not Limited to Our Country Or Our Queen Máxima

Dit document wordt u aangeboden door: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX klik hier voor meer artikelen Revolutionary and pioneering The popularity of Dutch fashion designers is not limited to our country or our Queen Máxima. Dutch creations are also immensely popular and worn by stars like Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, as well as by America’s fi rst lady Michelle Obama. The successful Dutch fashion industry is one of the fl agships of the Dutch creative sector. Who are the prominent Dutch fashion designers and what makes them unique in the rest of the world? 40 MeetingInternational.org Fashion Meeting he Dutch fashion designers’ success story begins in the six- a collection for clothing stores chain H&M, which made their ties and seventies of the twentieth century. Infl uential de- clothes affordable for the general public. But their collabora- Tsigners like Max Heijmans, who, together with Edgar Vos tion was also used by airline KLM, department stores chain De (also known as the emperor of Dutch fashion design) and Frank Bijenkorf, Swarovski and Samsonite. Their work was shown in, Govers can be considered the founders of the top-class fashion among other locations, the Museum of Contemporary Art in in the Netherlands. Since then, Dutch designers have achieved Tokyo and in museums in London and Los Angeles. the very summit of fashion design and our country has attained Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Katy Perry were spotted in the duo’s a leading position. We name some other established designers, as creations, but Viktor & Rolf can also count America’s fi rst lady well as a few up-and-coming ones. Michelle Obama as a celebrity-fan of their dresses. Viktor & Rolf Iris van Herpen Viktor & Rolf, from the province of Brabant in the south of the Iris van Herpen, from the village of Wamel in the province of Netherlands, can still be called the major ambassadors of the Gelderland, proudly represents Holland in the select club of Dutch fashion world. They are best known for their innova- couturiers who are allowed to show their designs on the catwalk tive and original collections. After graduating from the Arnhem of the Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week. During her study academy for the arts ArtEZ, the extravagant design duo Viktor at the ArtEZ academy she worked as a trainee with Alexander Horsting and Rolf Snoeren left for Paris in 1992. Their big break- McQueen, no less, and her star is still rising. through came when they won three important prizes at the Salon Her collections are characterized by futuristic, bizarre silhou- Européen des Jeunes Stylistes. In 2004 they designed the wedding ettes and ingenious constructions. The designer sees 3D printing dress for the Dutch Princess Mabel, the making of which took as the technique of the future. But this is exactly what makes Iris more than 600 hours of work. Remarkable details were the 248 van Herpen fascinating and especially fresh and new, and why hand-made bows on the dress. In 2006 Viktor & Rolf designed Lady Gaga and Björk have fallen for Van Herpen´s designs. She MeetingInternational.org 41 collaborates with hat designer Stephen Jones, who designs hats designer never abandons the elegant, female shape. What makes for, amongst others, British royals and famous fashion houses like Jan Taminiau unique as a Dutch designer is his interest in fabrics, Christian Dior and Azzedine Alaïa, but also joins forces with especially his own developing of these. Like Iris van Herpen he United Nude, the remarkable shoes line of Rem D. Koolhaas. was present at the Paris fashion weeks. One of his earlier designs, The results include the ‘voltage’ half-boot, the production process a jacket made from an old mailbag, attracted attention because it of which was done by means of the 3D printing technique. She was worn by, at the time still, Princess Máxima. is also nominated for the 24th edition of the French ANDAM (National Association for the Development of the Fashion Arts), Marlies Dekkers which entails a prize of 250,000 euros. On July 4th the mem- in 1991, lingerie designer Marlies Dekkers graduated cum laude bers of the jury, including Emmanuelle Alt, editor of the French at the Sint Joost Academie voor Kunst en Vormgeving in the city Vogue, and Nicole Phelps of style.com, who will be the lucky win- of Breda. Her famous ‘bare butt dress’ from her master-presenta- ner of this prize. tion instantaneously brought her wide acclaim. In 1993 Marlies Dekkers started her own company, working ‘from her bedroom’. Jan Taminiau Line-play is the central factor in her collection. She designed In 2003, the internationally renowned Dutch fashion designer the ‘spider bra’ and launched her label Undressed. In 2007 Jan Taminiau established his label JANTAMINIAU. Before that, Marlies Dekkers was proclaimed Businesswoman of the Year in he graduated at the ArtEZ and the continuation course FIA. He the Netherlands. In that same year she won the CILA Award in had traineeships with an embroidery company and a corset- New York for Best Fashion Lingerie. In 2008 the mayor of Paris maker in Paris. Nowadays, his clientele include Queen Máxima, presented her with the ‘Creator of the Year Award’, a prestigious Lady Gaga and Beyoncé. Queen Máxima also wore dresses award from the world’s lingerie capital. After the success of her designed by Taminiau during the swearing in and inauguration Undressed line, her portfolio was rapidly extended with a men’s of King Willem-Alexander and during the ‘king’s boat tour’ on line and a line of ladies’ bathing suits (Sundressed). Later on, the IJ. For the fashion stores chain Claudia Sträter he made sev- more lines followed, for instance for night and evening clothes eral limited collections. (Nightdressed) and sunglasses (Sundressed Sunglasses). For a long His high fashion dresses are moving, poetic and surprising. time, Kylie Minogue, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera Although there is a sophisticated, conceptual undertone, the have been avid fans of the brand. Recently the Golden Karo, a 42 MeetingInternational.org Fashion Meeting bra which is partly made of gold, was worn by, amongst others, Dutchman Rem D. Koolhaas, for instance, is the creative direc- former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger. tor of the shoes label United Nude, which he runs jointly with his business partner Galahad Clark, the seventh generation of the Rising talent: Hellen van Rees shoes family Clarks. Last year, Koolhaas designed a pair of tower- Apart from the already nationally and internationally established ing shoes for Lady Gaga, who ordered these shoes for the launch designers mentioned above, there are several new designers who of her perfume ´Fame´. The brand can now be purchased in are about to make a name for themselves abroad. Such as Hellen more than forty countries and has fl agship stores in Amsterdam, van Rees from the city of Hengelo in the east of the Netherlands. London and New York. But Robert Polet, former ceo with the This designer who is only just starting her career, recently won Gucci group, and Wilbert Das, who was chief designer with the her master from the famous fashion course at the Central Saint- jeans brand Diesel for twenty years until 2009, have also made Martins in London. Before that, she achieved a bachelor degree their mark in the international world of fashion. As well as Paul fashion at the ArtEZ in Arnhem. For her graduation she took Herbers, until recently chief designer men’s fashion with Louis the classic Chanel tweed suit as a basis, and developed for this a Vuitton. Since 2005, Lucas Ossendrijver has held a major position weaving technique that makes it possible to weave seamlessly in with fashion house Lanvin as chef designer of the men’s line. the shape of the design. At the end show of Central Saint-Martins An other remarkable duo are the photographers-couple Inez during the London Fashion Week, Lady Gaga spotted graduation van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, who have been operat- work from the young designer. Last year, for an interview for the ing with enormous success from New York since 1995 and often French television channel TF1, this famous singer decided to wear work for Vogue and The New York Times, and are responsible for one of Hellen van Rees’s creations. By now, the designer has made the images of big fashion and luxury brands like Louis Vuitton. her mark in celebrityland and various stars were spotted wearing Several Dutch top models, like Doutzen Kroes from the province her creations. of Friesland in the north of the Netherlands, are the ‘faces’ of international fashion and cosmetics houses such as Calvin Klein Revolutionary fashion entrepreneurs and L’Oréal. But the Netherlands are also promoted by Saskia de The Netherlands not only supplies pioneering designers, but also Brauw, muse to Karl Lagerfeld, and Lara Stone, born in the prov- stylists, marketeers, photographers and creative entrepreneurs ince of Brabant in the south of the Netherlands, who is the ‘face’ who hold key positions in the international world of fashion. The for, among other brands, Louis Vuitton. MeetingInternational.org 43.

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