LEW

Kim Leemans and Merel Wicker are design-duo LEW, who house a former gay-bar in Amsterdam city centre. This was also the stage for their collection presentation this Fashion Week.

From the outside it was slightly unsettling, a dodgy broken-down building. The stairwell wasn't much better with creaking floorboards and flaking walls. LEW's level was a few flights up and also featured the flaky walls and grunge, but in comparison to the entrance, was somehow an idyllic setting where the beautiful clothing seemed to affect its environment -almost like watching your favourite band play in a garage.

LEW's collection was a continuation of their Spring/Summer '10 designs with a comparable pattern derived from BlueBoy's (the gaybar's) mouldy walls. The colours nevertheless were more vibrant, reminiscent to a painting that Merel made herself.

Merel: "We never really perceive a collection to be finished, and instead continuously evolve our work."

In addition to their designs, the duo presented geometric accessories that contrasted perfectly with their psychedelic prints and shoe designer Lieke de Koning presented her graduation collection.

WRITTEN BY HOLLY SYRETT

PHOTOGRAPHY CORNÉ RIJNEVELD