SPRMRKT & HTNK'S Dutch Warehouse

Under it’s own roof SPRMRKT threw an event in collaboration with HTNK. The ground floor of SPR Specials at the Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal is now home of the pieces of several intriguing designers. For two months the SPR Special clothing has to make room for this pop-up-store concept furnishing the store.

C.CRUDEN

‘I’ve spend one and a half year designing the perfect boyfriend jeans, I was frustrated that women wore those big jeans without any shape, so I wanted to make a boyfriend jeans that accentuates the bottom and shapes it’, thus an excited Sammy Cruden, designer of C.Cruden. Next to the jeans hangs a fabric bag with a plastic holder, ‘My inspiration is everything. I had this idea for a bag and when I was walking my dog I saw this piece of plastic from a bag, the ones you get in a store, I pieced it together and voila’. 

It seems that behind every item of this designer lies a story. Even a size ‘none’ (because: unisex) white shirt turns out to be quite remarkable when Cruden tells that it comes with a special dye-kit. When bored of your white shirt, you put on your face mask and transform your shirt in another colour. Also in little boxes available; a leather lace and a button ring. ‘Both are for multiple use, that’s what’s important in my clothing the ability to wear it in different ways’.

CONNY GROENEWEGEN

The style of Conny Groenewegen is described as androgyne and feminine. An odd combination at first but Groenewegen explains how those two can perfectly go together, ‘I see feminine as being vulnerable and dynamic, a woman has to be able to move in her clothing, it’s not about being comfortable but it’s about giving the body room to move. The other side is androgyne, right-angled and strong. Maybe they are the opposites of each other but that makes it so interesting to put them together and create something that is both’. 

Groenewegens pieces are a play of feminine and vulnerable versus androgyne and powerful, ‘That’s the most important quality of my clothing, a transparent dress with strong shoulders and big cufflinks’.  

 

ELSIEN GRINGHUIS

The in 2008 at Artez graduated Elsien Gringhuis has a thing for geometric shapes. The black satin shirt she’s wearing is from her own hand, ‘Everything I design has to be something I would want to wear’. The constructed clothes of heavy material appear to be rough but often contain a subtle detail.  

Photos by Vincent Kos

Written by Karin Aalberts

Opening DOWNTOWN AIFW

The usually not so charming neighbor of Maison de Bonneterie, the Olieslagerssteeg, had a big upgrade today at the official opening of the Amsterdam International Fashion Week DOWNTOWN. Instead of being used as a shabby shortcut, the Olieslagerssteeg transformed into an actual catwalk. Carrying a whole lot more than the ordinairy tourist sandals.

Eight designers (Non by Kim, Roparosa, Intoxica, Ado Les Scents by Hyun Yeu, Individuals, Marloes Blaas, Dagmar and Daryl van Wouw) showed notable pieces from their collection to an eager and overheated crowd. Remarkable were the shoesocks of durable fashion pioneer Intoxica by Kentroy Yearwood, that also launches the Green Fashion Competition upcoming Friday the 16^th. 

Also the yellow menswear of Ado Les Scents by Hyun Yeu stood out as well as the sharp shapes of Project Catwalk winner Roparosa by Roos van der Kamp. 

Hyun Yeu was already known for his daring colors, but seemed to hit a new high with his almost fluorescent yellow blouse. Asking him about his choise for yellow and Maison de Bonneterie he says, ‘it just feels good’. Looking at his clothing for the warehouse, that is by the way now available at Maison de Bonneterie aswell as the pieces of the other designers, that might be just the right description.

The pieces of Roparosa were more modest than the ones we saw on television when she won the television competition Project Catwalk. Explaining that she says, ‘my first collection was a statement collection. That was part one, these are pieces from part two. This part contains more commercial buyable and comfortable pieces that are perfectly suitable for Maison de Bonneterie’. The big shoulders and geometric shapes are still key ingredient to almost all of her pieces, ‘I want to make well-made and comfortable clothing as well as powerdressing’. Roparosa’s new collection named ‘Come out and play’ is released July 18^th and the name for the collection is one to take literally, ‘I wanted to make outside clothing that screams that thought’.

‘I’m sweating only looking at these clothes’ was a not so strange comment when looking at the pieces Individuals put together for Maison de Bonneterie. Considering the unusual tropical heat that is harassing the entire country, wool and coats don’t seem to be the most appealing treats. Nevertheless the pieces are stunning as usual, ‘The clothing suits Maison de Bonneterie, the students that designed this collection made amenable and wearable pieces’, tells Loek Coerwinkel of Individuals.

 

That’s how it’s done. A truly inspiring and successful (despite the lack of a permit to create a catwalk in an alley, none of the models were chased by the police) opening event. Bon apetit, fashion-eating folks.

Photos by Vincent Kos

Written by Karin Aalberts