DAUW MAGAZINE | 1 by Flora van den Berg

ANNELOES VAN OSSELAER BLOND & BIEBER BONNE REIJN FATMA KIZIL IRIS VAN HERPEN JASNA ROKEGEM KARIN VLUG & LAURA DUNCKER NIEUW JURK NIKKI DUIJST OAT SHOES SOLKIN KEIZER ZYANYA KEIZER

DAUWMAGAZINE | 1

CONTENTS 3 4 10 14 19 24 30 38 2

EDITORIAL

WELCOME to the first issue of DAUW, a new magazine focusing solely on Dutch fashion design. DAUW is the Dutch word for dew, one of the most beautiful and most imitated wonders of nature. Dew creates a fairy-like atmosphere that feels fresh, inspiring and clean, like new ideas. I feel that that atmosphere is an important part of the conceptual way the Dutch design. That quiet, beautiful atmosphere gives us time and peace to really develop an idea. Also, the innovative way the Dutch have been working with water for the last centuries, has created an environment in which innovation is a staple. I think water is a great symbol for Dutch design, and what is dew made of? Exactly, water! I hope you will enjoy the stories about all the talent that our small low-laying country houses. Many thanks, Flora van den Berg Editor-in-chief DAUW

POOR MAN’S SUIT 6

25-YEAR OLD DESIGNER AND STYLIST BONNE REIJN IS ON A MISSION: GETTING THE SUIT BACK ON THE STREETS. WITH HIS LABEL BONNE, HE CREATES ONE SUIT AND ONE SUIT ONLY: THE POOR MAN’S SUIT, AS THE DESIGNER DESCRIBES IT HIMSELF.

* NOT THE DESIGNER

It all started in 2014, when Bonne Reijn released his first collection of BONNE suits, consisting of fifty black, and fifty white double breasted suits. Fashion, without wanting to be fashion. As most brands give consumers endless options and variations, Reijn does the exact opposite. The unisex suits are simple, uniformlike and made out of thick cotton. The combination of the eight-buttoned double breasted jacket and the straight ankle-grazing trousers, feels like an ode to the French countryside. Workwear in its purest form. According to the designer, the poor man's suit is somewhat of a mix between a pair of pyjamas and a formal suit. Sizes run from XS up to XL, no heavy tailoring or made to measure. Uniformity dominates the Bonne suits. A suit for everyone and anyone. The first hundred BONNE suits sold out in no time and Reijn decided to produce a second collection of 400 suits, to which he added two extra colours: red and blue.

Most recently, Reijn released a third collection: the poor man's suit in denim. A beautiful variation on the stiff cotton he used for his earlier suits. The same look and feel, yet slightly more modern. The brand has been picked up by many, from high end fashion media to 13-year olds in the Amsterdam neighbourhood the Bijlmer. Just like Reijn envisioned: a suit for everyone. Futurewise, Reijn is looking to expand Bonne Suits. Expansion is an issue the designer is somewhat struggling with. If he wants to sell more suits via different sales points, it would make the suits more expensive. And that's something the designer isn't keen on. But as Bonne Suits gets increasingly more popular, the designer will have no choice, and a line with more and less expensive pieces could be the outcome. For now, prices aren't changing, and we can look forward to the release of a new design, that is rumoured to sport a 3/4 style.

Bonne Reijn started his career in fashion at 18 years old, working at SPRMRKT (Rozengracht, Amsterdam). There he met stylist Thomas Vermeer, whom he would soon start to assist. Reijn then went on to win the Elle Style Awards in 2011, an experience the stylist annex designer describes as a real rollercoaster. As a stylist, Reijn got increasingly disappointed by the mass of fashion. He wanted to create something durable and change streetstyle, as he found that there are simply too many choices because of capitalism. Reijn decided he wanted to make that choice easier, and did so by designing his unisex poor man's suit. Besides working as a stylist and designer, Reijn is also known for his DJ-ing skills, art direction and the gallery he runs in his own house De Schans. Reijn truly is a multi-talented creative.

PART OF THE

Shoes that grow trees, and bags that grow sunflowers. A new era of green fashion has arrived with OAT. OAT was founded in 2009 by designer Christiaan Maats. It started with the development of the shoes that bloom. Maats launched the label in 2011 at Amsterdam Fashion Week, where he sent two models dressed as Adam and Eve down the runway, showing the fully biodegradable shoes in a wheelbarrow. The show was a success, and OAT won a prize at the Green Fashion Competion, as well as getting featured in global media such as the LA Times and Dezeen. Designer Maats studied Industrial Design at the University of Delft where he got interested in products serving as an interim between a person and the world. He wanted to add an extra layer of meaning to the products he designed, a layer of sustainability. He realised that the best way to achieve that, was to let the product be a part of the natural cycle of life.

BIODEGRADABLE And that is exactly what Maats accomplished. OAT shoes are fully biodegradable, without leaving a trace, as all the materials used are a 100% natural. The materials, such as hemp, burlap, flax, cork, organic cotton, biodegradable leather and biodegradable plastic, dissolve completely after some time. And the cycle doesn't stop there, in fact, it starts all over again. Designer Maats placed flower seeds in the tongue of the shoe, that start to bloom once the shoe is planted. The mix of seeds includes English Daisies, Catchflies and Corn Poppies, all in a fiery red hue. Wearers of the OAT shoes don't have to worry about them breaking down when walking in the rain or mud, as the shoes will only begin to degrade when planted underground and in contact with subterranean microbes. Aesthetically, the OAT designs are a mix between classic and sportive. Shoewise, the brand solely offers trainers, although slightly dressy in the leather version. The bags are a bit more modern and minimalistic, resembling a chic paper bag. And just like the shoes, the bags come in leather and canvas.

NATURAL CYCLE

Besides the unisex OAT shoes, the company also produces baby shoes, called OATies, to which an even more symbolic meaning has been added. "When the shoes too small for the baby, you can plant them with two seeds that will sprout into an actual tree of life." So OAT really does make things bloom, as they playfully write on their website. OAT stands for meaningful products whilst still caring for the environment. Something they do at both sides of the process: At the start, by making their products a 100% biodegradable, and at the end, by providing the earth with new flora, and us humans with more clean and fresh air. Besides the fact that the products are part of the natural cycle, Maats also focuses on the social aspect of design. "OAT has social responsibility in its DNA. Our mission is based on making a positive impact on the world.â&#x20AC;? The shoes are produced in Bulgaria, at a family-owned factory, where the workers get a fair pay and decent working conditions. Maats chose Bulgaria because he wanted to keep emissions low, as it's easier to travel there from the Netherlands.

When looking at the future, Maats is mainly focusing on expansion. The U.S. would be the preferred next step, but unfortunately that is not as easy as it may seem. Since the OAT shoes contain seeds, they currently cannot be delivered outside Europe, as introducing foreign seeds into certain ecosystems is a risk to the local flora. Maats is talking to seed-manufacturers in the U.S. to see if they can do some local fulfillments, so hopefully OAT is going worldwide soon. With OAT, Maats showed us just how insane it is that we keep producing, keep buying, and keep throwing away undegradable, unrecycled, and unethically produced pieces, whilst at the same time it is possible to create fashion that is a 100% biodegradable and Fair Trade. The designer has initiated a new and innovative way to look at design, his production process truly is next level. One can only hope that full biodegradable design is the standard in the very, very near future.

THE MODEBELOFTE is part of the Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven, a yearly event focusing on Dutch design. Part of the DDW is the graduation show of the Design Academy, where the new design talents show their work. The Modebelofte (meaning fashion promise) was held at the Philips Stadion, the home of Eindhoven’s football club PSV. This year’s theme ‘Performing Advancers’, focused mainly on the human urge to perform, and innovate through performance. Curators Niek Pulles and Harm Rensink selected the most progressive fashion talents from the best Dutch and international Bachelor and Master programmes. Bram Vervoort, Vera de Pont, Josephine Goverts, Anouk van de Sande, Fatma Kizil and Nikki Duijst are just some of the names featured at the Modebelofte 2015. Dauw features the two latter designers, Fatma Kizil and Nikki Duijst, because of their innovative and culturally engaged concepts.

FATMA KIZIL recently graduated from the Willem the Kooning Academie Rotterdam. Kizil showed a piece of her collection I Am Under Construction at the Modebelofte. I Am Under Construction is inspired by the customisability of man in our digital world; the absence of boundaries when it comes to changing our bodies. “This collection contains distortions of a desire, and a search for myself. The shapes are inspired by fictional future prosthetics and installations. The prints, the combination of colours and the dimensions of the deformations are created on my own body, by the judgment and reactions of people around me”, explains Kizil.

FATMA KIZIL

NIKKI DUIJST hit the ground running as she recently graduated from the Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten Den Haag, and won Lichting 2015 with her graduation collection As We Seek Our Face. The collection is a result of a research on her personal fear to be the center of attention versus the pressure of social media to be the best version of yourself. With this collection Duijst tried to create garments that interact between femininity, seclusion and exposure. She developed her own prints for the fabrics that refer to the barcode. As Duijst wanted to make this collection very personal, she incorporated her own selfies into the prints; an exciting contrast with her fear of being the center of attention. 17

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IRIS VAN HERPEN SS16 RESTRUCTURED

OTHERWORLDLY GRIDLINE-PRINTED ORIGAMI TACTILE LEATHER DRESSES METALLIC GRATING AND POLKA-DOTS MADE COMFORTABLE 21

LASER-CUT PLASTIC  FUTURISTIC LAYERS OF COBWEB LACE STRUCTURES 23

What: Future Generation When: January 18th 2016 Where: Westergasfabriek Amsterdam The closing day of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Amsterdam was focused on the future of fashion. For years the fashion industry has been changing into a system of waste and consumerism, as organiser Peter Leferink puts it. It’s time for change and an event like Future Generation is where change begins, with possible answers and new questions. The future started with a visit to the Brave Monday Hotel, where guests, including Zyanya Keizer, Anneloes van Osselaer and Sophie Hardeman presented their vision on the future of fashion. Designer Jasna Rokegem, from Jasna Rok, presented fashion on brainwaves; garments that are connected to the wearers brainwaves through a headset. The garment subsequently gives the wearer feedback on whether it’s time to take a break, or whether it’s the wearer is distracted and needs to focus more. “Fashion is becoming the perfect guidance during our lives” Rokegem says.

ABOVE: JASNA ROK

The designer doesn’t stop there: “I see this more as an internet of things. Because, if you use your data to make a digital image of yourself, and you connect this in a safe way with a database or any other platform, you could connect yourself with whatever you would want to. Another subject touched upon during the event was gender in fashion. Rokegem also worked on a design focused on gender. “It’s called Strange Attractor, I named it after the phenomenon in physics. A strange attractor has two poles; one is a man, and the other one is a woman. In our daily lives we always gender between the two, because you can’t be an absolute man, and you can’t be an absolute woman. A lot of books were written and a lot of philosophers are thinking about the fact that men and women think differently. But researchers couldn’t find anything about male or female brainwaves, so I’m using fashion to investigate that.

LEFT: ZYANYA KEIZER 25

BELOW: BLOND & BIEBER

RIGHT: ANNELOES VAN OSSELAER

BELOW: AYNOUK TAN

Jasna Rokegem also appeared in the talkshow later that afternoon, which focused on fashion and technology. The talkshow was hosted by journalist and curator Anouk Tan, who commenced the show with an interesting statement: “These designers are not making new clothes; they’re creating new systems.”

Designer duo Laura Duncker and Karin Vlug are a great example of the new wave of designers. Instead of designing garments in a 2D, flat-lay way, they design in 3D, creating garments that are perfectly made to measure. Unfortunately, their new way of designing comes with difficulties, as Laura Duncker emphasises: “The fashion industry does not think in 3D and that needs to change to a new system, in which it IS possible to read 3D. For product design that’s already available, but for textiles…” The duo is working on a series of fabrics that mold perfectly around the body. Fabrics are a huge part of the future of fashion. Laura Duncker, who works at the Fashion Technology Lab at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute (AMFI), shares what they hope to achieve in the future: “We would like to have a material that you can reuse, so that when you’re tired of your sweater, you can just use the material again to make a new one. Or, maybe the material can dissolve over time, so that after you’re finished with the garment, it can go back into nature again.” Looking at the future, we will have a different kind of relationship with our clothing. We will have garments that know us; they’ll know how we feel, and they’ll know what we need. Our garments can connect us to the world, to our favourite apps, or simply to the lights in our living room. The materials will become increasingly more sustainable, reusable, recyclable and biodegradable. Whether we create something new out of our old clothes, or give the materials back to nature again; the way we see our clothes will never be the same again.

THE

RIGHT TO COPY

AFTER ONE OF HER DESIGNS WAS COPIED BY A BIG INTERNATIONAL FASHION BRAND, ESTHER MEIJER, DESIGNER OF NIEUW JURK, DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO USE THE RIP-OFF CULTURE TO HER ADVANTAGE. FOR HER LATEST PROJECT ‘SMILEY COPYRIGHT’ MEIJER TRAVELLED TO GHANGZOU, CHINA, TO GET HER DESIGNS REPLICATED ON PURPOSE.

In the documentary 'The right to copy', Meijer produced as part of the project, we see the designer visit several Chinese factories to research how copying works within the fashion industry. Ghangzou, as Meijer describes it, is the heart of the Chinese replica-industry. The designer wondered how factories go about producing rip-offs, and why certain labels are getting copied, whilst others arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. The final goal of the factory-visits was to get her designs ripped-off and sold at the night markets. A goal Meijer achieved. The original and the night market items were sold at the presentation of 'Smiley Copyright', which was held at Chinese restaurant Sea Palace in Amsterdam. There she organised her own miniature version of the Chinese night markets and presented her documentary.

Besides the process of Meijer trying get her pieces copied, the documentary also shows interviews the designer conducted on the subject of 'creative copyright'. Designers such as Stephane Aspool, Roberto Piqueras and Bas Kosters share their views on the matter in the documentary. "There is a fine line between copying and getting inspired", Kosters says. "Like the things you pick up unconciously and create in a new combination." Piqueras agrees with Kosters: "If I get inspired from someone on the street, is that his idea, or is it mine?" "We are suffering from a collective individuality, it is almost impossible to be a genuine individual. Because you get inspired, and you experience a lot", Kosters continues. "There have been major changes in the past twenty years. Where you first had to visit the library, or some random place to get inspired, or maybe see a picture in the newspaper, there is so much more nowadays. And I think it is difficult to find a solution for that"

"Maybe the creation or experience of originality, even though I try to accomplish that in my work, is something we need to see in a different light in the future. Maybe it's not so much about what we can do to resolve the situation, but more about how we can change our way of thinking and look at it from a different perspective." Kosters raises an interesting point. Instead of trying to find a solution to the problem, we should focus on changing our view on the situation. Designer Cecile Cecci takes the changingour-view part to the next level. In 'The right to copy' she says: "Nowadays it's a statement to wear fake things. These days it's more about how to combine things, and the overall image." "I think, it's the faker the better, since I see it as a gimmick, and not as a wannabe-thing." The 'Smiley Copyright'-project's current relevance inspires to think about the fine line between inspiration and imitation. The rip-off culture can't be changed, but the way we look at it, can, as Esther Meijer shows us.

Nieuw Jurk was founded by Esther Meijer in 2004, when she graduated from ArtEz in Arnhem with a collection that was called 'Going Ape in Nieuw Jurk', where Nieuw Jurk was a fictional city and the models were in the Nieuw-Jurk gang. Meijer designs in a very conceptual way, playing with body image and focusing on social issues. For example, for $â&#x201A;ŹXXX, an earlier collection Meijer created, the designer was inspired by the influence of porn on society, as the rise of the internet porn industry has had an indelible impact on society and sexual morality. Meijer didn't just show the designs at Amsterdam Fashion Week, her show was sponsored and presented by pornstar Bobbi Eden, the pieces were also worn during a authentic pornographic photoshoot for sexy magazine Foxy. Besides the ever present conceptualism, Nieuw Jurk pieces are characterised by being multi-wearable and unisex, often with a touch of humour, and inspired by subcultures such as hiphop, rave, gothic and grunge.

CALENDAR 07 | 02 06 | 03 08 | 05 38

ODE TO DUTCH FASHION Gemeentemuseum The Hague Dutch fashion history from 1900 - 2015. Amongst others: Viktor & Rolf, Iris van Herpen and Jan Taminiau. Until 07-02-2016 Gemeentemuseum Stadhouderslaan 41 2517 HV The Hague The Netherlands www.gemeentemuseum.nl

FIGURATIE Textielmuseum Tilburg Figurative design from 1950 - present. Amongst others: Cobra and Studio Job. Until 06-03-2016 Textielmuseum Goirkestraat 96 5046 GN Tilburg The Netherlands www.textielmuseum.nl

TIJDELIJK MODEMUSEUM Het Nieuwe Instituut Rotterdam Temporary fashion museum. Different garments from Dutch designers and interesting talks and events focusing on fashion design. Interesting events: 18-02-2015 Virtual fashion 10-03-2016 Pioneers in fashion Until 08-05-2016 Het Nieuwe Instituut Museumpark 25 3015 CB Rotterdam The Netherlands www.tijdelijkmodemuseum.hetnieuweinstituut.nl

DAUW MAGAZINE |2 WILL BE   ONLINE IN  MAY 39