J'N'C Magazine 2/2014

ENGLISH

JEANSWEAR AND CONTEMPORARY FASHION

No 56 / 2-2014

No 56 / 2-2014

COOL CITIES / AMSTERDAM

COOL CITIES AMSTERDAM STREET STYLES RETAIL TALKS AND SERVICE

INTERVIEWS: TONY TONNAER, SILAS ADLER, FRED DE LA BRETONIÈRE, PETER SCHUITEMA, CONFETTISYSTEM ENGLISH

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THE NEW STARTS NOW ON JULY 30, THE DAY IS HERE: GDS TAKES ON A NEW POSITION AND BECOMES THE GLOBAL DESTINATION FOR SHOES & ACCESSORIES. A COMPLETELY NEW CONCEPT AND NEW TIMEFRAME MAKE GDS THE OPENING INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR FOR THE INDUSTRY. From summer 2014, GDS is taking a major leap forward. From July 30 to August 1 and from February 4-6, 2015, retailers can get all the information they need to start planning their product lines in the best way. With the expansion of the range to include accessories such as bags, belts, scarves and hats, shoppers can now get an overview of the “total look” – and thus have the opportunity to fully exploit sales potential.

NEW CONCEPT PROVIDES THE BEST ORIENTATION FOR VISITORS

For easier orientation, GDS is divided into three worlds: Highstreet, Pop Up and Studio. Each world has its own atmosphere and unique design. Many brands have welcomed the new format and have already announced their participation.

“HIGHSTREET – THE MODERN PULSE” covers the spectrum ranging from modern and sporty to traditional. Brands such as Ara, Camel, Gabor, Lloyd, Mephisto, s.Oliver, Wortmann and many more will be represented here. International exhibitors will include Clarks, Buffalo, Camel, Kangaroos, Donna Carolina, Manas, Skechers, Unisa and Vagabond.

New exhibitors in HIGHSTREET are: Lacoste, Gant Footwear, Marc O´Polo, Napapijri Footwear and Viking. In the comfort range, Birkenstock, Finn Comfort, Ganter, Sioux and many more have confirmed their presence at the fair. The kids’ brands appearing will include Ricosta, Bisgaard, Däumling, Clic!, Falc and Primigi.

“POP UP – THE URBAN GROOVE” is a lively marketplace for trendy street wear. Manufacturers such as AS98, El Naturalista, Maruti, Panama Jack, Pepe Jeans Footwear, Wolverine or Replay, as new exhibitor, will present their latest trendy collections there in July.

“STUDIO – THE PREMIUM NOTE” presents shoe fashions from reduced to glamorous. This is about craftsmanship, elegant design and perfection.

Presenting under this guise at the next trade fair are brands such as Ash, United Nude, Attilio Giusti, Chie Mihara, Dirk Bikkembergs, Dinkelacker, Franceschetti, Jaime Mascaro and La Martina. New exhibitors in STUDIO will be Barbour Footwear, Jil Sander Navy, Kennel & Schmenger and Patricia Pepe.

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In each of the three worlds, visitors are also guided through the “highlight route” – a defined path that leads past exhibitor stands, special product presentations, fashion shows and events.

For more information, see: www.gds-online.com

„GDS and tag it! – the perfect combination of two trade fairs to kick off the season for our visitors!“ GDS DIRECTOR KIRSTIN DEUTELMOSER

POP UP covers brands and collections with unmistakable profiles that trigger trends in fashionable urban districts and which keep reinventing their products.

HALL 1+2 THE CITY IS YOURS

GDS’s perfect location is not changing.

With convenient arrival and departure for visitors, and in close proximity to the city of Düsseldorf. What’s new is that OUT OF THE BOX, the festival for shoes and accessories, will take place in parallel in the city. The event where the entire industry is in the spotlight! On August 1, 2014, visitors to the trade fair can look forward to in-store attractions, all-day shopping until 10 p.m., exhibitions and presentations, events and entertainment relating to the world of shoes and accessories, as well as after-shoe parties in the city’s most fashionable clubs.

For more information, see: www.outofthebox-duesseldorf.de

HIGHSTREET covers the spectrum ranging from modern and sporty to traditional and wellness-focused, while also including kids’ clothing and accessories.

HALL 3+4+ 5

WHERE DESIGNS TURN INTO BUSINESS A SUPPORTING AND NEW TRADE FAIR: “TAG IT! BY GDS” – THE FIRST TRADE FAIR IN THE WORLD THAT ALSO FOCUSES ON THE PRIVATE LABEL SEGMENT IN THE SHOES AND ACCESSORIES AREA. BOTH EVENTS START FOLLOWING THE DÜSSELDORF FASHION WEEK. THEIR MISSION: TO PROVIDE RETAILERS WITH A TRENDSETTING OVERVIEW OF ALL THE IMPORTANT COLLECTIONS AND TRENDS FOR THE SEASON.

STUDIO stands for premium brands which have their homes in the luxury segments of this world. The style ranges from reduced to glamorous. It is about craftsmanship, elegant design and perfection.

HALL 9

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TAG IT! – NEW TRADE FAIR CONCEPT WITH PRIVATE LABEL SEGMENT

From July 29 to August 1, 2014, one day before the start of GDS, another new trade fair concept begins: “tag it! by gds” – The Show for Private Label in Shoes and Accessories. In addition to large quantities, quality and designs are also increasingly offered at brand level, as well as complete private label collections.

And everything is clearly structured: Europe, with manufacturers and retailers from Europe specialising in private labels.

International, with all the key market players from Asia, North America and

South America. Sourcing, with manufacturers from China, offering ladies’, men’s and kids’ shoes, as well as sports shoes and accessories in the lower-price market segment. All production forms and retail levels are represented with sophisticated collections. As the first trade fair in the world, tag it! offers a complete overview to kick off the ordering season, as well as the opportunity to place the order here at the just the right time.

For more information, see: www.tag-it-show.com

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ph.Michele De Andreis

design Laboratorium mmxiv

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EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL

A BREATH OF BLUE AIR AMSTERDAM IS CALLING — THE ENTIRE CITY WILL BE LIVING AND BREATHING DENIM IN MAY.

Meeting place for the scene: ‘Amsterdam Denim Days’ The most recent indication of the importance of the canal metropolis in the international jeans biz is the decision by the American denim trade fair organisers, Kingpins, to up sticks and come to ye olde Europe as well. The best international weavers, finishers and producers are meeting up on the 7th and 8th of May for the first time in Amsterdam.

On the 9th and 10th of May the local trade fair Modefabriek, and its incorporated denim platform Blueprint offer a programme for end consumers.

Denim lovers can participate in workshops or watch documentary films to learn all about the indigo blue textiles. And many an indigo treasure will be changing hands in pop-up stores and at a vintage market.

The entire city will be living and breathing denim – so, what are you waiting for? Amsterdam is calling!

We too heeded the call and saddled up to bring you an up-to-date overview of the coolest shops and most inspiring locations in the town, just in time for Amsterdam Denim Days. You can read up on which streets, lanes and canals you really should pay a visit, and find out who the scene’s movers and shakers are in our Cool Cities Amsterdam special from page 32.

We all know that the world of fashion also has its dark side.

Topics that continue to fascinate us are shop fitting and architecture. But it’s not just Holland that has top-notch store designs, but also London, New York and even Germany – Düsseldorf to be exact – offer a good many exciting and inspiring examples.

So we are not only dedicating this issue of J’N’C to star architect Thomas Heatherwick from London.

Our New York expert Marie-Sophie Müller spoke to the creators of Confettisystem, a duo with no qualms about combining the two worlds of shop fitting and art. And Gerlind Hector dropped by the Düsseldorf concept store Chrystall to see what they are up to.

ILONA MARX Heaven is sometimes closer than you’d think.

Every day of their stay in Amsterdam Ilona Marx and Düsseldorf-based photo­ grapher Rainer Rudolf felt as though they had landed there – not just because of the pretty canals, ubiquitous cycling paths, clean air and the relaxed attitude of the locals. No, even the weather gods decided to show mercy. A week of sunshine in March, just off the 20-degree mark, which even for the Dutch was a little slice of heaven.

These are the topics we really enjoy. But we all know that the world of fashion also has its dark side: under the title ‘Sumangali – The Dowry ­Deception’ Fredericke Winkler examines the exploitative methods used in the Indian textile industry. We certainly can’t allow ourselves to turn a blind eye to these aspects of the industry – we, who are lucky enough to live on the sunny side of life, cycling through picturesque Amsterdam and along its canals.

Perhaps then it’s no coincidence that it is the Dutch jeans experts who seem particularly keen to give something back to the world. Hardly any other national fashion companies are as environmentally friendly and go to such lengths to protect people and resources. You can find out more in our interviews with K.O.I founder Tony Tonnaer and Peter Schuitema, International Sales Director at Kuyichi.

In this sense we hope we have provided you with an equally inspiring and thought-provoking issue.

Ilona Marx

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We often forget that it’s not Amsterdam that is the capital of the Netherlands, but the somewhat more subdued The Hague, which doesn’t come close to the dazzling brilliance of the pretty city on the Amstel River. But at least in terms of fashion it’s official: everyone is talking about Amsterdam as the ‘Capital of Denim’. And its reputation has already reached far beyond the country’s borders. Amsterdam has the highest concentration of jeans brands in the whole world and it is also way ahead of the rest of the pack in terms of design and product development too.

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CONTENT

OVERVIEW

CONTENT

THE MASTERPIECES

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STREET STYLES

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SILAS ADLER, SOULLAND

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TONY TONNAER, K.O.I

AMSTERDAM RETAIL

COOL CITIES AMSTERDAM

THOMAS HEATHERWICK

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CONFETTISYSTEM

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FASHION SHOOTS

CHRYSTALL 12

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COLUMN

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FASHION SHOOTS

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FRED DE LA BRETONIÈRE 54

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CONTENT

OVERVIEW

CONTENT EDITORIAL CONTENT IMPRINT COLUMN / CONTRIBUTORS BITS & PIECES

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THE MASTERPIECES

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COOL CITIES AMSTERDAM

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STREET STYLES RETAIL SERVICE TALKS – TONY TONNAER, K.O.I TALKS – PETER SCHUITEMA, KUYICHI TALKS – FRED DE LA BRETONIÈRE

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FAIRS BREAD & BUTTER BERLIN DENIM BY PREMIÈRE VISION, PITTI IMMAGINE UOMO PREMIUM PANORAMA BERLIN, MODEFABRIEK MUNICH FABRIC START

68 70 71 72 73

FASHION SHOOTS GUNNAR TUFTA

BETTY BLU

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DIANA DIEDERICH

BACK STREET BOYS

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TEXTILES & TRENDS

BRANDS & BRAINS

FEMNET

SUMANGALI – THE DOWRY DECEPTION

SOULLAND INTERVIEW SILAS ADLER

SOUL BROTHER

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RETAIL & ARCHITECTURE CHRYSTALL, DÜSSELDORF

THE JEWEL ON FÜRSTENPLATZ SQUARE

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THOMAS HEATHERWICK, LONDON

THE DA VINCI CODE

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CANDIANI DENIM INTERVIEW NORBERT HINDERBERGER

TRUE BLUE

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WHERE TO FIND US

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TEN QUESTIONS FOR JULIAN DUNKERTON & JAMES HOLDER

SUPERDRY

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CONFETTISYSTEM, NEW YORK

FUN LOVIN’ CREATIVES

PUBLISHER B+B MEDIA COMPANY GmbH Hildebrandtstr. 24 d 40215 Düsseldorf Telefon +49 (0)211 8303 0 Telefax +49 (0)211 8303 200 info@jnc-net.de, www.jnc-net.de MANAGING DIRECTOR André Weijde

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PUBLISHING MANAGEMENT Rainer Schlatmann, Kathrin Wimber

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ilona Marx /im ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Pierre D’Aveta

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FREELANCE CONTRIBUTORS Gerlind Hector /gh, ­Cheryll Mühlen /cm, Marie-Sophie Müller, Theresa Wachter, Fredericke Winkler /fw PHOTOGRAPHY Diana Diederich, Rainer Rudolf / 7Daysis­aweekend, Gunnar Tufta, Bernd Wichmann, Andi Zimmermann ILLUSTRATION Mathias Suess TRANSLATION Galina Green, Paula Hedley DESIGN & LAYOUT Martin Steinigen, chewing the sun, www.chewingthesun.com

IMAGE EDITING Jean Pascal Zahn COPY EDITOR Eva Westhoff HEAD OF PRODUCTION Stefan Mugrauer PRINT Kössinger Druck, Schierling ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Pierre D’Aveta Telefon +49 (0)211 8303 151 p.daveta@bb-mediacompany.com PRICE Germany 9,50 Euros A, NL, B 10,50 Euros; E, P, I 11,50 Euros Switzerland 15.80 CHF

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Place of business and jurisdiction is in all cases Düsseldorf.

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TEXT GERLIND HECTOR ILLUSTRATION MATHIAS SUESS

Some of our

CONTRIBUTORS

DIANA DIEDERICH “Seduction and inspiration, beauty and perfection,” Diana Diederich can’t enthuse enough about her biggest passion, photography. Born in Göttingen, she moved to Hamburg after her communications design degree and earned her first spurs in the photo and agency scene. Somewhere along the line she thought to herself: “I can do that too,” so she grabbed a camera and, before she knew it, had already acquired her first big clients. Diana even attracted the attention of ‘Elle’ China. So our shoot in Hamburg’s Gängeviertel district was essentially a home game for her.

COLUMN

56 — 02/2014

A New Trend is Born The world of fashion and lifestyle, where cool trends we weren’t even aware of the day before, are suddenly brought to life, must seem quite inexplicable to the amateur bystander. The most recent example is no doubt Madonna with her hairy armpits post on Instagram. Apparently it was an act of solidarity with her friend Gwyneth Paltrow who had announced on the Ellen show at the beginning of the year that she was going all 70s retro ‘down there’. Did we really want to know that? And yet, Madonna is the ultimate trendsetter. She brought us and the world of fashion the cone bra, cowboy hat and shiny catsuit. Maybe the underarm merkin will be the next big thing. And there are plenty of profashionals out there, no better informed than we are, who don’t have a clue about trend hopping and so pay expensive trend gurus and scouts just to stay on-message.

But ironically, the hottest trends are usually those borne out of necessity rather than the result of superhuman creativity. Real experts know that the weird and wonderful creations from Paris or London are not normally genius bolts of inspiration from the sky but usually makeshift solutions. Or simply because there was nothing else at hand.

Christian Dior must have had a little chuckle to himself when he presented his ‘brand new’ dresses with capacious skirts and wasp waists on the catwalk shortly after the Second World War. They were celebrated by the

international press as the ‘new look’. The fact was that these dresses had been holed up in some stock room due to a lack of demand for something so ostentatious during the frugal war years. But it all turned out for the best because there was no money for new materials in post-war Paris anyway.

And everyone knows the old story about how the baggy pant fashion came about: a symbol of solidarity with US inmates who had to hand in their belts upon becoming incarcerated.

Seattle grunge icon Kurt Cobain was also slightly bemused when he realised everyone was copying his layered grungy look back in the 90s. The real reason he wore trousers and jumpers on top of each other was simply to distract from his skinny frame and bad posture – but that’s how grunge was born and it’s still being referenced to this day.

The list really does go on: overalls for women, bobby socks instead of nylons and sneakers paired with office attire. All borne out of necessity: either a shortage of material, for reasons of comfort, or a simple lack of imagination.

Perhaps, after all these stressful years as a style icon, Madonna simply ran out of ideas or maybe she had just had enough of the whole fitness and styling hype. Who knows the real reasons for the ‘back to bush’ movement? But no-one says you have to follow every new trend to the letter.

EVA WESTHOFF “Röllö, röllö!” is currently an important code in Eva Westhoff’s otherwise highly developed vocabulary. But only she and her little daughter know exactly what it means. Luckily Eva has an equally effective way of communicating with the J’N’C staff, because as the senior editor of J’N’C Magazine she is the one who keeps an eagle eye on our spelling and punctuation, which we are extremely grateful for.

And as for her self-penned songs, she has decided to keep them under wraps for now. But we believe in you, dear Eva, and can already see you storming the charts as a German Joan Baez. As long as you don’t desert us when the next big record label comes knocking!

MARCO HÜLSEBUS “Never stay still” is Marco Hülsebus’ modus operandi. The hair and make-up artist loves jetting around the globe on his many photo shoots and film projects. Always on the lookout for the perfect wave – whether as a surfer or hair concept stylist. The former Vidal Sassoon student loves to try out new things and so for the current issue of J’N’C we got him to style our ‘Back Street Boys’ for us. The one thing that keeps him grounded though is his British bulldog, which, unlike a poodle, luckily requires minimal grooming – otherwise Marco might be tempted to start styling her too.

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BITS & PIECES

BITS & PIECES

FRED PERRY:

ALL HANDS ON DECK!

ACNE STUDIOS:

There’s no doubt about it, collaborations between brands are nothing new in the fashion industry. But when traditional British label Fred Perry joins forces with deckchair manufacturer Southsea Deckchairs, this is a cooperation which transcends the normal limits of textile teamwork.

The spring/summer 2014 Fred Perry Authentic capsule collection is a homage to the ‘British seaside’ with the stripes and coloured patterns of classic deckchairs and a summery, retro flair. Originally original. /cm

SPIRITUALISED Every artist creates their own universe. And Hilma af Klint’s universe is not only rich in colour. Almost 70 years after her death, somewhat forgotten for many years, the Swedish artist is finally officially regarded as one of the pioneers of abstract painting. One of her most important subjects: art as a spiritual search with the aim of reconciling apparent contradictions – such as male and female. So it’s no wonder that Jonny Johansson, Creative Director of the Stockholm brand Acne, was inspired enough to dedicate a capsule collection to Hilma af Klint for spring/summer 2014. At the focus of the men’s and womenswear range are shirts, sweaters, bags and scarves, which celebrate the work of the visionary artist with prints scanned directly from her canvases. /cm WWW.ACNESTUDIOS.COM

WWW.FREDPERRY.COM

ADIDAS:

RETRO RUNNERS

Wider silhouettes, more expressive colours and preferably firmly anchored in the brand’s history. That’s what they look like, today’s ideal sneakers. One of these stylishly ‘rebooted’ archive finds is the Adidas Originals SS14 EQT Running Sport 93. Launched for the first time 20 years ago, it is celebrating its comeback this year as part of the ‘City ­Series’. The colours blue, red, yellow and beige each represent a metropolis: Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, Copenhagen and, last but not least, Berlin. /cm

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WWW.ADIDAS.COM

LEVI’S RED:

WALK THE LINE

We’ve had to wait a full seven years. Now, for Spring/ Summer 2014, Levi’s is finally presenting another collection from its Premium Levi’s RED concept with ‘Lined RED’. The line for ladies and men, which is only available in a few, hand-picked shops worldwide, was established in 1999 as a way of reinventing the iconic Levi’s Five-Pocket. At the focus this time, as the title already suggests, “are new types of garment lining that reveal the beautiful balance between durability and delicacy”. So it’s no wonder that the 15-piece collection has won the Wallpaper Design Award for the best denim range. /cm WWW.LEVISRED.NET

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JuL 8–10 STATION-Berlin www.p re m iu m e xhibition s.com

BITS & PIECES

TIGER OF SWEDEN/JEANS:

TRASH

ANVIL:

SPRING BREAKER K.O.I:

For early summer Anvil is offering airy light terry fleece tops for him and her. After all, the temperatures aren’t quite high enough to be baring our skin, but we don’t want to be bundled up in thick layers either. So make some space in your wardrobe for the new basics in an easy-care cotton/polyester mix that the US shirt specialist has been stocking since the beginning of May. With soft terry fleece on the inside, the casual tops are available as round-neck sweaters, and for the ladies also as a fashionable hoodie.

The colour palette, which makes it great for combining, ranges from black and navy to heather purple down to green, blue and dark grey. A real must-have item for between the seasons. /gh

THE PRINT POETS

You can probably remember block printing from your school days. And what seemed just as simple as it was effective in our childhoods is proving to be a great technique for giving denims a truly authentic finish. Dutch brand Kings of Indigo has discovered the joys of the woodblock print for its autumn/winter 2014 collection. The highlight is a solution consisting of plastic and black soil, which is printed onto the fabric using wooden stamps. The treated items are then dipped in natural indigo several times. Using this resist dyeing method, the dye only ‘takes’ well on the untreated surfaces, creating an ingenious patterned effect. Printed poetry for the advanced student. /cm

WWW.ANVIL.EU

LAIDBACK

… yes, that really is the name of the Spring/Summer 2014 collection by Tiger of Sweden/Jeans. Bacardi feeling in a Hawaiian shirt? No thank you! The Stockholm label is showing us, even under cloudless skies, just how flattering and casual a touch of darkness and gloom can be, with a focus on different grey tones, stony colour nuances and black looks.

And if you still don’t get the tongue-incheek message: the collection also has a subtitle: ‘Mordor on the Beach’. But to understand that, you’d have to have read Tolkien’s ‘Lord of the Rings’. /cm WWW.TIGEROFSWEDEN.COM

WWW.KINGSOFINDIGO.COM

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CANDIANI DENIM:

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ECO BOOST

SHEEN BY CASIO:

ELEMENTARY

Innovation means sustainability – at least according to Candiani Denim. The Italian jeans producer has two revolutionary washing techniques up its sleeve: ‘N-Denim’ and ‘Indigo Juice’. Thanks to ‘Nitrogen’ technology the first method reduces the use of water by 30 percent and chemicals by 50 percent. Nitrogen delays the oxidation process, thereby speeding up the penetration of the indigo dye into the fibres. The ‘Indigo Juice’ procedure uses a different kind of concept. Here the indigo is only used on the surface. This also saves water and energy during the washing process. And without comprising on the quality too, of course. /cm

‘Cu’? Yes, exactly. If you paid attention in chemistry lessons at school, you would know that ‘Cu’ is the symbol for copper. Something which this season’s new models by Sheen are making plenty use of. Whether just as a detail, all-over or in combination with gold and silver. The ladies’ watch brand by Japanese watchmaker Casio was only launched on the German market last year and is already making a name for itself with its both feminine and tough designs. /cm

WWW.CANDIANIDENIM.IT

WWW.SHEEN-WATCHES.EU

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Image © Dean Cheng

EINE STREETWEAR, S K AT E B O A R D I N G UND SNEAKER MESSE IN BERLIN J U LY 8 — J U LY 10 2 014

A BRIGHT NIGHTS B R U N N E N ST R . 19 – 21, BERLIN / MITTE B R I G H T T R A D E S H O W. C O M

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THE MASTERPIECES

THE MASTERPIECES EDITOR’S PICK

J’N’C PROUDLY PRESENTS: THE MASTERPIECES THAT HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BECOME TRUE CLASSICS

TEXT CHERYLL MÜHLEN

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PHOTOS BERND WICHMANN

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THE MASTERPIECES

These boots are made for walking THE LAST CONSPIRACY

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MEG THE LAST CONSPIRACY

In spite of their name The Last Conspiracy are not plotting to overthrow the government, but much rather promoting dialogue – between Northern and Southern Europe to be precise.

The shoe label designs in Denmark and has its products made by hand in Portugal. That’s also the case for the ‘Meg’ ankle boot from the spring/summer 2014 collection, which will make the

ladies amongst you sit up and take notice. These white crocodile leather boots add a touch of timeless extravagance to every outfit and, with their 7.5-centimetre heel, can even be worn for

WWW.THELASTCONSPIRACY.COM 24

longer strolls around the city. For urban nomads who simply don’t want to have to choose between comfort and looking good.

THE MASTERPIECES

It runs in the family — UTZON

When it comes to expertise in leather and fur, not many people can rival Pernille Utzon. Even her great-grandfather was a furrier. In 1990 the Danish designer founded her own label, which – as history suggests – is not a follower of short-lived fashion

fads, but rather an instigator of long-term trends. This is the perfect prerequisite for creating a masterpiece, especially as the majority of the collection is not only designed in Denmark, but produced there too – ­under the perfect working condi-

tions, of course. The ‘Rizo Curly Pearl Coat’, which will be hitting shelves from autumn/winter 2014/15, is the best proof that eye-catching statement coats are by no means a thing of the past.

Its soft shearling lamb fur and ice-blue lambskin are capable

of transforming anyone into the ultimate ice queen. And the coat is reversible too – a sure-fire way to beat boredom and therefore fashionable ephemerality.

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RIZO CURLY PEARL COAT UTZON

UTZON.NU 25

THE MASTERPIECES

Everyday Denim — EDWIN EUROPE

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ED-75 EDWIN EUROPE

Due to the fact that jeans can even be worn in the office these days, many people often forget that they were originally designed as robust work trousers.

The regular tapered ED-75 by

­ dwin Europe reconciles the E rough and ready origins with the demands of today’s jeans wearers. After all, if you’re more likely to be wearing your jeans in front of a computer than stuck

between a horse and machine, the ED-75 with its black studs will be the perfect used-look companion for everyday wear.

The menswear model for the autumn/winter 2014/15 season

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not only impresses with its soft wash, based on real wearing patterns of jeans, but also with a hidden feature on the inside: the exclusive rainbow selvedge.

THE MASTERPIECES

Tradition to the power of two AIGLE × NIGEL CABOURN

Original Brit style, made in France! For their joint autumn/ winter 2014/15 capsule collection Aigle and Nigel Cabourn are combining French workwear with British hunting apparel. And as both traditional companies have

an equal appreciation for highquality materials and handcraftsmanship, it was pretty much inevitable that the fruits of this collaboration would be impressive. The result is an authentic vintage collection for ladies and

men, which also includes the ‘Le Godiot’ model. The men’s leather and natural rubber boots are reminiscent of workers’ shoes from bygone eras, but have been stylistically reinterpreted for the 21st century. Despite the obvious

functionality of the boots, they are of course more than suitable for wearing in the city – but are guaranteed to be just as practical on your next walk in the woods.

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LE GODIOT AIGLE X NIGEL CABOURN

WWW.AIGLE.COM WWW.CABOURN.COM

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THE MASTERPIECES

Beat it! — DR. DENIM

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KEVIN ZIP CARDIGAN DR. DENIM

It’s all in the name: the heart of the Graah family from ­Gothenburg in Sweden beats for denim. But the young family-run company, which was founded in 2004, is also interested in

other disciplines – jackets for example. Well, cardigans to be precise. The best proof of this is the ‘Kevin Zip Cardigan’ for men, from the autumn/winter 2014/15 collection. With a mix of suede

and cotton it builds a bridge between casual coolness and subtle rebellion. The model is inspired by the Beat Generation, whose protagonists Jack Kerouac and co. were always ‘On The

WWW.DRDENIMJEANS.COM 28

Road’ – literally and proverbially.

And if you get around as much and are as non-conformist as the Beatniks, you’re going to need the right style. Which Dr. Denim is happy to provide.

980 Adult FAshion BAsic tee

anvil.eu

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Fashionality what’s your

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THE MASTERPIECES

Black Rider — GOLDEN BEAR

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THE CUMBERLAND GOLDEN BEAR

There’s no doubt about it: leather jackets definitely have what it takes to be true masterpieces – especially when they are made by a label that has been outfitting musicians, Hollywood

stars, presidents and other dignitaries for over 60 years and therefore impressively proving its high quality. ‘The Cumberland’

by Californian label Golden Bear is a traditional ‘cafe racer’ jacket

that has been made the same way since the 1960s. The jacket is produced in San Francisco using the finest black medium-weight horse leather from the Chicagobased Horween Leather Com-

WWW.GOLDENBEARSPORTSWEAR.COM 30

WWW.AMTRAQ.COM

pany, which was founded back in 1905. ‘The Cumberland’ combines a rough vintage style with laid-back nonchalance and is a timeless statement that doesn’t just look good on biker boys.

A

COOL CITIES / AMSTERDAM

TEXT ILONA MARX PHOTOS RAINER RUDOLF

Cool Cities

AMSTERDAM In fashion circles, Amsterdam is regarded as the capital of denim and not just since the organisers of jeans trade fair Kingpins decided to stage an event there, following on from their success in New York, Hong Kong and L.A. The fact that a selection of the most illustrious denim weavers will be attending the premiere event in the Westergasfabriek venue is just another indication of what the industry already knows: in the fashion alphabet A is for Amsterdam, closely followed by D for denim.

Part of the reason why the robust blue twill is so popular in the Netherlands is the mentality of this traditional trading nation: our European neighbours are practical people – although when it comes to design perhaps somewhat less than us Germans.

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In Amsterdam the ‘blue gold’ can really unfold its true potential.

32

And this also influences the design of everyday objects. Fashion, furniture, architecture – of course the functionality of an object is primary. But who’s going to complain if it looks good too? And that brings us to the look that the Dutch prefer: classic but with a modern twist, functional of course, a little bit retro, but still timeless, not too extravagant, certainly beautifully made – and preferably also produced in a politically correct way: ecologically sustainable and fair trade. All of these attributes apply in various measure to the denim brands that are rated as the Big Five in Amsterdam: G-Star, Denham, Kuyichi, K.O.I and Blue Blood.

Tommy Hilfiger and Pepe Jeans also see Holland’s secret capital as an important location, one from which Scotch & Soda takes on the whole world.

Which is also an indication that the ‘blue gold’ can really unfold its true potential here. And we shouldn’t forget to mention the House of Denim – Platform for Craftsmanship and Innovation in the Denim Industry. Part of this institution founded

in 2009 is the world’s first ‘Jeans School’, which offers courses by industry experts and the socalled ‘Indigo Embassy’, an international expertise exchange. Previously without its own fixed location, the ‘House of Denim’ will finally be opening its ‘Denim City HQ’ in Amsterdam this summer.

There are plans for an up-cycling company, a denim archive and also a sustainable washing facility.

It’s always important to think outside the box.

AMSTERDAM IN NUMBERS Population: 820,500 Annual no. of visitors: more than 3.5 million Museums: around 60 (highest density of m­useums in the world) Nationalities: 178 Bicycles: an estimated 881,000 Charging stations for electric vehicles: around 650 Canals: 165 Bridges: 1280 House boats: 2500

So it’s clear that denim is big news in Amsterdam.

This Cool Cities special compiled over several warm spring days by editor-in-chief Ilona Marx and photographer Rainer Rudolf shows the most important denim hotspots. Extensive interviews with the scene’s movers and shakers give us an insight into what is currently state-of-the-art there – and where the fashion journey is headed. But despite all this enthusiasm for the omnipresent blue: in order to stop boredom creeping in it’s always important to think outside the box. So we didn’t just stop at putting together a list of the best denim stores, but also added our all-time favourites and the best new additions in the fashion, art, culture, interior design and gastronomy sectors. After all, in addition to D for denim there’s a whole other 25 letters in the alphabet just waiting to be discovered.

Windmills: 8 Shops: around 6160 Buildings dating from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries: 8863

ALPHABET A IS FOR AMSTERDAM,

COOL CITIES / AMSTERDAM

IN THE FASHION

CLOSELY FOLLOWED BY D

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FOR DENIM.

33

COOL CITIES / AMSTERDAM — STREET STYLES

AMSTERDAM STREET STYLES

“THERE’S A BIG ALTERNATIVE SCENE. AND INCREASINGLY ALSO PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO PREFER DRESSING IN A MORE GENDER-NEUTRAL LAURA, 24, shoe designer for Karl Lagerfeld Jacket, shirt & glasses H&M Trousers Monki Shoes Sacha Necklaces from my family Bag Karl Lagerfeld

RAMI, 20, student Sweater & shirt Vintage Jeans Dr. Denim Scarf Cheesecloth Shoes Dr. Martens Bag Lost Boy Bags

WAY.” JOA

OANNE, 26, dancer Coat & jeans Monki Jacket Vintage Shirt & necklace H&M Shoes Zara LENTE, 17, student

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Jacket COS T-shirt Zara Dress Romwe Shoes Dr. Martens Bag Mango

34

GINA, 23, student Coat, shoes & backpack Zara Blouse H&M Trousers River Island

JOA, 25, stylist Coat H&M Dress & ring COS Shoes Steve Madden

Jacket Vintage German worker jacket Vest Burberry Shirt Levi’s Trousers Levi’s Vintage Scarf Vintage Hat Borsalino Vintage Shoes Moma Socks Burlington

“AMSTERDAM

IS VERY LIBERAL AND THAT ALSO

COOL CITIES / AMSTERDAM — STREET STYLES

JEROEN, 41, co-owner of Harvest & Co

APPLIES TO ITS FASHION.” SJOERD, 28, social work student

JEROEN

Jacket Maison Martin Margiela for H&M Sweater Weekday Shirt COS Trousers Acne Shoes Vintage Socks Happy Socks Bag from Tate Gallery

SIMONE, 35, PR manager Jacket The Kooples Pullover & trousers Samsøe & Samsøe Shoes Sandro

Jacket Faux Fur Pullover Helmut Lang Trousers 3x1 Shoes Isabel Marant Glasses Polaroid Eyewear

LINNEMORE, 64, fashion design teacher

“AMSTERDAM IS VERY LAID BACK!” LINNEMORE

Coat Vintage Skirt designed by myself Scarf from the market Shoes Onitsuka Tiger Watch from a market in London Bag Ann-Sofie Back Glasses Wunderkind

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ANNELOT, 20, model

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COOL CITIES / AMSTERDAM — RETAIL

AMSTERDAM RETAIL

TENUE DE NÎMES Haarlemmerstraat 92 – 94 1013 EV Amsterdam T +31 (0)20 3312778 Elandsgracht 60 1016 TX Amsterdam T +31 (0)20 3204012 OPENING TIMES Mon noon – 6 pm Tues + Wed 10 am – 6 pm Thurs 10 am – 8 pm Fri + Sat 10 am – 6 pm Sun noon – 6 pm

WWW.TENUEDENIMES.COM BRANDS A.P.C., Acne, Armor Lux, Big John, Converse, Current/Elliott, Denim Design Lab, Dockers, Double RL, Edwin, Forte_ Forte, Grenson, Illesteva, Indigofera, Ivy & Liv, Izola, Japan Blue, Lee, Les Prairies de Paris, Levi’s Made & Crafted, Levi’s Vintage Clothing, Libertine-Libertine, Merz b.

Schwanen, Midori, Mister Freedom, Momotaro, Naked & Famous, Nudie Jeans, Penfield, Pure Blue Japan, Rag & Bone, Ralph Lauren, Red Wing, Rogue Territory, Tellason, The Hill-Side, Von Eusersdorff, Wouters & Hendrix, Wrangler

“ALL WE REALLY

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TENUE DE NÎMES

36

“All we really want to do is talk about denim all day long,” is how Rene Strolenberg, one of the two brains behind Tenue de Nîmes, describes himself and his business partner Menno van Meurs. And he lets us in on a few more secrets: “We’ve known each other now for 17 years and we are a top team: I didn’t like school but always had a head full of ideas. Menno, in contrast, was a really keen student – and

WANT TO DO IS TALK ABOUT DENIM ALL DAY LONG.” he is really good with numbers.

So in that sense we complement one another perfectly.” Following the success of their first shop which they opened in 2008 on Elandsgracht, the duo decided

to add a second one on Haarlemmerstraat. But this one was more directed towards a female clientele. “Originally our emphasis was on menswear, so it was quite a challenge when it came to the shop’s interior,” admits Rene.

“Especially because we weren’t just concentrating on denim, but saw our role increasingly in the curation of beautiful things.”

Which is highly apparent when you drop by Tenue de Nîmes. And

Strolenberg and Van Meurs are already planning another strategic move: they want to launch their own jeans label – a collection made from Japanese denim but which is produced in Italy. If they have the same good taste and business acumen as they have as retailers, the project is almost certainly bound for success.

COOL CITIES / AMSTERDAM — RETAIL BRANDS 1012 Terra, A.O.CMS, Antler & co., Barnaby Black, Bellroy, Bocca, Braun, By Mutti, D. R. Harris, Falcon Enamelware, Fish & Woods, Fracap, Hammam 34, Han Kjøbenhavn, Hario, Heroes on Socks, Joseph Marples Limited, Kalastyle, La Farme, Laboratory Perfumes, Norse Projects, Obey, Ontour, Otter Wax, Poler Stuff, Portland Apothecary, Postalco, Qwstion, Sandqvist, SeaVees, Spin Ceramics, Sydney Hale, Timex, Triwa

SIX AND SONS Haarlemmerdijk 31 1013 KB Amsterdam T +31 (0)20 2330092 OPENING TIMES Mon – Fri 9 am – 6 pm Sat + Sun 10 am – 6 pm WWW.SIXANDSONS.COM

ALEXANDER’S HIGH DEMANDS ON QUALITY ALSO APPLY TO THE SELECTION OF

Like many of his colleagues in recent times, Alexander Six has transformed a virtual business into the real deal. Six started off selling vintage furniture online.

The growing success gave him the confidence a year ago to start his own bricks-and-mortar shop on Haarlemmerdijk – much to the joy of the mixed bunch of customers who like to drop by.

As well as furniture and other interior design objects, Six now

also sells clothing, soap, bicycles and, last but not least, coffee.

The upper part of the two-storey shop is completely dedicated to creature comforts. Here they serve homemade granola muesli for breakfast and sandwiches, quiches and soups for lunch.

Alexander’s high demands on quality also apply of course to the selection of food on offer.

Which is why the ingredients that enter his kitchen are exclusively

sourced from the Netherlands.

The flour comes from a mill that still grinds by hand. And Alexander is extending his range with flowers, herbs and veg to grow yourself. ‘Cityseeds’ is the seed collection that will be sold over the counter at Six and Sons soon, which is sure to further promote the concept of urban gardening and make idyllic Amsterdam even more beautiful and green than it already is.

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FOOD ON OFFER.

SIX AND SONS

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COOL CITIES / AMSTERDAM — RETAIL

BRANDS Droog, Atelier NL, Bibol, DHDP, Maarten Baas, Hay, KnIndustrie, Muuto, NgispeN, Normann Copenhagen, RVKB, TextielMuseum, Thomas Eyck

OPENING TIMES Tues – Sun 11 am – 6 pm HÔTEL DROOG Staalstraat 7b 1011 JJ Amsterdam T +31 (0)20 5235050

WWW.HOTELDROOG.COM

HÔTEL DROOG IS SOMETHING

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HÔTEL DROOG

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It certainly doesn’t look like your average hotel – after all, Droog only has one single room.

But with its area of 700 m² this establishment offers so much in terms of distraction that you’ll be hard pushed to leave. On the one hand it is a store, selling sophisticated designs by the renowned Droog design collective, side by side with interior design objects by kindred colleagues. On top of that there is a small art gallery as

AKIN TO A PRIVATELY RUN CULTURAL CENTRE — A TRULY UNIQUE INSTITUTION AND AN INHERENT PART OF AMSTERDAM’S CULTURAL LIFE.

well as carefully selected vintage items by designer labels for him and her in the ‘Kabinet’ fashion store, just waiting for vintage lovers to snap them up. And if you are looking for creature comforts, look no further than the restaurant, stocked with snacks and drinks, or help yourself to beauty products at the Hôtel Droog spa. You can pop out for some fresh air in the ‘Fairytale Garden’ with its collection of

sculptures, before withdrawing to the library to sit back and leaf through the Droog design catalogues. Readings and exhibitions complete the picture, making Hôtel Droog a truly unique institution and an inherent part of Amsterdam’s cultural life.

COOL CITIES / AMSTERDAM — RETAIL BRANDS Dare Studio, Hacoa, Kaweco Classic Sport, Le Typographe, Makr, Midori, P.A.P., Postalco, Roberu, Sammlung Urform, Studio Sarah, Tajika, The School of Life

BRIGITTA SURJADI

OPENING TIMES Wed – Fri 1 pm – 7 pm Sat noon – 6 pm

IS ONLY TOO AWARE OF WHAT

MISC STORE De Clercqstraat 130

AN IMMENSE

1052 NP Amsterdam T +31 (0)20 7009855

INFLUENCE A

WWW.MISC-STORE.COM

NICELY DESIGNED OFFICE HAS ON

Brigitta Surjadi, the owner of the Misc Stores, is only too aware of what an immense influence a nicely designed office has on the quality of work done there.

The young Asian woman’s job of designing beautiful workspaces for her clients is also her passion. Central to Brigitta’s mission: office furniture that can be viewed and ordered in her shop before it is hand manufactured in Cornwall. But even if you don’t want to buy a whole desk, filing cabinet or shelving system, you are sure to find something to your liking at Misc: the range

THE QUALITY OF WORK DONE THERE. includes all kinds of pretty stationery and accessories, like pens, notepads, files, folders, scissors, sellotape dispensers and paper clips. And because, as everyone knows, in addition to tasteful interiors, green plants contribute to productivity at the workplace, you can also buy vases, pots and special Japanese glass cases.

The latter are recommended for those who are often away on business trips and don’t have a

secretary to take care of their plants. The greenhouse-style metal and glass construction allows the plant to help itself to the integrated water reservoirs as well as providing an equally functional and tasteful home for cacti and succulents. In addition to the store on De Clercqstraat Brigitta also runs an online shop that allows her loyal fan community to reorder without even leaving their desks. Which should put a smile on the face of even the most stressed-out office worker!

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MISC STORE

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COOL CITIES / AMSTERDAM — RETAIL

BRANDS Atelier Sukha, Antik Batik, Chillimint, Humanoid, Koos, Moniquevanheist, Ontwerpduo OPENING TIMES Mon 11 am – 6:30 pm Tues – Sat 10 am – 6:30 pm Sun noon – 5 pm SUKHA Haarlemmerstraat 110 1013 EW Amsterdam T +31 (0)20 3304001

WWW.SUKHA-AMSTERDAM.NL

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SUKHA

40

A duo like Yin and Yang: after studying art, Sam spent two years living in Calcutta where she worked for an NGO helping to set up a women’s textile cooperative, whilst Irene was creative director of a large fashion company. During this time they both gained valuable experience – at opposite ends of the production chain. What the two Sukha creators Sam Ijsbrandy and Irene Mertens both have in common is a love of handicrafts – apparent in every corner of the shop.

An oversized hammock can be admired swinging in the front

THE NAME OF THIS LIFESTYLE HUB IN SANSKRIT MEANS ‘JOY OF LIFE’.

window of the store. Mobiles and garlands made of torn textile remnants decorate the space.

Baskets, floor bowls and beanbags knitted with thick knitting needles make for cosy oases of relaxation. Fashion and interior design is sold here, produced in sustainable ways, often with a regional reference. You can drink tea while you browse, or help yourself to one of the freshlymade cheese sandwiches on the white-tiled kitchen counter.

The whole space is dipped in light powdery colours – the two women have succeeded in creat-

ing a very relaxing special space.

And so it’s not surprising that the door is always open: Sukha is a meeting point for many of Sam and Irene’s friends and also a kind of second home for the owners themselves too. This is where they develop the products for their own line, discuss the range they want to stock and plan menus and picnics. Because the Sukha universe also includes a catering department entitled ‘Sukha food’. The name of this lifestyle hub in Sanskrit means ‘joy of life’, which couldn’t be any more apt.

COOL CITIES / AMSTERDAM — RETAIL

ANYONE WHO HAS A THING FOR ELABORATE INTERIOR MAKEOVERS WILL GO WEAK AT THE KNEES JUST THINKING ABOUT THE STORE’S NEXT TRANSFORMATION. OPENING TIMES Mon noon – 6 pm Tues + Wed 10 am – 6 pm Thurs 10 am – 8 pm Fri + Sat 10 am – 6 pm Sun noon – 6 pm DENHAM Corner Store Prinsengracht 531 1016 HR Amsterdam T +31 (0)20 3032825 Flagship Store Hobbemastraat 8 1071 ZA Amsterdam T +31 (0)20 6813524 Men’s Store Prinsengracht 495 1016 HR Amsterdam T +31 (0)20 3449133 Women’s Store Runstraat 17 1016 GJ Amsterdam T +31 (0)20 5287730

With meanwhile four branches, Denham is already somewhat of a top dog on Amsterdam’s denim scene. Especially interesting is the Denham Corner Store on Prinsengracht, a real creative playground for the dynamic designer Jason D ­ enham and a window into his mind, which is brimming with ideas. This is where Jason can pursue his penchant for storytelling on an area of 40 square metres: every five to

seven weeks the shop is completely transformed. Sometimes the theme is leather, sometimes denim, sometimes winter, sometimes black – ­anyone who has a thing for elaborate interior makeovers will go weak at the knees just thinking about the store’s next transformation. Currently in the pipeline: a homage to the Jack Purcell shoe by ­Converse. For a collaboration with the sneakers specialists

Jason has come up with his own shoe design and is allowing a peek into his own personal Jack Purcell collection on Prinsengracht for the launch of his own shoes. And the Corner Store will also be playing a key role in Amsterdam on 7 and 8 May at the Denim tradeshow Kingpins: Jason is one of the four event managers for the Denim Night Out that is taking place parallel to the show.

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WWW.DENHAMTHEJEANMAKER.COM

DENHAM

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COOL CITIES / AMSTERDAM — RETAIL

BRANDS Ann-Sofie Back, Anne Sofie Madsen, Avelon, Aviatic, Boris Bidjan Saberi, Christian Wijnants, Études Studio, Flybird, Helmut Lang, Karbon, Lost & Found, Maison Martin Margiela Parfums, Maria Black, Rick Owens Drkshdw, Sad Walli, Silent by Damir Doma, SPR+, TBA, Transit, Wood Wood, Y-Project, 7D

OPENING TIMES Mon noon – 6 pm Tues + Wed 10 am – 6 pm Thurs 10 am – 8 pm Fri + Sat 10 am – 6 pm Sun 1 pm – 6 pm SPRMRKT Rozengracht 191-193 1016 LZ Amsterdam T +31 (0)20 3305601

WWW.SPRMRKT.NL

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SPRMRKT

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Nelleke Strijkers, the owner of SPRMRKT on Rozengracht, has been dealing with fashion her entire life. First as a model, then as head of a photographer agency, and now as the owner of this 450 m² shop. Even though the choice of brands in her spacious shop is pretty wide-ranging – which, after all, is an inherent part of the idea of a ‘supermar-

ket’ – there is one thing that all the items have in common: almost everything that Nelleke stocks and wears is black. “I think it’s great to have created a platform where people can buy unique, special items that come in all conceivable shapes and are made from a whole range of different materials, but all have the same colour in common,” says

the avant-garde fashion curator about her concept. “I really rate black for a variety of reasons: it is functional, communicates strength, shows respect, looks official and is never out of fashion. And it’s so easy to mix and match.” The impressive space, which actually once housed a discount store, was designed

by Nelleke’s sister, an architect

and interior designer. She created the heavy shelving units that are perfect for showcasing the unusual designs by Helmut Lang, Boris Bidjan Saberi, White Project and Rick Owens. Also on offer: SPR+, the charismatic Nelleke’s very own line.

COOL CITIES / AMSTERDAM — RETAIL BRANDS Atelier de L’Armée, Bold Labels, Carhartt, Cheap Monday, Cristel Ball, Danish Depot, Deus Ex Machina, Essyello, First of August, Flore Flore, Herschel, Hammam 34, Happy Socks, Ilias Ernst, KnIndustries, Kiboots, Mads Nørgaard, Mimi Et Toi, O My Bag, Ontour, Quip & Co, Six & Sons, Story Tiles, Van der Borne, Vanmoof, Veloretti, WDSTCK, Yarn-unit, Younica Knits

IN THE STYLE OF A

OPENING TIMES Mon – Sat 10 am – 7 pm Sun noon – 6 pm

SHOP-IN-SHOP THE HUTSPOT TEAM

As we all know, necessity brings out the creative side in us.

When the classic retail trade is dwindling, new paths need to be trodden if you want to keep on earning money by selling the finer things in life. Proof that this can still work – even without the internet – are Nick van Aalst, Pieter Jongens and Reinier Bernaert who came up with Hutspot, a new retail concept that is currently creating quite a buzz in Amsterdam. The principle is simple: in the style of a shopin-shop the Hutspot team offers

OFFER UP SPACE TO INTERESTING BRANDS AND DESIGNERS. up shelf space, hangers, displays, corners, rooms and sections to interesting brands, designers, artists and entrepreneurs. Each and every square metre of the three-storey shop on Rozengracht is sublet. And the same applies to the branch of Hutspot on Van Woustraat, where the trio started out: Nick gets between

20 and 30 enquiries daily from brands who would also like to sell there. In this way, the young businessmen who started out as salesmen, have now segued more into the role of curators: they pick out the labels and combine products that appear of interest to them – from fashion and furniture to bicycles. A concept that the lads want to apply to other areas as well. So they will soon be opening a bar that different ‘leaseholders’ and ‘entertainers’ can use to organise events. And in their opinion the concept can

Van Woustraat 4 1073 LL Amsterdam T +31 (0)20 2231331

WWW.HUTSPOTAMSTERDAM.COM

just as easily be transferred to the restaurant scene. So Nick, Pieter and Reinier are sure to start experimenting here as well – the people of Amsterdam certainly have a lot to look forward to.

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HUTSPOT

HUTSPOT Rozengracht 204-210 1016 NL Amsterdam T +31 (0)20 3708708

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COOL CITIES / AMSTERDAM — RETAIL +

AMSTERDAM RETAIL +

290 SQUARE METERS Despite its central location in a side street of Waterlooplein, 290 Square Meters has remained something of an insider tip. No wonder: only those in the know would find the cleverly signposted entrance to the spacious shop below street level, where labels like A.P.C., Wood Wood, Levi’s Made & Crafted, Freitag and Won Hundred await the customers – which doesn’t affect the shop’s popularity in any way.

290 Square Meters recently opened branches in Istanbul and Zurich.

HARVEST & CO. He has been a fan of studio lights and industrial lighting equipment for quite a while. Now Jeroen Woltman has found the perfect business partner in Denise van Gastel who invests her passion in renovated vintage furniture and contemporary interior design.

Their shared shop with adjoining café is proof of their fruitful alliance and is one of the loveliest new additions to the local shopping scene.

290SQM.COM

WWW.HARVESTANDCOMPANY.COM

TOMMY PAGE

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For 15 years, Tommy Page worked as a freelance fashion designer and also as the buyer for a friend who owned a vintage clothing store. This led him to the conclusion that second-hand clothing for men is definitely underrepresented on the market. A gap which Tommy wanted to fill.

A part of his personal collection forms the base stock for the shop on Prinsenstraat, whose British flair is down to Tommy’s ancestry.

KOKO While training as a barista in New Zealand Karlijn Timmerman really got a taste for it: since then she hasn’t been able to live without good coffee. The offer at Koko is rounded off by fine teas and delicious cake, as well as avantgarde designs by Dutch designers, thanks to Karlijn’s business partner Caroline Kruijssen. She used to work in fashion, making them the perfect team.

WWW.ILOVEKOKO.COM

44

Ulrika Lundgren alias Rika is a real powerhouse, a multi-talent, a female jack-of-all-trades. She is a retailer, designer, editor of a fashion magazine (which is about to celebrate its 10th anniversary) and the owner of a two-room B&B housed directly above the concept store on the idyllic Prinsengracht. From the prettily furnished bedrooms you can enjoy a million-dollar view onto the water and the boots gliding past.

COOL CITIES / AMSTERDAM — RETAIL +

RIKA

REFLEX

THE OTHERIST

The Reflex gallery has been around for 30 years, which makes it one of the oldest familyrun art department stores in the country. Its location opposite the Rijksmuseum means that plenty of art lovers wander into their space – although you’d be looking for Dutch masters in vain: only showcasing contemporary international artists is the owner Alex Daniëls’ credo. And the gallery’s continuing success only confirms his good taste.

Insects mounted behind glass may not be everyone’s cup of tea – but from an aesthetic point of view they are pretty unbeatable. The creators of The ­Otherist have caught on to that. In 2006 they opened their store on Leliegracht in which, in addition to their fascinating high-quality collection of insect specimens they also stock jewellery and interior design items. A mixture of natural history museum and old curiosity shop.

WWW.REFLEXAMSTERDAM.COM

WWW.OTHERIST.COM

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WWW.RIKAINT.COM

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COOL CITIES / AMSTERDAM — SERVICE

AMSTERDAM SERVICE

SLA

The Conservatorium Hotel in the museum quarter is a highlight in itself. So it stands to reason that the in-house gastro offer is setting new benchmarks: with the Conservatorium Brasserie & Lounge, the Tunes Restaurant

by Schilo and, last, but not least, the Tunes Bar, which specialises in sushi, Asian tapas, dim sum brunch events and excellent cocktails. The signature drink of the house is a classic: gin & tonic.

The 30 different types of gin alone with six tonics for mixing will make any gin connoisseur weak at the knees. Especially if they try them all. Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday a DJ transforms the Tunes Bar into an exclusive hotspot for the city’s revellers.

It’s all in the mix: Dutch hospitality meets unpretentious New York style gastronomy. Referencing traditional Dutch bars and classic international brasseries in terms of style, the beautiful corner restaurant The Dutch Co in the night-life district De Pijp feels as though it has always been there. The concept of a favourite hangout relies on contrasts: wood panelling on the walls, old tiling and classic pub design meet modern, light cuisine. From breakfast to late-night snacks, the offer is perfect – an all-time favourite!

Promoting healthy food was one of the things the three founders had in mind when they founded one of the most popular new additions to Amsterdam’s gastronomy scene. Ida de Haardt, her niece Nina Pierson and Nina’s partner Jop van de Graaf had quite similar ideas about what modern convenience food should look like. So pooling their talents was a logical step: Ida who had already been working as a chef for many years, developed the menu. It consists largely of vegan dishes rounded off by a few light fish and chicken options. Nina used her designer background to create the interior design and corporate identity of SLA and Jop gave up his job in business in order to take care of the financial side of things. Their concept has certainly filled plenty of stomachs as well as a gap in the market! The third branch of SLA will be opening soon.

WWW.CONSERVATORIUMHOTEL.COM

WWW.THEDUTCHCO.NL

WWW.ILOVESLA.COM

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TUNES BAR

46

THE DUTCH CO

COOL CITIES / AMSTERDAM — SERVICE

Due to its rich colonial heritage and seafaring traditions the Dutch people as a nation have many imposing buildings steeped in history to call their own. The Lloyd Hotel located at the city’s Eastern Docklands is a historic building that really stands out from the crowd, thanks to its successful refurbishment and effective use of space. Formerly home to emigrants who rented rooms here before heading to South America on the long ocean crossing with the Royal Dutch Lloyd ships, the building still retains much of its original

charm thanks to many historic details that have been preserved.

In 2004 it was transformed into its current state by the MVRDV architecture and urban design practice – more than 50 designers and artists were involved in creating the interiors. Lloyd is the first and only hotel worldwide to offer rooms in all categories between one and five stars under one roof, with every room being individually furnished. Unusual lamps, tables and chairs can be found in all the rooms regardless of standard. And all guests have access to the ‘Cultural Embassy’.

It is a continual programme of events that take place in different locations within the hotel: concerts, readings, design exhibitions, catwalks, performances – the Cultural Embassy is not just reserved for hotel guests, but also attracts lots of locals to this impressive establishment on the docks. Amsterdam’s residents have the art and cultural scene right on their own doorstep. That is another luxury that deserves a few stars of its own.

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LLOYD HOTEL

WWW.LLOYDHOTEL.COM

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COOL CITIES / AMSTERDAM — SERVICE

AMSTERDAM SERVICE

LOBSTER HOUSE + STUDIO

As one of the most beautiful boutique hotels in the city, the Dylan Hotel has the biggest international fan base. But Vinkeles, the restaurant housed in the historic old building, really is in a class of its own. In November 2009 chef Dennis Kuipers’ French cuisine was awarded a Michelin star. Good reason to check out the cooking skills of the Vinkeles culinary wizard for yourself. If you have the time, or, if you’re not so flush after too much shopping, the so-called ‘High Wine’ option, a four-course tasting menu accompanied by the matching wines, is just the ticket.

Amsterdam is as relaxing and idyllic as a large village. You travel by bike, are always out in the fresh air and residents and tourists alike seem much less harried than in other large cities. So it stands to reason that a spa has to be pretty special to lure its clientele away from the picturesque canals and cultured museums into the basement of a hotel. But Akasha, the Asian-inspired spa in the Hotel Conservatorium, has just what it takes: a spectacularly lit 18-metre-long pool, steam bath, sauna, j­acuzzi, seven treatment rooms, a hammam, hydrotherapy showers and the only Watsu pool in town, where supervised meditations take place. Not to be missed.

The Dutch like to eat in a casual fashion. Which is something we have in common with our fellow Europeans. There are around 1300 restaurants for 820,500 residents in Amsterdam – but even when it comes to fast food there is a certain concern for quality that is sometimes missing back home. Best example: the Lobster House, a takeaway where only the best fish is served up.

The principle of taking something top class and combining it with something affordable – we’ve seen that done in the world of fashion. Sticking half a lobster onto a burger bap does have a certain nonchalance about it.

And when all the ingredients are as fresh and crisp as here, the location will automatically become a hotspot. Despite the fact that the décor consists of little more than a simple pragmatic long fish counter. The adjoining ‘Studio’ adds an individualist touch. The former garage is the site of various alternative activities. Sometimes doubling up as pop-up restaurant, sometimes as photographic studio. Hard proof that fast food can also be inspiring.

WWW.VINKELES.COM

WWW.CONSERVATORIUMHOTEL.COM

WWW.LOBSTERHOUSE.NL

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VINKELES AT THE DYLAN

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AKASHA SPA

15-16 JULY 2014

next show

PReVIew textILe FAIR

VIEWMUNICH.COM

COOL CITIES / AMSTERDAM TALKS — TONY TONNAER, K.O.I

AMSTERDAM TALKS TONY TONNAER To get to the northern parts of Amsterdam you need to cross the water, which isn’t really that surprising in a city crisscrossed with canals.

A free ferry transports countless cyclists and pedestrians to the offshore islands every day. Here, thanks to the low rents and a whole lot more elbowroom than inner-city Amsterdam, several unconventional gastro projects have popped up – making the north an up-and-coming place to be.

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The koi carp that Tony has inked on his right arm is the inspiration for the label’s name. The fish is known for its intelligence and tends to swim against the stream. In Japan the koi represents love, ­happiness and tenacity.

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“I LIKE THE IDEA OF ­C REATING A CYCLE IN WHICH RECYCLED RAW MATERIALS ARE GIVEN A NEW LEASE OF LIFE AS A NEW PRODUCT, IN ORDER TO THEN RETURN TO BECOMING RAW MATERIALS AGAIN AT A LATER DATE.” Tony Tonnaer

This is also where Kings of ­Indigo, K.O.I for short, have their headquarters. The Dutch denim label is the brainchild of Tony ­Tonnaer, who is an old hand in the denim biz. In the past he invested his passion into the establishment of several different brands, but since 2010 he has been dedicating all his time and energy to his own baby.

You worked for several denim brands like Pepe and Kuyichi before starting out on your own.

What was the initial reason for this?

I wouldn’t say that there was one particular reason. When I left Kuyichi I didn’t even know what I was going to do. I just left and went travelling. I guess I had different ideas about how fast to grow and other issues. Now, with my own brand I can do things exactly the way I want.

Where does the name K.O.I come from?

I have this tattoo of a koi carp and I thought that would be a great name. K.O.I, it’s such a beautiful animal and it is very personal and linked to Japan and nature. The underlying concept was to create a basic range of key favourite pieces for your wardrobe: a well-textured pair of jeans, a good white T-shirt, a good printed T-shirt, everything you really need. That was the inspiration for K.O.I. You launched K.O.I in 2011.

Was it a good time to start?

It was a very weird time; in 2010, when I started with the collection, the economy was ebbing, denim was not doing well, it was all about chinos and coloured denim, but we just went ahead anyway. Of course I also had quite a big network and it is always a plus when people know you and go ‘Oh, you have your own brand now’. But the feedback was great from the start.

As you said, you tend to concentrate on classic key items. Are

you a fashion person?

No, I don’t really like fashion. I am more of a quality-orientated person who likes timeless pieces.

It’s much more sustainable to wear a pair of jeans or a T-shirt for five or ten years. That is the drive behind our concept, rather than the whole fashion aspect.

You put a lot of effort into sustainable production, but don’t talk too much about it – you prefer to focus on the look of the collection. Why? Are you afraid of ending up being seen as a bit of a tree-hugger?

No, I am not afraid of that, because I think our brand image is quite clearly not that. I just think that sustainability should be a given, and so I don’t use it as a USP. I just do it. Walk the walk, rather than talk the talk, all the time. Of course we inform our customers about our products on the website and in our brand book, but we try not to ram it down anyone’s throat. People should fall in love with the identity, with the fit, with how comfortable it is, that is what makes me happy. And if it’s also

COOL CITIES / AMSTERDAM TALKS — TONY TONNAER, K.O.I

“PEOPLE SHOULD FALL IN LOVE WITH THE K.O.I IDENTITY, WITH THE FIT, WITH HOW COMFORTABLE IT IS. AND IF IT’S ALSO ORGANIC AND FAIR TRADE THEN ALL THE BETTER.” Tony Tonnaer

Tell us about the organic cotton you use.

It is cotton grown without pesticides and without fertilisers, certified of course. You can grow it like that in certain places in the world, but there is a very limited supply. That is why it is also more expensive, because you have less harvest per square metre.

And you still need a lot of water.

It would be unfeasible to supply the whole clothing industry with organic cotton. The best thing would be a new type of fibre, something like Tencel with more of a cotton feel.

What prospects for innovation do you see for K.O.I in practice?

I would like to make more recycled products, but the problem with recycled textiles is that they are quite limited in terms of longevity. If you take a T-shirt for example, 100 percent made of recycled materials, after ten washes it is going to start deteriorating. So we try to mix it in with organic, with a longer fibre. We are also working on linen blends, and I think those are interesting fibres to work with: a little different than cotton. And we work with hemp.

Is linen better than cotton?

Linen is stronger and doesn’t need pesticides and fertilisers to grow well. It’s a really robust material that works well with indigo dyes. But it also creases easily.

Tencel is also a very interesting and innovative fibre. We always

go for quality, comfort and a good wash. We tend to start with the fabric and then think about what garment would be best in that fabric. That is our design process, because there is still a finite offer when it comes to sustainable fabrics, so we have to be flexible in our approach.

Where do you source the organic cotton you use?

For our denimwear mainly ­Turkey, and for tops mainly India.

We make as much as possible in Europe: in Italy, Spain and Greece, but also in Tunisia. We also produce organic garments in India, especially indigo-dyed items, because the natural indigo hand-dyeing is done in India.

In Italy, Candiani and Orta are our two main suppliers. They mainly use Turkish organic cotton. ­Turkey is the biggest organic cotton supplier in the world. We only work with companies that are certified fair trade, which also ensures a high standard. So we don’t do anything in Bangladesh, China or Vietnam.

Does the Fair Wear Foundation that you belong to just check suppliers or also the fabrics themselves?

They will also check the fabrics but they don’t check if it is organic cotton or not. The Fair Wear Foundation is only concerned with textile workers’ working conditions.

Is it helpful for you to be based in Amsterdam, the world’s ‘denim capital’?

Of course. There are so many people involved in the jeans business here, so if you are

looking for staff it is easier to find people who work in design or production. Levi’s and GStar were some of the first that started here, Scotch & Soda is here, Tommy Hilfiger, Denham, Kuyichi, Pepe’s design office is here, I mean there are so many denim brands based in the city, so you have a lot of people with experience.

Do you take part in the activities surrounding the Kingpins tradeshow?

Yes, absolutely. I have been in contact with people like James Veenhoff, who is a co-founder of ‘House of Denim’ and the incorporated ‘Jean School’ and is banging the drum for Kingpins.

(Note from Editor: ‘The House of Denim’ Project is an initiative to set up a platform for craftsmanship and sustainability for denim in Amsterdam. The initiators also support the ‘Global Denim Awards’, which will premiere at the Kingpins show this October.

The ‘Jean School’ was founded in 2012 in cooperation with the ROCvA, the Regional Community College of Amsterdam and is the first of its kind worldwide).

Aren’t the Kingpins team planning something like a Denim Night Out? Yes, a Denim Night Out in the city, but also in the Westergasfabriek where Kingpins takes place. They asked us to do something and we decided to do a natural indigo dye workshop together with Textielfabrique. But to come back to the ‘House of Denim’: In the summer the new development centre will open its doors at the old tram works

(note from Editor: the ‘Denim City HQ’ on Kinkerstraat. It will house a workshop, up-cycling company, an archive, a knowledge centre, a clubhouse and a sustainable laundry with a training facility and will be the home base for the ‘Jean School’s’ international course). I’m really enthusiastic about there being a proper denim education in Amsterdam.

It’s good for us. It means good employees for the future. For example we have a trainee upstairs who is from the `Jean School´.

Good people are what make a company run. It’s not enough to have a good concept; it’s the people who make the brand.

Where would you like to see yourself in five years?

I would like us to be one of the key denim brands in Europe.

With a few of our own stores and selling in the best shops and department stores: at Selfridges, Harrods or Breuninger. Of course I’d like to just keep on innovating.

In denim I think we are already doing an amazing job and at the moment we are really working on our tops to get that going. We should be known for our quality, innovation and coolness. I would also like to sell across all ages, from 12 to 80. Because everybody should want to buy a really good quality pair of jeans, regardless of age. If we can manage that, then I would be really happy.

WWW.KINGSOFINDIGO.COM

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organic and fair trade then all the better. I think 90 percent of what we do is with organic cotton and ten percent is recycled.

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COOL CITIES / AMSTERDAM TALKS — PETER SCHUITEMA, KUYICHI

AMSTERDAM TALKS PETER SCHUITEMA Haarlemmerstraat on a sunny Friday morning. This is where some of the city’s most attractive stores and illustrious folk are to be found. The local government has even put someone on the case to ensure that developments in the street are supervised, to prevent exorbitant rents being charged.

In this way they try to keep the pretty oasis free of high-street chains and mono-brand stores.

Kuyichi is the name of the Peruvian god of the rainbow. The Tangüis cotton for the first pair of Kuyichi jeans came from Oro Blanco in Peru, and to this day the company works together with a group of Peruvian farmers who even own a small number of shares in the company.

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Kuyichi was founded in 2001 in Haarlem. The founder, the NGO Solidaridad, is actually specialised in sustainable foodstuffs.

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“WE ARE CONVINCED THAT QUALITY FASHION SHOULD BE CREATED IN A 100 PERCENT SUSTAINABLE AND RESPONSIBLE WAY: BY BEING PART OF A BIGGER PLAN THAT DRIVES THE USE OF PROGRESSIVE SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS, SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE PRODUCTION AND CLEANING UP OUR PRODUCTION PROCESSES THROUGH COLLABORATION, INNOVATION, INSPIRATION AND TRANSPARENCY.” Peter Schuitema

What a commendable idea. In Amsterdam you feel as though you’ve been transported to a better world – a feeling that reoccurs, like when you are zipping along the picturesque canal towpaths on your bike. It also seems fitting that we are about to meet up with Peter Schuitema.

Not only does he run the fashion store Nukuhiva, a shop specialised in fair trade labels. He also happens to be the international sales director of the sustainable denim label Kuyichi.

Kuyichi was founded in 2001 by Solidaridad. Can you tell me a little bit about that organisation?

In 2000 a Dutch NGO, Solidaridad, had the idea of introducing organic cotton not only to the Netherlands but to Europe in general. After a successful period of shipping organic coffee and fair trade organic bananas to the Netherlands, they became aware of how the fashion industry was still highly dependent on slave-like working conditions in developing countries. The use of pesticides was out of control, and working conditions were

Peter Schuitema

simply inhumane. And so they hit on the idea of trying to sell organic cotton to big companies.

It was a long complex process, transforming the entire supply chain to organic produce. And when they finally had it, nobody was interested in buying it!

So people weren’t ready for the idea yet?

At that time organic jeans or organic brands simply didn’t exist. There were a few brands that used organic cotton but they didn’t factor in the fashion scene, especially not in the denim world, which is more rock’n’roll. And so Solidaridad had to found their own brand, which became Kuyichi, and we started to market our first jeans made of organic cotton in 2001.

We launched it with great PR, but when our jeans hit the floor, we realised that our primarily young target group wasn’t buying the jeans. Older, more sociallyaware people were buying them.

And although youngsters liked the jeans, they didn’t identify as much with the brand as we had hoped.

So how did you manage to reach the young consumers?

We had to bring the brand to all the cool stores first, to build a strong brand identity. We then introduced the brand with guerrilla marketing. We plastered big posters all over the entire Netherlands in 2001. It was an eye-catching visual with a Barbie doll and a baby inside her belly.

‘Kuyichi was born’, was the slogan, which was pretty good for the time.

You were one of the pioneers of sustainable fashion and plenty of brands have since jumped on the bandwagon …

We believe, and the figures corroborate it, that there is a seismic shift towards greater sustainability in most industries: fashion of course, but also in food and cars. There are big changes going on in the car industry, especially when you realise that buying a sustainable car pays off.

Is organic cotton still as relevant as it was in the beginning?

Over the past 13 years there was

COOL CITIES / AMSTERDAM TALKS — PETER SCHUITEMA, KUYICHI

“THINKING ABOUT TRENDS IS NOT A SUSTAINABLE WAY OF THINKING, BUT SINCE WE ARE A CLOTHING BRAND IT IS INEVITABLE, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO THINK AHEAD IN TERMS OF LIFECYCLES.”

How are you staying innovative?

We started a project last May called ‘Deposit Denim’ which, in cooperation with our retailers, involved us collecting as many pairs of jeans as we could. For every jeans returned, regardless of brand, the customer got ten euros discount on the new pair. After six months of collection, we then reduced the jeans to pulp. We wanted to take the pulp to Turkey and wanted to make a new yarn and then new jeans. It turned out trickier than we thought, because the pulp counts as a waste product and Turkey was reticent to allow waste product into the country. So we haven’t solved all the technical hitches yet, but we are hopeful we will be able to launch

our first fully recycled denim in the second half of 2014.

So the production cycle is complete.

Yes, garbage will become the new denim.

And what about the future of organic cotton?

Organic cotton will always be much better than conventional cotton. When you see what pesticides are doing to the people working unprotected in the fields. And the run-off into the soil affects food, water, everything. People are getting ill. So organic remains our top priority.

Kuyichi is not a big brand. We are a beautiful brand but there are brands that have so much more influence, which is why we see our role as inspiring the bigger brands too.

Do you think it is difficult to communicate that you are following trends but are sustainable at the same time?

We did try to keep up with trends and the fashion seasons for a long time. But in the long-term

That must be quite hard for you.

Yes, it isn’t easy to remain competitive. But as long as you use guerrilla marketing and do a lot yourself or with the help of cool locals, it’s possible. We don’t have hundreds of thousands or more to spend on marketing.

Instead, we have a true story to tell and that’s what people love about our brand. Allowing the customers an insight into the entire supply chain, where the organic cotton is grown and so on, means a lot. We are developing a kind of mini mobile pop-up store for retail stores where the customers can see via videos, where the jeans come from. The launch is planned for October or November this year.

Apart from that, what are your wishes for the next few years?

We have already shown that

it’s possible to be a successful brand with a beautiful story.

Solidaridad didn’t launch Kuyichi to make money. They started because they really wanted to help people – through fair trade and organic cotton, so that people can lead dignified normal lives and earn a fair wage. But at Kuyichi we also have 20 employees who need to be paid. It took us 13 years to get here but I think in the next five years we will be doubling our turnover. Sustainability is now stronger than ever.

When it comes to organic produce, people see and taste and feel the difference. And that’s a good thing for me and Kuyichi.

Our sales are steadily on the rise, along with growing customer awareness about how they too can make a difference.

WWW.KUYICHI.COM

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a surge in organic cotton use. After all, as a fashion brand it’s an extra USP. At Kuyichi we stayed true to our story. Our role has always been to inspire, and it has paid off. Even the big brands are using organic cotton now: H&M, Levi’s, G-Star. It’s always been our founding principle: do something good and look good too.

we have realised that calling yourself a sustainable brand or a fair trade brand is incompatible with the idea of fast-changing fashion trends. The cycle of presales, sales and a short period where retailers can charge full price is simply untenable, especially in the current economic climate. So we will be concentrating more on timeless classics.

We’ve started work on a Kuyichi denim collection with a very big NOS offer, which will be offered for the next two or three years.

And that means no pre-salebusiness but a repeating business. Our items are available for years. So they are never out of stock for our customers. It’s slow fashion.

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COOL CITIES / AMSTERDAM TALKS — FRED DE LA BRETONIÈRE

AMSTERDAM TALKS FRED DE LA BRETONIÈRE

Fred de la Bretonière has been in the shoe business for all of 44 years.

The veteran of the Dutch shoe industry, who will be celebrating his 70th birthday this year, took the artistic route early on in his career – before deciding to earn a bit on the side by making leather accessories.

FRED DE LA BRETONIÈRE sets great store by responsible behaviour when it comes to the environment and the people he works with, and has come up with an ethical code that is put into practice in all his suppliers’ manufacturing sites.

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In 1970, Fred de la ­Bretonière presented his first accessory collection to the department store De Bijenkorf – the buyer ordered 600 pieces right off the bat.

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Back then, the 26-year-old would never have dreamed that four decades later he would be accepting the Cavaliere del Lavoro, an honour bestowed in Italy for outstanding work in the industry, for his leather wares and shoe collections. Nowadays Fred produces three lines: the fashionable collection Fred de la Bretonière, the casual boots line Shabbies Amsterdam and Fretons, the sneaker range.

Having firmly held onto his high standards not only brings him continued success but also fills him with pride.

Although you hail from the world of art, you switched to the shoe business. How did that happen?

I was just 24 or 25 years old and, as an artist, it takes a long time to establish yourself and sell your work. In the meantime, it was in July or August, I started to sell things like wristbands or necklaces to earn some money. I sold to some boutiques and they

Fred de la Bretonière

liked my stuff a lot. During that time, I was known as the only one in Amsterdam who could make those kinds of things. I created my own collection and within 14 days it had already attracted a lot of attention, so I rented a little place right in the center of Amsterdam where I could work and make bags. People asked me to make ladies’ handbags and belts and so on. And that was a bit of a watershed moment for me – mentally. I said to myself, okay I give myself 14 days and we’ll see if it works.

And where did the inspiration come from for your collections?

Back then, and now too in the present. Because you have a very characteristic strong natural and rustic style.

I don’t really know where that comes from but I have French, Dutch and Indonesian roots.

When I was six or seven years old I lived in Surabaya during the last years of colonial rule in Indonesia. So there was a certain lifestyle. My parents were party people and went to bars and so forth, so I liked golf clubs, poker and all the trappings of

wealth, like the leather suitcases we bought in Singapore. Later, as a designer I started to make sandals, because if you make belts, then you can make sandals as well. It’s pretty much the same procedure. Then all of a sudden I had a little shop, where I put my products in the window. Then maybe four months later I was already making shoes. So that’s how it evolved from there. I went to shoe factories in Holland because there are still some shoe factories left in Brabant and that’s where they turned my designs into reality. My idea was to make a pure, natural and elegant high heeled shoe for ladies and a kind of classic shoe for men – all made of natural leather.

You live in Amsterdam but you work in Waalwijk in the Brabant Province? Why? Well, I started out in Amsterdam and stayed there from 1970 to 1981. Then I very nearly went bankrupt because I wasn’t as stringent as I should have been about checking the quality of the shoes, and also my biggest mistake was trying to be friends with everyone. You have to learn to

COOL CITIES / AMSTERDAM TALKS — FRED DE LA BRETONIÈRE

“I DESIGN MY SHOES AND BAGS, SO THAT MY CUSTOMERS FEEL BETTER WITH EVERY STEP THEY TAKE. THE PRODUCTS ARE MEANT TO EMPHASISE THE PERSONALITY OF THE PERSON AND, LIKE A PAIR OF JEANS, BECOME A SECOND SKIN.”

At the moment craftsmanship is highly rated. Do you think it is just a trend or is it a value that is here to stay?

Well, that is a decisive factor; one I made for myself about 16 or 17 years ago. You can go into high fashion and reinvent everything on a regular basis, like an architect ripping a house down and building it again from

scratch, or you can go to work on the foundations, where you want to have solid handcrafted things.

I’ve been doing this my whole life in my small atelier in Amsterdam with all the special orders for shoes, sandals and specialist bags for instruments like violins, flutes, etc. and also for traveling.

So I made a lot of luggage and so on, all by hand. And I think the need for that kind of quality will never disappear. You have phases where all the high-tech stuff is more interesting of course. My grandchildren, ten and 12 years old, they’re getting interested in the old ways again. So I think people will always love and need true craftsmanship.

How would you describe your personal working philosophy?

Your attitude towards work and life?

I am 69 years old, but I still feel very young. During all those times with my girlfriend, friends and traveling around the world, I learned that the best thing you can do is to put your ideas, your artistic expression into practice while you have a company. So I like to combine work for my

company with traveling a lot. I am very lucky, as a designer I can go to South America and stay for a week at some factory and then tag on a two-week holiday. That’s great because you’re not just a tourist; you get to see the world from a different perspective.

Your collection and your style are high recognizable. Would you describe yourself as stubborn?

You would have to ask other people that question! When you called me, I was in a meeting with several people who were applying for the job of marketing manager for Germany, and was faced with a difficult choice: out of six people there are only two left, both very highly qualified and with excellent resumés. It’s very difficult to make decisions like that. You have to be good at listening to your own instincts and questioning what it is you need. Do you need someone with a more artistic personality or do you need an organizer? That is very difficult. I also have people who advise me, but I don’t always listen, so I suppose there is the answer to your question right there. I’m not stubborn, but I do

tend to listen to my own instincts first and foremost.

And you seem to have very ­ xacting standards in your proe ductions process.

Let’s say we have a suggestion for a shoe, an ankle boot, six or seven centimeter heel with a fake sole. And before we even get started, I say no, because I don’t want to have a fake sole: I want a real one.

Do you use only vegetable-­ tanned leather?

Not only but mostly. I like it so much because it changes its colour a little bit. And then you have a shoe and let’s say it costs 100 euros – you can make the same shoe for 60 euros but then you have to make compromises on the sole, on the quality of the leather, etc. You have the same idea but it’s not quite that straightforward. So you get that shoe into the shop for 100 euros but the nicer one will cost 200 to 270 euros. In Holland, I live in a very commercially-minded country, they think: Fred, you’ll never sell your shoes, they are too expensive. But now, after 40

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separate business from friendship, at least to a certain extent.

So there was a little boutique or a shop and I became friends with the buyer or I became friends with the boss of the production factory and when they made a mistake friendship often got in the way and things got expensive.

I learnt my lesson the hard way.

Brabant is the traditional centre of shoemaking in the Netherlands. And as Amsterdam is very expensive and it’s impossible to find a parking space I thought: Hey, it’s just an hour’s drive and I enjoy driving. So I moved to Brabant, since there is a lot of space, no parking problems and I have around 120 to 150 people working for me, with a lot of experience under their belts.

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COOL CITIES / AMSTERDAM TALKS — FRED DE LA BRETONIÈRE 56 — 02/2014 56

years of work, I have clients with very high standards who don’t care whether a pair of shoes costs 150 or 170 euros. They don’t care about the 20 euros difference, because for them it’s about quality.

because they attain a patina, and improve with age. I have a very good reputation in Holland, without having spent any money on marketing. And now we would like to achieve the same reputation in Germany.

already: I want to make my very own high quality line with the ‘Fred de la Bretonière’ line. With prices around 270, 300 to 350 euros. And so my greatest wish for the coming season is that the shoes will sell!

Do you think that the Dutch market is very different from the German market?

Well, we are of course a small country and we are traders by tradition. And the big cities like Amsterdam pick up trends very fast. Also the people on the street. In Germany the process is slower. But Germany is an important country for me because they really value quality and if you do it in a good way, like the car industry, you don’t have to worry about it. If they make a good product, okay, because then they can be proud of it. My customers in Holland don’t throw my shoes away but keep them

Is there anything you are really proud of?

Well, I started off as an artist in the 1970s, and 44 years later I am still here and I am more professional than ever. I still love my work and I like to improve the quality and the design every season. I have my three different lines, but with ‘Fred de la ­Bretonière’, I am really working on a higher plane.

And do you have any plans for opening more Fred de la ­Bretonière shops in Europe, apart from Amsterdam?

I now have 12 shops in Holland and I have launched a company, the Fred de la Bretonière GmbH in Germany with showrooms etc. We are talking about opening some shops, but I have not decided on a location yet. I will keep you posted!

Having worked in the business now for the past 44 years, do you still have any big plans for the future?

Yes, I do. But I’m not going to tell you ... (smiles). No, I told you

That would be nice! Thank you very much and good luck.

WWW.BRETONIERE.NL

2- 4

next show

september 14

international fabric trade fair

BRANDS & BRAINS — SILAS ADLER, SOULLAND, COPENHAGEN

SILAS ADLER was born in 1985, quit high school when he was 17 and began with the production of printed T-shirts, which he started out by selling to his skater friends. Today ­Soulland is an established menswear collection, which is sold at Opening Ceremony in New York and Los Angeles, Harvey ­Nichols in Hong Kong, Hunting and ­C ollecting in ­Brussels and Beams in Tokyo. The ­collection is produced solely in Denmark, Portugal and Eastern Europe.

SOULLAND’S DESIGN AESTHETIC IS VERY DETAIL-ORIENTED AND BASED ON TRADITIONAL SCANDINAVIAN

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HANDCRAFTSMANSHIP.

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BRANDS & BRAINS — SILAS ADLER, SOULLAND, COPENHAGEN

INTERVIEW ILONA MARX PHOTOS ANDI ZIMMERMANN

SOULLAND

Soul Brother Starting up a label at just 17 years old? A bold venture indeed. The fact that 12 years later Silas Adler is still in the business, considering the difficult times experienced by the fashion industry in the past, is nothing short of a small miracle. But Silas is unfazed by it all. For him, it’s not primarily about success and attention; he just wants to do his thing.

And Adler’s thing happens to be a menswear collection, with a design style that is as progressive as it is classic and retrospective. Soulland’s head designer maintains the balance between the values of traditional Scandinavian handcraftsmanship, namely function and simplicity, and the fashionable dynamism that is expected of an international fashion label. Thereby providing his clientele with exactly what they want. Adler’s roots lie in Sweden and Tanzania.

He grew up in the rural Jutland area. After spending a few years in the city of Gothenburg, he then moved to Copenhagen, where the Soulland headquarters are still located today. When we meet him there, in his lovely office loft in the alternative neighbourhood Vesterbro, the heating has just broken, but Silas Adler remains unruffled. He makes us a cup of tea and answers our questions calmly and seriously. Thanks to his professionalism, the fact that he is just 28 years old increasingly fades into the background during our interview. Soulland has made him grow up fast.

So are you still trying to combine skateboarding with fashion?

I work with skateboard references because a lot of people understand them. They are part of the Soulland DNA and also flow into our current projects – for example into the collection created in cooperation with The Goodhood Store in London, which features print visuals inspired by the skateboarding of the 80s and 90s. As part of another project, together with Playtype, a subsidiary company of the Copenhagen design agency E-types, we have created skateboards – with a marble print, as the best surface for skateboarding on is marble. I thought this was a really fun and fitting idea.

You started working as a designer at a very young age.

Or to be precise, when you were 17 years old. How did you get into fashion?

It was actually a coincidence. I’ve always cared about what I wear – even from an early age. Like having the right sneakers for example, as I’ve been skating since I was eight or nine. At some point a friend asked me if I wanted to set up a fashion label with him. I thought it was a strange idea at first, but then I couldn’t get it out of my head. I was still at high school at the time, and one morning it became clear to me that I was spending my time doing something that didn’t mean anything to me. So I dropped out of school. My mother said: “If you don’t go to school, you have to achieve something different.” I answered her by saying: “Okay, I’ll set up my own fashion company.” Some of my friends briefly came on board – but not the one who gave me the idea in the first place: as a member of Dick and Jane he became one of the biggest stars of the Danish hip-hop scene.

What inspires you when you are designing a new collection?

It’s always different, whereby we always try to tell a story – and we prefer to focus on a certain country. That makes it easier to work on the collection because it inspires our imagination. The spring/summer 2014 collection, for example, is all about the Bauhaus movement in Germany.

Before that the theme was Japan and Japanese baseball.

Are you talking about the Capsule collection that you launched at the end of last year in Berlin’s Voo Store?

Exactly. As well as skateboards it also included shirts, sweaters and tees.

Speaking of other countries: you once said that travelling with a skateboard enables you to discover places in a certain way. Does this kind of tourism inspire you as a designer?

When you’re out and about with your skateboard, the people on the street think you’re a local. You integrate yourself in a totally different way and have other opportunities.

It’s a bit like an adventure: you crash on the floor at peoples’ houses, always open to whatever happens. If you continue this attitude in your work as a design, in my eyes the fashion can only profit from it.

When you travel like that, you don’t need to take much with you.

No, you need nothing at all. You just hang around, meet people and explore the city. And that’s exactly how we travel with Soulland. Although we no longer sleep on people’s floors, we still have this open attitude to new things.

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And how did things move on from there?

I started with printed T-shirts that I sold to my friends.

Then I injured my knee and had to give up skating – or at least I wasn’t able to continue at the level I was at before.

So I decided to invest my energy into something else, and began working more professionally. I was around 19 at the time. Thanks to the help of a friend I was able to present a small selection of my shirts at Bread & Butter. Later on I decided to make a proper menswear collection.

SOULLAND shows its collections at Paris Men’s Fashion Week and Copenhagen Fashion Week and has already won a number of design prizes.

In 2012 head designer Silas Adler was awarded ­‘Designer of the Year’ at the DANSK Fashion Awards.

Soulland was also the first menswear brand asked to design a stamp for the Royal Danish Postal Service.

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BRANDS & BRAINS — SILAS ADLER, SOULLAND, COPENHAGEN

And are you influenced by your Tanzanian roots?

As a designer I haven’t yet touched on these roots.

I’m still waiting for the right moment, the appropriate circumstances. Sometimes an idea springs to mind – just like in ‘Postmodern’, our spring/summer 2012 collection.

The source of inspiration here was the cooperation with the Royal Danish Postal Service, with whom Soulland had already designed a stamp. So if we dedicate ourselves to the theme of Tanzania, it has to be at the right time.

As a designer, how could you approach the subject? Do you have an idea?

If we chose Tanzania as a theme my requirement would be that we have several items produced there. It would also have a political dimension. That’s why I want to wait for the right moment to do it properly. There’s a lot of visually powerful material and so many interesting aspects about this culture.

At Copenhagen Fashion Week last summer you showed your spring/summer 2014 collection ‘Katastrophe’ in a fashion show that took place in the forest – without an audience. A statement?

Well, if you put it that way the statement was: we are doing the show for the internet. So I wouldn’t exactly say that it took place without an audience. But rather that it was dedicated to a wider public – made for the internet and not for a small group of people at the location itself.

You could also combine the two: invite people to the forest and then present the show on the internet.

From a technical perspective, yes. But would the result be truly convincing? We presented our fashion show six months prior to that by live stream. And the click rates very much met our expectations, but later I thought to myself: “Hold on. A fashion show is only interesting if you’re invited to experience it live.” Due to the immediacy of the movement, the presence of the fashion and models you develop a feeling for the collection. But that can’t be conveyed in a YouTube film. The internet is a very unique medium in which it’s about showing something that really captivates the viewers – from beginning to end.

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So Soulland is focusing on fashion films?

I do actually believe that the fashion film is the future.

Nobody has to see a model walking up and down the catwalk to grasp the spirit of a collection. I have often watched the shows by my favourite designers on YouTube. They last up to ten minutes – on average I clicked away after around seven minutes. The only show that I watched in full was the very last one by Alexander McQueen: ‘Plato’s Atlantis’ – a show that was really perfect, from start to finish, with the crazy shoes and the futuristic underwater theme.

Then I watched Dior Homme and thought the collection was fantastic. But watching the catwalk show online was just boring. It wasn’t suitable for this format. That’s why I wanted to do something a bit different with our fashion film for ‘Katastrophe’, which is three to four minutes long – with the energy of a fashion show, but without the length. It worked really well. And we reached a few hundred thousand people. With a conventional show we would reach a maximum of 1000. And we got more press than for any other show before it.

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You just mentioned that you watch the shows of your favourite designers. So who are they? Do you perhaps have an idol?

I’ve been asked this question a lot and I find it difficult to answer. I value Dries Van Noten and Raf Simons, but a lot of other ones too. Two seasons ago there were a few menswear shows that were greatly inspired by Italy, for example the one by Dolce & Gabbana. The focus was on the Italian man in all stages of life – from a child to old age.

That was really brilliant, right on the money. Although I have to say Dolce & Gabbana had never really interested me before that. I am actually also fascinated by H&M’s designer collaborations. They are doing a really good job. And that’s precisely what everyone is basically afraid of: that H&M and all the other high-street labels develop their own good design and are no longer just supplying poor copies of the

designs of other labels. H&M is meanwhile copying itself, with success. Topshop too.

That’s right. When I was in Florence recently I realised, for example, that a lot of Topman items are stocked by the concept store Société Anonyme. What was once a vertically-oriented supplier is now developing into its own brand.

Yes, a lot of people are concerned about this, especially in the mid-segment. After all, it just doesn’t make any sense to buy a T-shirt for 140 euros if you can get it for 60 euros.

High-fashion should remain indifferent to the development that you mentioned. After all, you buy a T-shirt by Givenchy for 600 euros because it’s by Givenchy. But as a designer you shouldn’t let yourself become intimidated, and instead see the strong competition from H&M and Co. as a challenge.

You like to emphasise the handcrafted aspect of the ­Soulland collections. How does this manifest itself?

In the fact that we work with producers who know exactly what they are doing and who have been doing it for a very long time. If you spend three to four seasons making a good blazer, then it will have the perfect tailoring that can be used as a foundation over and over again.

Do you also work with patternmakers?

We don’t have our own patternmakers, but we work together with a factory in Portugal.

In Portugal?

We produce in Portugal, Denmark and Eastern Europe.

I am very happy with our collections, but still see potential in them. For me handcraftsmanship is also about always working with techniques and methods that haven’t been used before. Being visionary is my job as creative director.

How can we push the boundaries of what is possible? This is what we’re currently trying to do with our shoes and hats.

And even the development of our jersey products is quite literally a science in itself. We are currently working with the 3D weaving technique. When we break barriers we are not the only ones to profit from it, but the manufacturers do too. When I hear: “No, it’s impossible to print on the rib because it will break up the print,” I say: “Do it anyway.” And then I hear that it’s the nicest sweater that they’ve made for a long time. And even if it doesn’t turn out very good, then at least we tried. For me, that’s one of the fun factors of our work.

What are your goals? What would you like to achieve with Soulland in the next five years?

Earn money? (laughing) In terms of design I like the direction that we are currently taking, but I’m keen to improve the products. At the moment there are more doors open to me than ever before: I can further develop my fabrics because we are selling enough to produce them.

As far as the sheer numbers are concerned we would like to expand, but in our own way. Opening more of our own stores is definitely an important goal – but everything in moderation. We currently own a shop in Copenhagen and on 8 May 2014 we are opening a franchise store in Bangkok in collaboration with Uncensored. We just recently launched our online shop. We are also stocked by 120 retail stores. If we could open one new store a year in the future, that would be fantastic.

We wish you every success with your plans and thank you very much for talking to us.

SOULLAND.COM

4. - 7.

Juli 2014 2000 Mode- und Accessoires-Marken Kontakt Deutschland: Exalis GmbH - T : +49 (0) 221 499 53 84 / +49 (0) 30 6107 3066 / whosnext@exalis.de parc des expositions - paris porte de versailles - www.whosnext-tradeshow.com

RETAIL & ARCHITECTURE — CHRYSTALL, DÜSSELDORF

TEXT GERLIND HECTOR

C HRYS TALL , D ÜS SE LDORF

THE JEWEL ON FÜRSTENPLATZ SQUARE

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Simone Chrystall not only has a lovely name, she also has exquisite taste.

And she has now combined both under one roof by opening an unusual concept store in Düsseldorf a few months ago.

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Creativity is a wonderful thing!

But sometimes it’s useful if you have a practical side to you too, and being able to add up is a bonus as well. No problem for Simone Chrystall, after all, she’s a qualified civil engineer and very much in a position to turn her visions of a perfect concept store into reality. The retailer just launched her most recent ‘baby’ in autumn 2013, simply and poignantly naming it after herself: ‘Chrystall’ is the new shopping paradise in Düsseldorf, which is located just off the beaten track of pedestrian zones in the district of Friedrichstadt.

Here, on the Fürstenplatz square, home to the landmarked industrial fountain that pays homage to blacksmiths, coalminers and steelworkers, Simone is more or less heralding the start of the

post-industrial era and dedicating herself to the fine, precious and handmade things in life.

On an area of around 350 square metres she indulges her penchant for exquisite specialities, ranging from fashion to furniture – and culinary delights. After all, right from the very beginning Simone Chrystall knew that she wanted to join forces with the team of the adjoining cafébar ‘Apartment’ again, which is also housed in the spacious corner house – ‘again’ because she had been running a fashion store with adjoining restaurant on Fürstenplatz since 2008.

But when her business partner withdrew from the company halfway through last year and at almost exactly the same time as the shop premises one door down became available, Simone

­Chrystall seized the opportunity and expanded. So now she has space for wide Chesterfield armchairs, a red leather club sofa and an old typewriter. The ambience is cosy and invites visitors to linger, despite the intentional style inconsistencies: parts of the walls have not been plastered, revealing the untreated brickwork. And a round bubble gum machine, displayed prominently on a small side table, might look out of place at first, but it soon becomes clear that it very much fits in with the store’s ‘good vibrations’. Thanks to the smoothly sanded concrete floor and the impressive ceiling height the entire store feels very loft-like and spacious.

In addition to her own label iheart, which is aimed at fashionsavvy ladies, Simone Chrystall

RETAIL & ARCHITECTURE — CHRYSTALL, DÜSSELDORF CHRYSTALL FÜRSTENPLATZ 5 40215 DÜSSELDORF T +49 (0)211 93679670 WWW.CHRYSTALL.COM

BRANDS 5 Preview, Alberto Fermani, Alex Monroe, Closed, Dondup, Drykorn, House Doctor, iheart, IQ Berlin, Moma, Tigha, Ugg Australia, Zoe Karssen

more pleasing that the majority of the interior furnishings is also on sale. And the rare industrial lamps, cute little pharmacist’s cabinets or other restored vintage furniture are sure to attract the attention of those with an eye for a classic.

But before you whip out your credit card, at Chrystall you can of course take a little break and sit back and relax in the aforementioned Chesterfield chair.

Over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine you can then decide at your leisure which of the recently discovered jewels to take home with you.

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also offers other womenswear labels as well as men’s and kids­ wear. The range is diverse, yet lovingly coordinated. The focus is on brands like Drykorn, Closed, Dondup and Tigha. And for the cold winter months the cosy boots by Australian label UGG are a must-have item. Various solid and robust leather accessories are proving popular, in addition to handmade wooden games like backgammon or chess. And children’s eyes will light up as soon as they catch sight of the cute metal VW minibuses and the miniature cooking sets. As an all-round talent, Simone really has thought of everything, and the more attentive customers will quickly notice that she never comes home empty-handed from her countless trips around the globe. Which makes it all the

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RETAIL & ARCHITECTURE — THOMAS HEATHERWICK, LONDON

TEXT FREDERICKE WINKLER

THOMAS HE ATHE RWIC K, LONDON

THE DA VINCI CODE

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“When I was growing up I was exposed to making: crafts, materials and invention on a small scale.

And I was there looking at the largest scale of buildings, and finding that the buildings that were around me, that were being designed and that were in all the publications I was seeing, were soulless and cold.

And there on the smallest scale, the scale of an earring, a ceramic pot or a musical instrument was a materiality and a soulfulness, and that influenced me.”

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That is Thomas Heatherwick’s intro to his talk at a TED conference in 2011. If you watch the video you will see a diminutive man on the stage, wearing a voluminous suit with trousers hanging loose on his thin legs. His shoes seem clownishly oversized, his hair is ruffled and his facial expression is one of slight surprise. One can vividly imagine how Heatherwick once stood in awe of the giant buildings of his hometown, London, looking up and searching for the innate joy of existence. And finding it in his mother’s bead shop.

Nowadays Heatherwick is considered a visionary and a much-lauded designer who has worked for numerous British figureheads – some much bigger than his love of smallscale objects would suggest. Together with his 120 employees he created the UK pavilion for Expo 2010 in Shanghai, redesigned the famous London double-decker bus and designed the copper cauldron for the Olympic flame for the summer 2012 Olympics and the Paralympics. With their complex and organic

form his creations are always a challenge for the beholder. The designer, who is now in his forties, likes to use materials that are often a combination of progressive technology and the serendipitous aspects of nature.

Heather­wick’s design-oriented thought processes seem to know no comfort zone, and he turns even generally accepted architectural solutions on their head. If, for example, he has the job of designing a drawbridge for pedestrians in London, he refrains from using the usual drawbridge technique. He says it appears brutal to him, like a bone breaking.

He would rather develop a bridge that may perhaps on first sight be quite ordinary, but which, when used, rolls itself inward like a dry fern leaf.

Looking at the ‘Rolling Bridge’ in London’s Paddington Basin for the first time, it conjures up memories of discovering nature as a child. Like the tension caused when flicking a ripe balsam seed pod, causing it to burst, and seeds to fly through the air before coiling

back on itself. Memories of how snails retract their tentacles when touched or how dragon­ flies raise their tails when coupling. It’s the organic movement that holds the fascination.

In other words: Heatherwick has succeeded in infusing his utterly urban architecture with the sensuality of nature.

Daring to think outside the box – at Longchamp in SoHo Thomas Heatherwick is a courageous man.

His modest, somewhat distracted presence soon reveals itself to be the result of a constant thought process which seems to be stimulated just as much by emotional ideas as by rational ones. Heatherwick never separates design from the user. In city ecology one would perhaps talk about urban spaces worth living in, which are created with the use of flora and fauna but also acous-

RETAIL & ARCHITECTURE — THOMAS HEATHERWICK, LONDON La Maison Unique, Longchamp´s flagship store in SoHo, New York

Reclaim your environment Design concepts like Heatherwick’s challenge the beholder to redefine their own living space and change their perspective

– particularly where it is least expected. For example in a power station. After all, who wants to hang out there? Let alone a biomass power station. Without even being up close you already have a bad smell in your nose, are deafened by the noise and picturing fenced-in industrial expanses that are devoid of life. Is that how it has to be?

According to Heatherwick not at all. If the principle behind these power stations were better understood, it might even be possible to awaken the pride of the neighbours in the site. Instead of bringing with it a downturn in property prices, such industrial sites could become popular meeting places, a new social hub, housing cultural centres, places to hold events and celebrate weddings. “Why not?” says Heatherwick, and in an interview with the architecture and design blog Dezeen he expresses it as follows: “Over recent decades we have neglected the cultural contribution industrial infrastructure can make to our society. Power generation is now one of the most hotly debated aspects of our political futures. With growing urbanization and more power stations being built at a local level, we need to find new ways to incorporate these buildings into our lives and make them of benefit to society.”

Finding beauty in what initially appears ugly.

Turning unflattering aspects into their opposite by emphasising innate characteristics.

Above all, having the courage to pursue plan B, even though it was plan A you were going for – with these ideas in mind the Heather­ wick studio developed a new concept for Teesside Power Station, for Bio Energy Investments Ltd. A power station whose grounds are not separated into disparate buildings but are interconnected – to form one large ‘power station’. On the one hand it is more efficient, and on the other, it allows for other landscaping options like a park.

And in order to reduce the noise production of the station, they took it one step further and piled soil onto the building so that it looks like an inactive volcano rising out of the middle of the green area. There is space to walk, play ball games and have picnics.

In the power station itself there are exhibition spaces and event areas. Nature on an industrial site? Heatherwick sees no conflict of interests here.

Hypernature For Heatherwick, sensuality and well-being are unthinkable without nature. “I’ve never met anyone who says they don’t like trees.

And the same with flowers,” he teases on the stage at the TED conference. That’s why nature and its conservation are an integral part of his designs. But they are never disconnected designs: they are always placed within an urban context. This is where Heatherwick tests out his boundaries, and with a curiosity and passion that has brought him the reputation of being a kind of modern-day Leonardo da Vinci – and the parallels between the two are indeed self-evident. Both are poised at the interface between art and craftsmanship, architecture and engineering. Both see nature and humans, as well as machines and progress, as two sides of the same coin in the here and now: it is this ‘present day’ aspect that defines the composition of Heatherwick’s and da Vinci’s creative output.

Both as designers and discoverers, they are well aware of the moral significance of their actions. Perhaps with the small difference that Heatherwick has, during his lifetime, succeeded in being honoured with museum exhibitions on his work: he has already had a solo exhibition at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum.

WWW.HEATHERWICK.COM

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tics, climate and appeal of certain materials.

Heatherwick takes this one step further by breaking with aesthetic and functional conventions. Walls that don’t necessarily have to be straight take on wave-like forms; he dispenses with entranceways that predetermine routes within, and instead designs ground floors that are open to all sides.

This can be seen at the Maison Unique, Longchamp’s flagship store in SoHo, New York.

Thomas Heatherwick and the French heritage company have worked together successfully before. The collaboration was initiated by Heatherwick’s musing on the possibilities of zips and the result was the Zip Bag, which, to this day, is one of Longchamp’s bestsellers.

This success is possibly what elicited enough trust to convince the bag designers to surrender their usually highly profitable ground floor of the building on the corner of Spring Street and Greene Street and instead to build a monumental staircase leading to the actual sales floor on the second floor. What he created was a sweeping, sculptural staircase that is so space-dominating and threedimensional that on first sight you don’t see where it ends and where the wall begins. The glass balustrades are crumpled like textiles and over the stairwell a glass skylight allows daylight in. In part the staircase floats without the static supports being visible.

“To make people want to come up to the second floor, we have created an installation of ribbon-like forms,” Heatherwick says. “They cascade down through the core, dividing and converging, making a topography of walkways, landings and steps that connect the street level to the main store on the second floor.” Visitors unwittingly become practitioners of parkour in a surreal scenery which, after initial irritation, allows them to move more freely in the space.

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RETAIL & ARCHITECTURE — CONFETTISYSTEM, NEW YORK

TEXT MARIE-SOPHIE MÜLLER

CONFET TISYSTEM, NEW YORK

FUN LOVIN’ CREATIVES

56 — 02/2014

Anything goes: whether party décor, shop interiors, shop window displays or stage design — New Yorkers Julie Ho and Nicholas Andersen, alias Confettisystem, create artistic and elaborate decorations out of metal foil and tissue paper.

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The art students Julie Ho and Nicholas Andersen first met during their part time jobs as set designers for America’s famous domestic goddess, Martha Stewart. They soon realised that they not only shared a love of fashion and art but also had other hobbies in common: rummaging around dime stores for hidden treasures, creatively revamping rooms and creating unforgettable party decorations. In 2008 the two began to make garlands and confetti out of paper and foil in Andersen’s basement.

They created minimalist-style piñatas which they decorated with thin strips of tissue paper or metallic foil so they made mysterious rustling noises and sparkled in the light as they are spun around. Those who dared to destroy them (and after all

that is the point of this popular South American fiesta treat!) were showered with a deluge of hand-cut confetti. Although they are an important part of the collection, the piñatas were just the beginning. Soon Julie and Nicholas were being booked for elaborate shop interiors, window displays and stage design. If you walk through New York’s shopping streets you will no doubt stumble across many examples of their inimitable creative activity.

How did you discover your ­special passion for decorations?

Julie Ho: I always enjoyed making three-dimensional decorations. Even when I was small, I would take whatever I had and make small creations for my room and bookshelves. It was the same in Nicholas’ case. I think we

are both interested in creating a particular mood and an experimental inspiring space.

Do you get the feeling sometimes that glamour and fun are lacking in our daily lives?

Nicholas Andersen: Yes, there is no such thing as too much fun – so it’s always good to add a bit!

What is the idea behind Confetti­ system and how did you start?

NA: We did the décor for friends’ parties and music performances for quite a while. It was great to transform a place for just one night, to create a particular energy and atmosphere and provide the guests with a nice memory to take home with them. We had so much fun doing it that we decided to start

RETAIL & ARCHITECTURE — CONFETTISYSTEM, NEW YORK Backdrop for the Converse × Maison Martin Margiela launch party, 2013

THE PARTY IS JUST GETTING STARTED. “MOST OF ALL WE LIKE TO USE TISSUE PAPER AND METAL FOIL.” Exhibition on the premiere of the `King Kong´ musical in Melbourne, 2013

JULIE HO and NICHOLAS ANDERSEN founded Confettisystem in New York in 2008. They design and make shop interiors, as well as show, stage and window displays for clients like Converse, J. Crew, Lanvin, MercedesBenz, Opening Ceremony, Urban Outfitters, MoMA PS1, Gagosian ­G allery, Beyoncé and Beach House. Party accessories like handmade garlands, ­piñatas and of course confetti are available from their online store: WWW.CONFETTISYSTEM.COM

Who do you work for?

JH: We did a pretty big project for J. Crew, who opened their first flagship store in London in November. Taking British icons like the London taxi, the Union Jack, a telephone box and the bearskin hats of the Royal Guard as our point of departure, we designed elaborate window displays – the taxi alone is four and a half metres long! We also developed an installation for Opening ­Ceremony in Tokyo.

What has changed for you since opening your own studio in 2008?

NA: Well, recently we have been getting an increasing amount of international requests and the chance to work on projects outside of the US. During the last months we have been working on installations in

Melbourne, Tuscany, London and Tokyo. We consider ourselves lucky to meet so many interesting and talented people from all over the world!

What materials do you work with?

JH: We both like simple materials. But especially those that have multiple uses and are versatile so that something quite unexpected can be created. Most of all we like tissue paper and metal foil.

Are there still only two of you in your team?

NA: Technically yes, but we have friends and extra pairs of hands who help us out with larger projects and during particularly stressful weeks.

How do you start with a project?

JH: Our creative process is pretty organic … I like to pick up on an idea from Nicholas and develop it further, until the ultimate fantasy has been created.

Nicholas feels the same. Mostly we already have a vision when we start out on a project, but we are always open to the possibility of

spontaneously veering from the original plan and taking our ideas in new directions. Luckily we are quite similar in our thoughtprocesses – that makes working together easier. We definitely have a kind of spiritual connection.

Do you make everything by hand?

JH: Yes, everything is made to measure by hand in our studio, which gives us greater flexibility and freedom.

If you had an unlimited budget for a gigantic party decoration, what would you make?

NA: Instead of a decorative object it would be great to turn the entire room into a cave, which guests could enter and explore.

Is there any idea that you would still like to turn into reality?

JH: We would really like to do a stage set for the opera.

NA: … and a playground!

We hope you have the chance to put those ideas into practice!

Thank you, Julie and Nicholas, for talking to us.

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experimenting with party pieces – initially with piñatas and necklaces. Then we started developing the idea further, thinking about what makes a really good party, and started to create our own little worlds, with the help of interactive objects, settings and sounds.

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FAIRS — BREAD & BUTTER BERLIN

TEXT GERLIND HECTOR

BREAD & BUTTER BERLIN 8 - 10 JULY 2014 BERLIN-TEMPELHOF AIRPORT PLATZ DER LUFTBRÜCKE 5 12101 BERLIN WWW.BREADANDBUTTER.COM

56 — 02/2014

It turns out that Bread & Butter will be putting on the big shindig that everyone is invited to after all. With restrictions, however, as the world’s biggest platform for cool street and urbanwear will, as in the past, remain reserved for industry professionals and the press. But on two evenings Berlin’s party people are cordially invited to the favela-style ‘Carnaval do Brazil’ with festival flair and party atmosphere.

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No entry for amateur players of the fashion scene – that’s the word from Berlin for this summer’s edition of Bread & Butter.

At least with regards to the hallowed halls of Berlin-Tempelhof Airport. Wannabe bloggers, self-proclaimed it-girls and local hipsters were over the moon when B&B president Karl-Heinz Müller announced in December 2013 that he wanted to open up Bread & Butter to ordinary

PARTY FOR THE PEOPLE mortals. He didn’t specify what that would entail exactly. But for many fashion experts the suggestion to allow your average Joe to enter the trade fair was akin to sacrilege.

Yet in pure marketing terms Müller’s idea was well thought through and would have also boosted Berlin’s pulling power.

Introducing two additional public days to personally address the end consumers somehow made sense, and even the exhibitors could have used the new marketing instrument to their advantage. “It’s ultimately just about the end consumers,” emphasised Karl-Heinz Müller at the end of last year. “At the end of the day they are the ones who decide which products are bought and which ones get left on the shelves.”

Nobody will deny that he is absolutely right with this statement. But, when push came to

shove the exhibitors felt confronted with costly logistical and organisational challenges, which not all of them saw themselves in a position to fulfil. “The bandwidth of the reactions ranged from euphoric enthusiasm to total rejection,” says Müller. The fact that he revised his decision speaks for his flexibility and ability to listen to his audience.

IDEAS, INSPIRATION AND NEW CONCEPTS Everyone knows that Karl-Heinz Müller is no procrastinator when it comes to making important decisions. He has never shied away from giving even unpopular ideas room to develop – and he is often even a few seasons ahead of the zeitgeist. When Müller de-

cided years ago to up sticks from Cologne to Berlin, there was a lot of shaking of heads initially – followed by a lot of people singing his praises. The subsequent relocation to B ­ arcelona and the return to Berlin a few seasons later also met with a lack of understanding. “If it ain’t broke, why fix it?” was the question asked by not only exhibitors and retailers, but even the press, who should theoretically be open to new ideas.

Karl-Heinz Müller is no bore. He is a creative thinker and fundamentally open to new inspiration and concepts. Like the daring move to briefly exclude more overtly commercial suppliers, which, from a financial perspective, was no doubt a drawback for the fair, which had been launched explicitly as an offshow. But the plan to selectively curate Bread & Butter and really offer a forum to only the crème

FAIRS — BREAD & BUTTER BERLIN

with Müller’s entrepreneurial spirit, which clearly isn’t lacking in the risk-taking department.

CARNAVAL DO BRAZIL And the motto of the upcoming event from 8 – 10 July 2014 is full of promise: ‘Carnaval do Brazil’.

The inspiration came to Müller virtually overnight when he was thinking about the upcoming World Cup and his personal adventures at Sugarloaf Mountain.

booths and collections inside will of course be strictly shielded from curious onlookers.

There won’t be any changes to the space allocation in the halls though. The exhibiting brands, more than 500 in total, will be divided into Superior, Fashion and L.O.C.K. and the sport and streetwear brands will once again be integrated into the main hall, the Urban Base.

If you’re finding it hard to wait until July, you can follow the ‘party planning’ on the updated B&B homepage under ‘News’. This is where the latest participating exhibitors will be showcased – Tiger of Sweden, Closed, Bench and Elevenparis are already confirmed – as well as exclusive interviews with industry insiders, exhibitors and creatives. The show acts for the ‘Carnaval do Brazil’, however, won’t be revealed until shortly before the event. But one thing we can be certain of is that there’s a lot to look forward to.

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de la crème of street and urbanwear was totally understood – and there are plenty of people who would like this to be the case again today. The attempt to establish a kidswear platform was also briefly mooted but despite a high level of acceptance, at the end of the day it wasn’t quite enough and the idea was shelved. Perhaps the time just wasn’t yet right.

Müller and his team are experimental and never follow the path of least resistance. A fun atmosphere, boundary-pushing mentality and a penchant for parties with an event character obviously correspond perfectly

“Brazilians are fantastic people,” he enthuses. “Beautiful, happy and always ready to party until the early hours of the morning”. That is exactly how Müller and his team imagine their ‘Luna Park’ to be, which will once again be created on the Tempelhof airfield and based on the motley, thrown-together typical Brazilian favela. Here, every exhibitor will have the chance to put together their own hut-like stand. “I imagine it to be like a crazy building site,” says Karl-Heinz Müller.

“Everyone can build their hut how they want, as long as they are wild and colourful!”

A gigantic screen will show the World Cup games on the Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. The football matches only officially start around 10:00 pm – but until then the crowds can party to their heart’s content, as loud and wild as they like; catering and concerts included. “So it’s a good thing that we don’t have to worry about noise regulations this summer!” laughs Müller.

Another highlight: everyone is invited to the evening parties, even the abovementioned average Joe and his plus one. Once the trade fair closes for the day they will simply be ushered through the main entrance directly to the airfield, where the mother of all parties will begin. The tradeshow

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FAIRS — DENIM BY PREMIÈRE VISION & PITTI IMMAGINE UOMO

TEXT GERLIND HECTOR

DENIM BY PREMIÈRE VISION 21 & 22 MAY 2014

BONJOUR, BARCELONA!

FIRA DE BARCELONA, HALL 8 MONTJUÏC EXHIBITION CENTRE AVDA. REINA MARIA CRISTINA, S/N 08004 BARCELONA WWW.DENIMBYPREMIEREVISION.COM

Denim by Première Vision has long since established itself as an international meeting point for the crème de la crème of the jeans sector. With its planned relocation from Paris to B ­ arcelona the event is now looking to become even more creative and innovative.

“Faites vos jeux” (Place your bets) is the word from Paris as Denim by Première Vision has reshuffled its cards and is starting the new season with a relocation.

After around seven years it’s time to say “Au revoir Paris. Buenos días Barcelona”: on 21 and 22

May 2014 the international denim tradeshow for industry professionals will be taking place in the Catalan capital for the first time.

Ever since the event was established in 2007 its main core disciplines have been creativity, a willingness to take risks and permanent renewal. The move to Spain promises, above all, new inspiration. Its new location in hall 8 at the Montjuïc Exhibition Centre of the Fira de Barcelona is wonderfully central and very easy to get to. The adjoining Montjuïc Park with its green spaces and the nearby Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya

also offers plenty of variety and respite beyond the hustle and bustle of the fair. With around 20 restaurants in the direct vicinity, visitors and exhibitors don’t have to worry about going hungry either.

Several months before the trade fair around 100 companies had already expressed an interest in taking part in May 2014 and presenting their denim innovations for autumn/winter 2015/16. Including weavers and denim washing and finishing experts, but also accessory and yarn producers, as well as technology experts. In comparison to the previous year

this means an increase of at least five percent. At the last edition of Denim by Première Vision in November there was a plus in visitor numbers of 20 percent compared to the previous year.

And just like in Paris the ­Turkish label Isko, one of the world’s biggest denim producers, will also be represented with a large stand in Barcelona. Marco ­Lucietti, Global Marketing Director at Isko, is impressed by the new location: “It’s a great initiative that will give the show a new boost of energy. The city offers the ideal mix of creativity and innovation.”

the motto ‘Ping Pitti Pong’? The entire upper storey of the Main Pavilion will be restyled according to a layout by star designer Patricia Urquiola with the theme ‘Just like a man’. To reflect the central role that accessories are currently playing on the menswear market, for the first time Pitti Uomo will also feature a spaciously designed separate accessories area. There will also be breath of fresh air in the ‘I Play’ section in the Cavaniglia Pavilion.

Here, where urban lifestyle labels meet technical clothing, the term ‘authentic sportswear’ will

be redefined again this season.

But we’ll just have to wait and see exactly what that looks like!

With over 1000 exhibiting brands and a fashionable spectrum ranging from suits to casualwear, Pitti Uomo is one of the most important international platforms for menswear and attracts around 30,000 visitors, including 21,000 buyers from 120 countries, to the city on the River Arno every six months. With results like these, we are more than happy to join the long of queue of anniversary well-wishers.

TEXT CHERYLL MÜHLEN

PITTI IMMAGINE UOMO 17 - 20 JUNE 2014 FORTEZZA DA BASSO VIALE FILIPPO STROZZI 1 50129 FLORENCE WWW.PITTIMMAGINE.COM

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Pitti Immagine Uomo has a long tradition dating back to the 1950s. The upcoming instalment in June will be celebrating a special anniversary: the organiser of the fashion fair, the Centro di Firenze per la Moda Italiana, is turning 60 this year.

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Reason enough to pop the corks and really get the champagne flowing, and not only at the specialist trade fair, which will once again be taking place on the 59,000 m² exhibition area in the Fortezza da Basso: ‘Firenze Hometown of Fashion’

HOLDING THE FORT is the motto, which is bringing the fashion from the Renaissance fortress into the centre of ­Florence – but not just the fashion. In addition to shows and other events organised by traditional Florentine fashion houses – from ­Salvatore ­Ferragamo to Gucci and Emilio Pucci down to ­Ermanno Scervino and ­Roberto Cavalli – the accompanying programme of celebratory events also includes a vintage car exhibition, film evenings and concerts.

So what else is planned for the 86th edition of Pitti Uomo under

STATION-BERLIN LUCKENWALDER STRASSE 4-6 10963 BERLIN

PREMIUM ORDER MUNICH 9 - 12 AUGUST 2014 MOC MUNICH ORDER CENTER LILIENTHALALLEE 40 80939 MUNICH WWW.PREMIUMEXHIBITIONS.DE

Quality, inspiration and fashion expertise – Premium is regarded as a major crowd puller of Berlin Fashion Week. With a new cooperation from summer 2014, they not only want to further develop their presence in Munich but also focus more of the industry’s ­attention on the Bavarian city.

In order to step up their own fashion expertise Anita Tillmann and her team now have their sights firmly set on their Munich event: in summer 2014 Premium Order Munich will be relocating to the MOC (Munich Order Center) exhibition venue, which offers the potential required for the tradeshow to grow. As the concluding event of the ordering season the fair in the city on the River Isar will be developed into a strong sales platform. At this location in the south of Germany

BERLIN PULLING POWER the nearby countries of Austria, Switzerland and Italy have proven to be particularly relevant in previous seasons. With the cooperation between the two ownermanaged trade fair companies Premium ­E xhibitions II GmbH and ­Munich Fabric Start Exhibitions GmbH, two strong partners will be pooling their experience, with the goal of uniting the interests of the textile industry with those of the retail industry.

“As a business location, Munich is gaining in importance on a national level and still has a lot of potential,” says Anita Tillmann.

This especially applies to the collections, she says, which for logistical reasons, can be shown here for the first time. She goes on to say how she can imagine integrating selected trends set by fabric manufacturers, in the form of inspiration islands, into

future Premium Order Munich events. This would encourage the necessary transfer of knowledge on the market and create new sources of inspiration.

Every six months the Premium team prove that they are an inspirational force – one of their particular strengths – in Berlin, where, on an area of 23,000 m², around 1500 collections are presented, attracting more than 60,000 trade visitors every season. As an international specialist tradeshow in the high-fashion segment, Premium is an integral part of Berlin Fashion Week. And as the leading tradeshow at the beginning of the season, which is held on the grounds of STATIONBerlin, the show has long since proved itself to be a must-attend event in the European tradeshow calendar. With a focus on the needs of the industry,

the primary aim of Premium is the goal-oriented expansion of the B2B-specific services, which should make the work of the buyers easier. The careful curating by Anita Tillmann and her team will also offer inspiration for new ways of showcasing and repositioning brands on the fiercely competitive market.

Particularly indicative within this context is the remarkable proportion of new collections and innovative concepts that make up 25 to 30 percent of the trade fair offer. Now everyone is waiting with bated breath to see how Premium, with its high quality standards and unparalleled fashion competence, develops in the important sales location Munich.

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PREMIUM 8 - 10 JULY 2014

FAIRS — PREMIUM

TEXT GERLIND HECTOR

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FAIRS — PANORAMA BERLIN & MODEFABRIEK

TEXT GERLIND HECTOR

PANORAMA BERLIN 8 - 10 JULY 2014 BERLIN EXPOCENTER CITY SOUTH ENTRANCE (JAFFÉSTRASSE) 14055 BERLIN S-BAHN STATION: MESSE SÜD (S5) BUS N°349 WWW.PANORAMA-BERLIN.COM

Panorama Berlin fills the highly lucrative gap between streetwear and premium labels. The success of past seasons is now leading to an expansion, which, much to the pleasure of both exhibitors and visitors, is relocating the event from the outskirts to Berlin’s city centre.

Panorama is packing its suitcases and moving. Right on time for Fashion Week in July 2014 the event will be setting up camp in a new location of Messe Berlin, right next to the centrally located Funkturm (Radio Tower). The benefits are plain to see: with its inner-city location and perfect infrastructure including pub-

lic transport connections, the ExpoCenter City offers plenty of advantages. The site, with its six halls, is also ideal for the expansion of the tradeshow’s different segments. After all, according to the team in Berlin, further growth is on the horizon.

And indeed, conditions for exhibitors and visitors are now ideal.

The previous and somewhat isolated location, ExpoCenter Airport, was criticised, despite the fact that during Fashion Week the Mercedes-Benz shuttle service chauffeured the fashion pack to Panorama at almost one-minute intervals. But if you quickly need to get from A to B, because you’re doing business

FASHION AT THE FUNKTURM

under time pressure, you’re not likely to be tempted by a free sightseeing tour.

“The presentation area at the ExpoCenter Airport had simply reached full capacity,” explains Dr. Christian Göke, Chairman of the Management Board of Messe Berlin GmbH, and is full of praise for the fair. “Within the shortest time Panorama Berlin has developed into one of the fundamental elements of Berlin Fashion Week; we want to support its further expansion.”

Right from the outset the fashion fair, which mainly concentrates on top-selling ladies’ and men’s collections, shoes and accessories, was very well received. With

its brand portfolio, Panorama closes the gap between young avant-garde and premium collections on the one hand, and street and sportswear brands on the other. From Marc Cain to Luisa Cerano down to Stefanel, a whole host of market-relevant brands will be present, and their numbers are increasing every season.

Last January around 400 brands presented their collections at Panorama, which meant a growth of 12 percent compared to the previous season. Jörg ­Wichmann, CEO of Panorama Berlin, is convinced that this success will continue: “Berlin has positioned itself well and still has enormous potential.”

upper-edge) and ‘Chapter’ (luxury casual and sartorial menswear) have been given a facelift and are integrated into the newly created areas.

Another new addition since January: the ‘Food Market’ where trade fair visitors are served the finest snacks – from salads to sandwiches to burgers. But if you prefer to dine à la carte, you should head to the adjoining pop-up restaurant by top chef Jaimie van Heije. Speaking of pop-up: just as in previous seasons there will be a pop-up store under the motto ‘Trash & Treasures’, which, in addition to fashion and accessories, also stocks music, art and books.

But why wait until July for a fashion blowout when you can have

fun a whole two months earlier?

After all, Modefabriek has another ace up its sleeve: a series of events called Amsterdam Denim Days, which will be celebrating its premiere from 7 – 10 May 2014. A major part of Amsterdam Denim Days, which is being organised in cooperation with House of Denim, HTNK Recruitment & Consultancy and the City of Amsterdam, is the first Amsterdam edition of the American denim fair Kingpins and a great programme for end consumers with, for example, workshops, a film line-up and a vintage market, showcased by the makers of ‘Blueprint’. Amsterdam, we’re coming!

TEXT CHERYLL MÜHLEN

MODEFABRIEK 13 & 14 JULY 2014 AMSTERDAM RAI EUROPAPLEIN 8 1078 GZ AMSTERDAM WWW.MODEFABRIEK.NL

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Anyone who’s read our Amster­ dam City Guide in this issue of J’N’C will know that the Dutch canal city is always worth a visit for fashion lovers. But when whole swarms of fashion professionals and media representatives make the pilgrimage to Holland’s secret capital at once, it’s for a particular reason: Modefabriek is opening its doors once again.

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Every season Modefabriek attracts on average 19,000 visitors and over 600 national and international exhibiting brands.

But the event, which takes place twice a year at Amsterdam’s biggest trade fair and congress centre, RAI, is a lot more than just a simple order event. To

CREATIVE FACTORY mark its 37th edition the ultimate Benelux tradeshow is once again offering a whole host of extras with a strong focus on innovation and creativity.

Since the last edition in January the different segments of the fair have been reorganised. On the 40,000 m² exhibition space four areas have been created: ‘The Pavilion’ for national and international suppliers with a strong brand identity, ‘The Frame’ for contemporary fashion and leading brand-name suppliers, ‘The Floor’ for on-trend fashion and, last but not least, ‘The Square’, an area for modern classic & city fashion. The well-known platforms ‘Blueprint’ (denim), ‘Mint’ (fair fashion), ‘Salon’ (sophisticated luxury), ‘Stage’ (fashion’s

FAIRS — MUNICH FABRIC START MUNICH ORDER CENTER MOC & ZENITH HALL LILIENTHALALLEE 40 & 29 80939 MUNICH WWW.MUNICHFABRICSTART.COM

VIEW PREMIUM SELECTION 15 & 16 JULY 2014 MVG MUSEUM STÄNDLERSTRASSE 20 81549 MUNICH VIEWMUNICH.COM

Munich Fabric Start is ­regarded as an absolute must-attend event amongst the profashionals. Nowhere else is it possible to get such an early insight into new fabric and trimming trends while exchanging knowledge and experiences with industry insiders.

The denim section in particular is constantly being updated.

As a leading trade fair with an international focus, Munich Fabric Start will, as always, be taking place at the beginning of the season. From 2 - 4 September 2014 it will be dedicated to inspiration for autumn/winter 2015/16 and the organisers are eager to see whether February’s 8 percent increase in visitor numbers can be topped. “Our overall concept perfectly caters to the increased need for information and orientation with an extensive portfolio of fabrics and trimmings,” confirms Wolfgang Klinder who, together with his son Sebastian Klinder, shares the management of Munich Fabric Start.

Every six months Munich becomes the platform for the fashion industry’s designers, buyers and product managers, who efficiently make use of the advanced information at the start of the season. Together with their team, Klinder Senior and

TEXT GERLIND HECTOR

FABRICS OF THE FUTURE Junior carefully curate around 900 international exhibitors, who offer the specialist audience a well-rounded selection with around 1500 basic to haute couture collections. In addition to the usual offer of textiles, accessories and trimmings there will of course also be an inspiring line-up of accompanying events, which serve to stimulate communication and exchange among industry representatives.

An encouraging sign that the tradeshow organisers are on the right path is the period of time that the approx. 20,000 visitors spend at the event, which in comparison to earlier editions has become noticeably longer.

Especially in the denim section, the Bluezone, the massive interest cannot be underestimated.

The denim specialists, who in the Zenith Hall are also somewhat separate from the rest of the fair, were represented in February with 76 exhibitors, including highly respected international weavers, finishers and washers.

The atmosphere here is nice and laid-back with enjoyable background music. Another popular meeting place is the adjoining restaurant area – the tight-knit jeans community obviously takes a lot of pleasure in the mix of competitors and inspira-

tion. “Of course the Bluezone profits from the international appeal of ­Munich Fabric Start,” says Sebastian Klinder, who is already looking forward to the next instalment in September. The Bluezone was already booked out several months in advance, but Sebastian Klinder doesn’t see it as a competitor for other denim fairs: “Denim, as a product category, has changed and is going through a continuous development process, which simply demands more presentation dates.”

Overall he sees huge potential in the Bluezone and wants to continue developing the event: “In the future we will be working on developing the portfolio,” he emphasises. “It goes without saying that denim will continue to make up the majority, but we also wish to integrate strong suppliers of denim-related products like ord, washed fabrics and accessories.”

The Klinders and their team are always fully up to date with developments in the industry and have made it their task to adapt to the relevant needs of the market and further develop existing concepts. For example Cube X, which was launched last September within the Bluezone as an information and inspiration

platform, is proving very popular and is meanwhile regarded as an essential part of the event.

The panel discussions held here amongst the fashion sector’s decision-makers are an absolute must for all those who need to get the lowdown on tomorrow’s denim trends several seasons before they happen. The Organic Selection in the Green Zone also captures the zeitgeist perfectly and is considered trendsetting with a lot of potential for development.

“With the relocation of our ‘View’, a spin-off preview event with high-quality fabrics, and the associated expansion of the portfolio we are also offering the denim and sportswear industry in Germany an additional presentation platform,” adds Sebastian Klinder. And indeed the View Premium Selection on 15 and 16 July 2014 will be taking place in a new location: the Munich Transportation Museum, which scores points for its spacious, light-filled architecture and a unique atmosphere. Here, where historical trains and rail wagons have ended their journey, the tradeshow organisers will be doing everything in their power to transport their visitors into the future of fabrics, and maximise the event’s international appeal.

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MUNICH FABRIC START & BLUEZONE 2 - 4 SEPTEMBER 2014

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Jumpsuit JENA.THEO Beanie AMERICAN APPAREL

Photography GUNNAR TUFTA Styling KAREN MUNNIS Styling assistant SARAH AKINOLA Digital assistant KLAUS BLUMENRATH Production HAYDN VOOGT Make-up MARIA COMPARETTO @ Emma Davies Hair ANNA COFONE @ Emma Davies using Oribe Hair assistant KERRI EWART Model SARAH DICK @ Models1

Top & trousers PAUL & JOE SISTER Sweater PENFIELD

Blouse PAUL & JOE SISTER Shorts PAUL & JOE

Top YANNY LONDON Dungarees CITIZENS OF HUMANITY

Denim jacket SOMEDAYS LOVIN Waistcoat & jeans SUPERFINE Shoes PAUL & JOE

Dress JENA.THEO Shoes UNDERGROUND Socks AMERICAN APPAREL

Crop top AMERICAN APPAREL Shirt, waistcoat, jeans & shoes TOMMY HILFIGER Socks FALKE

Denim jacket & skirt SIBLING Boots UNDERGROUND Socks STYLIST’S OWN

Shirt French Connection Jacket Scotch & Soda Tie Joop!

Shirt French Connection Jacket Scotch & Soda Tie Joop!

Trousers Replay Socks Falke Shoes Belmondo

Jacket Scotch & Soda T-shirt Jack & Jones Jogging pants H&M Sneakers Adidas

Polo shirt Cinque Denim waistcoat Jack & Jones Trousers Topman Belt Windsor

Shirt Tommy Hilfiger Pullover & shoes Scotch & Soda Trousers Levi’s

Shirt Eton Pullover Belstaff Trousers Massimo Dutti Socks Stylist’s own Sandals Kavat

Shirt Sand Jacket Topman Trousers Massimo Dutti Tie Polo Ralph Lauren Pocket square Eton Belt Windsor Shoes Scotch & Soda

Polo shirt Lacoste Trousers Levi’s Shoes Vans

Shirt Eton Trousers Replay Socks Falke Shoes Belmondo

Shirt Eton Bomber jacket Scotch & Soda Bermuda shorts French Connection Socks Falke Shoes Nike

Photography: Diana Diederich www.diana-diederich.com Photo assistant: Annika Hirsch Styling: Ana Salgado de Los Angeles @ Bigoudi Hair & make-up: Marco H端lsebus @ K Stiegemeyer using Chanel and Kevin Murphy Models: Armin @ Nest models and Lukas @ the Special

Denim shirt Scotch & Soda

TEXTILES & TRENDS — FEMNET

TEXT FREDERICKE WINKLER PHOTOS FEMNET E.V.

SUMANGALI – THE DOWRY DECEPTION

The workers and their sleeping areas in the spinning mills.

Sumangali sounds so harmless. Like a fun board game. But in reality, it’s the name of a system in which young Southern Indian women are lured into up to five years of forced labour in spinning mills with the false promise of an apprenticeship and money for their dowries.

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This scheme is largely unknown among Western contractors and consumers because it goes on in the depths of anonymous subsidiary industries. This is all the more shocking for the fact that you will probably find clothing made with thread spun by Sumangali girls in pretty much every Western wardrobe. But this is not the only good reason to look into the issue in greater depth. Even more alarming is that this example points to three underlying facts throughout the global textile industry: firstly, that underprivileged women are the main victims of prevailing substandard working conditions.

Secondly, that we all too willingly misinterpret social injustice when it happens elsewhere as being the result of different cultural norms. And finally, that the textile supply chain is virtually impossible to trace.

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SECOND-CLASS CITIZENS In the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, a family lives in the countryside not far from the indus-

trial city of Tiruppur. Like many of their neighbours, poverty is a real struggle for the family as they try to bring up their children, a boy and two girls. Most of the parent’s anxiety has to do with the oldest daughter: she has just turned 15 and is nearing the eligible age of marriage.

The family hasn’t been able to save sufficient dowry to find her a good husband. Even a small dowry is no guarantee for a decent life: husbands often punish their poverty stricken wives with violence and, in extreme cases, with dowry murder. To save their daughters from this fate, families often accumulate long-term debts. It’s not uncommon for parents to turn against their own children in desperation. In many areas girls are considered second-class citizens unworthy of the necessary investment, whether in the form of food or medical attention. Those not already aborted often die during childhood.

But back to the village near Tiruppur – the poor family is paid a visit from an agent looking for young apprentice girls for a local

spinning mill. He says they will be trained and given the chance to earn a dowry. He also offers the family 60,000 rupees, which is about 700 euros. This is a huge sum of money for the family. He explains that it’s like boarding school where the girls are given accommodation and leave with skills, savings, and the kind of future that comes with having completed an apprenticeship.

Sumangali translated from Tamil means ‘happily married woman’ who ‘brings wealth’.

The daughter goes with him.

After arriving at the spinning mill she moves into a bare room near the factory with 12 other girls aged between 15 and 18 years old. They have no beds; they sleep on mats on the floor.

They are neither professionally trained, nor taught the ropes, or even shown safety procedures.

They usually work for 12 hours every day and often overtime as well. This sometimes means night shifts, meaning they might not see daylight for days. Breaks are seldom given and they are never allowed to leave the factory premises. They are always

accompanied to their sleeping quarters. Food, medication and essential articles are always insufficient and provided by supervisors. If they are too tired to work, they are given an injection.

They are verbally and physically mistreated: their supervisors are always men.

It is questionable whether our local girl will make it through these torturous conditions alive.

She is submitted to particularly unhygienic surroundings that cause diarrhoea-related illnesses, which can be deadly. Many of the workers suffer from skin and respiratory diseases caused by exposure to dust and chemically treated cotton. Anaemia and migraines are common due to insufficient nutrition. Many see suicide as their only way out, since breaking off the apprenticeship would rob them of what little social status they might still have in their hometown. After years of imprisonment, some are turned out on the street without payment, with a thinly fabricated excuse. Not only that, but Sumangali girls are not valued on the marriage market, since

Femnet e.V. is bringing up the topic in both India and ­G ermany to inform people about the practice of Sumangali.

traumatic experiences and poor working conditions often cause infertility.

THE PERILS OF PENNY PINCHING Sumangali is by no means a traditional system – it began in 2005 when the demand for cheap clothing rose dramatically in countries like Germany. Since then, textile manufacturers, as well as the clothing manufacturers, have been in constant competition with each other. In many places, unlike energy and rental costs, wages become the only variable where savings can be made.

Sumangali plays on two things: the fact that young women are generally less self-confident and therefore easier to take advantage of, especially when separated from their parents. Sumangali means they receive no wages, receiving little more than pocket money. They are supposed to receive their wages at the end of their ‘apprenticeships’. This is then only a fraction of what an adult worker would earn for the same work. These savings increase the profit margin so that the supplier can lower the prices if need be. This is a system that has already convinced over half of the 1311 spinning mills operating in Southern India. 80 percent of Indian spinning mills are located in Southern India.

Currently they employ around 200,000 girls between the ages of 14 to 18 without even breaking the law. Although both child labour and the dowry system are illegal, the factories only officially recruit girls just above the given age limit, supposedly as apprentices. This is of course entirely legal, even with lower wages.

“The Sumangali system is directly related to the purchasing policies of textile companies. These pave the way for the conditions at the other end of the sup-

ply chain, while the companies manage to extricate themselves from all responsibility,” says Gisela Burckhardt, Chair of the Board at the organisation for women’s rights, Femnet. She is an active member of the Clean Clothes Campaign, a group of human rights organisations who have already exposed and drawn public attention to a number of social justice issues in the textile industry. To draw attention to Sumangali, last November Femnet invited two activists from Southern India, Maheshwari Murugan and Anita Cheria, to the place where the roots of the problem lie. Together they went on a two-week tour through Germany with talks and panels on the working conditions in Indian textile factories.

ACTIVISTS ARE FORMING A FRAGILE BACKBONE Murugan and Cheria spoke very clearly about the manufacturing plants in their country. They depicted exactly the scenario mentioned above. Maheshwari Murugan is a representative of the Rights Education and Development Centres, READ for short.

This human rights organisation fights for the rights of Dalits, who are regarded as the ‘untouchables’ of the Indian caste system, and are discriminated against accordingly. READ funds protection programmes for woman and children and opens up new educational opportunities for those suffering from discrimination, including the victims of the textile industry. Maheshwari Murugan explains the unfortunate success of the scheme: “In rural areas Sumangali enjoys a good reputation. Recruiters wearing expensive clothing visit the families and promise good jobs and pay for their children. These people are very poor and uneducated.

Very few of them have learnt to read and write. They simply can’t

imagine that these well-dressed men could deceive them.” The girls are also completely unaware of both their rights as women or as workers. They are subjected to these horrific conditions and simply don’t know that they have a legitimate right to complain.

Anita Cheria is a member of the board of Civil Initiatives for Development and Peace and a member of the support committee of Munnade in Bangalore.

Munnade is an independent women’s rights organisation as well as a trade union. They fight for the improvement of working conditions of female textile workers. This clientele regularly falls through the net of conventionally male dominated trade union structures, which is grotesque considering the fact that around 90 percent of textile workers in India are women.

Cheria also talks about the low level of knowledge most woman have about their rights, which is due to both socialisation and poor education.

“In addition to this, the women working the sewing machines are migrants who have left the countryside to look for work in the urban industrial areas of Bangalore. They have no social support in the cities and are often the sole bread winners for their families.”

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY Anita Cheria thinks that change can only come from a paradigm shift on the decision-making level. “The poor conditions in the factories are the result of undervaluing this kind of work.

Wages are the costs that are complained about the most.

But these costs only make up a fraction of the total costs in the supply chain. Where will this all lead?” To improve the situation, a new way of thinking is required.

Companies have to lower their profit margins or calculate the

costs differently. The reality looks a little bit different. Anita Cheria explains: “The trend is moving towards ‘hosted labourers’. Factories are offering migrants accommodation. They house young women migrants in desolate rooms as close to the factories as possible with the result that the NGOs have less access to them and the supervisors have even more.”

Recently, more and more producers have started to settle outside the cities where, due to insufficient infrastructure, they have even fewer obligations towards their workers. “You don’t see any women over 35 years old in the factories. No one survives that kind of work for so long. But the entry age is getting younger all the time. At the moment it’s 18.”

When human rights organisations confronted fashion producers with the Sumangali scheme in 2012, many tried to use the excuse that it was a phenomenon of Indian culture. Others invested in research or joined forces with organisations at the relevant production sites. However, so far, no fundamental change has occurred as a result. In fact, rising sales figures have indirectly caused an increase in negative developments in the countries of production. But who is taking responsibility for this scandalous situation? Who is in a position to take responsibility? The workers are fighting for their lives, the factories are fighting for their survival. Only fashion labels have the freedom – in fact they have an obligation – to restructure their purchasing policies fairly.

Consumers wanting to buy five T-shirts for a price that, at most, one T-shirt would cost to produce, is so inexplicable that it is almost laughable to try and come up with arguments to justify it.

WWW.FEMNET-EV.DE

TEXTILES & TRENDS — FEMNET

Femnet e.V. is a women’s rights organisation for the rights of women working in the international textile industry. The tour ‘Exploitation in Indian Mills and Garment ­Factories – Two Insider Reports’ in November 2013 was hosted by Femnet, which is based in Bonn, with the support of different philanthropic organisations including the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, the Umverteilen Foundation and the Stiftung Menschenwürde und Arbeitswelt (Human Dignity and Working World Foundation) as well as the trade union ver.di.

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WHAT IS FEMNET?

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TEXTILES & TRENDS — NORBERT HINDERBERGER, CANDIANI DENIM

INTERVIEW CHERYLL MÜHLEN NORBERT HINDERBERGER, Head of German Candiani Denim office

TRUE BLUE Denim needs constant innovation. And more courage when it comes to taking the sustainable route. That is Norbert Hinderberger’s opinion – and he should know. After 22 years of working with the Turkish denim weaver Orta Anadolu, from March of this year the sales expert is putting his expertise at the service of the Italian traditional label Candiani Denim. The aim is to strengthen their presence on the German market.

Norbert, what is it that you especially value about Candiani Denim?

Candiani Denim has done two things absolutely perfectly.

Number one: they were the first to recognise that stretch denim has a great future and took the product and developed not just one item but an entire range with it. And number two: they picked up on the topic of sustainability really early on. Not just in terms of fibres and textile quality, but they also improved the dyeing processes.

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The denim industry is experiencing a renaissance at the moment.

Why do you think that is?

Yes, at the moment we are very much experiencing a denim boom. Around two or three seasons ago we had the whole colour thing in combination with chinos – and suddenly denim was back. Recently I read an article talking about how denim is a kind of schizophrenia for fashion. Because it never really goes away.

It’s a product that is sometimes more or less visible. That is a phenomenon which after 30 years in the business never fails to impress me.

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How important are innovations?

Innovations are a must. I could never sell an item today that I was selling ten years ago.

Denim has gone through an ­incredible evolution in recent

years, in terms of performance but also where the washes are ­concerned. It’s important that we keep coming up with innovations – whereby the end consumer is mainly attracted by colour, wash, cut and the feel of the material. Other aspects – for example whether or not sustainable indigo dyeing processes are used – are secondary to them.

I would say that such aspects don’t reach the end consumer because they are not communicated as clearly.

Yes, exactly – from the perspective of a producer like Candiani, innovation is a highly exciting process. But sadly the end consumer often isn’t aware of it.

How much development potential is there in denim?

I have often thought that really, by now, we must have tried everything under the sun, but denim keeps on reinventing itself. Through the smallest tweaks and innovations it keeps on moving forward. For example, why is there an entire industry simply for wearing out jeans, to cater for the used and destroyed look? Well, people are hungry for adventure, and like to imagine that the torn jeans really have a personal story. In the end, fashion is always a mirror of society.

And what is the relationship between performance and design?

Amongst other things you sell denim with shaping and skincare functions, or water-resistant qualities. You even make use of thermal fibres.

Well, that is simply a case of fashion meets function. In the past the outerwear industry has really shown its pioneering qualities with water-resistant, thermal or tear-proof materials.

And now the jeanswear sector is starting to address these topics.

Outerwear and jeanswear inspire each other.

Is there anything in the denim sector that deserves more ­attention in your opinion?

I would like the topic of sustainability to get more attention – and at all production stages. As well as that, it should be dealt with globally. Whether we are talking organic cotton, BCI cotton, recycled yarns or fair trade – ­Candiani Denim has been pioneering in that respect for quite a while. We are using new techniques, which further reduce the use of chemicals and water. And these techniques deserve more attention than they are getting.

After all, we are respecting the environment and saving resources. Cheap, mass-produced jeans for ten euros simply shouldn’t exist anymore.

esting to see what Nudie Jeans are doing. The keyword here is traceability. They ensure that the end consumer can follow the entire manufacturing process from beginning to end. The great thing is that Nudie markets its jeans with their own biography – a product with its very own history.

On the other hand the end consumer also has to be reeducated.

Yes, because it seems like some people have become accustomed to the idea that a pair of jeans cost only 20 or 30 euros.

When they hear a price like 100 euros, their jaw drops. But obviously our own personal budgets influence our shopping options too.

So what is your forecast for ­sustainability?

Sustainability is a long-term project. I’m an optimist, but in the short term we will just have to keep taking small steps.

One last question: how many pairs of jeans do you own?

Around 200 pairs, but I only really wear around 20. The others are relics from the past.

Thank you for talking to us.

WWW.CANDIANIDENIM.IT

Is it possible to impart that ­message to the end consumer?

Certainly. For example it’s inter-

A

WHERE TO FIND US

WHERE TO FIND US

SELECTED

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STORES

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INTERNATIONAL

Do You Read Me? Auguststr. 28 D-10117 Berlin

K Presse+Buch Dresden Hauptbahnhof D-01069 Dresden

Falter Bücher & Presse Hindenburgstr. 190 D-41061 Mönchengladbach

Bozar Shop Rue Ravenstein 23 B-1000 Brussels

Heil Quelle Pannierstr. 40 D-12047 Berlin

Relay – HDS Airport Düsseldorf D-40474 Düsseldorf

Soda. Internationale Magazine & Bücher Rumfordstr. 3 D-80469 Munich

MAGMA 117-119 Clerkenwell Road GB-EC1R5BY London

K Presse+Buch Fernbahnhof Zoo D-10623 Berlin

Grauert GmbH Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof D-40210 Düsseldorf

K Presse+Buch Am Ostbahnhof D-10243 Berlin

HDS Retail Airport Frankfurt D-60547 Frankfurt

K Presse+Buch Bahnhof Spandau D-13597 Berlin

Schmitt & Hahn Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof D-60051 Frankfurt

K Presse+Buch Airport Schönefeld D-12521 Berlin

Schmitt & Hahn Gießen Hauptbahnhof D-35390 Gießen

K Presse+Buch Airport Tegel D-13405 Berlin

K Presse+Buch Fernbahnhof Altona D-22765 Hamburg

HDS Retail Boxberger Str. 3-9 D-12681 Berlin

K Presse+Buch Hamburg Hauptbahnhof D-20099 Hamburg

HDS Retail Airport Tegel D-13405 Berlin

K Presse+Buch HH-Dammtor D-20354 Hamburg

K Presse+Buch Bonn Hauptbahnhof D-53111 Bonn

K Presse+Buch Hamburg Airport D-22335 Hamburg

K Presse+Buch Bremerhaven Hauptbahnhof D-27570 Bremerhaven

HDS Retail Airport Hanover D-30669 Hanover

K Presse+Buch Bremen Hauptbahnhof D-28195 Bremen

HDS Retail Hanover Hauptbahnhof D-30159 Hanover

K Presse+Buch Dortmund Hauptbahnhof D-44137 Dortmund

Bahnhofsbuchhandlung Heidelberg Hauptbahnhof D-69039 Heidelberg

K Presse+Buch Bahnhof München-Ost D-81667 Munich K Presse+Buch Munich Hauptbahnhof D-80335 Munich

Do Design C/ Fernando VI, 13 E-28004 Madrid Papercut Krukmakargatan 3 SE-11851 Stockholm

K Presse+Buch München-Pasing Bahnhof D-81241 Munich

Drawn & Quarterly P.O. Box 48056 Montréal, Québec Canada 4S8 H2V

Schmitt & Hahn Bahnhofsplatz 9 D-90004 Nuremberg

Around The World 148 West 37th St. NY-10018 New York City

Schmitt & Hahn Airport Nuremberg D-90411 Nuremberg

Athenaeum Nieuwscentrum Spui 14-16 1012 XA Amsterdam

Grauert KG Oberhausen Hauptbahnhof D-46045 Oberhausen K Presse+Buch Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof D-70173 Stuttgart Wittwer Airport Stuttgart D-70629 Stuttgart

Alchemie Works 826 East 3rd Street Los Angeles CA 90013

TEN QUESTIONS FOR — JULIAN DUNKERTON & JAMES HOLDER

TEN QUESTIONS FOR:

Julian Dunkerton James Holder CEO SUPERDRY

CO-FOUNDER AND BRAND & DESIGN DIRECTOR SUPERDRY

1.

What was your first fashion ­moment as a child?

Julian Dunkerton: I remember buying the wrong pair of jeans and how upset I was when I got home and it had the wrong fit. And that stayed with me forever. From that moment on, after the age of 11, it never happened again.

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2.

You have been making clothes for the young market for years now. What is the secret to your success?

James Holder: For the young market? We are in a kind of a unique place, because we are so diverse with our looks and we appeal to such a wide demographic with impeccable premium products. We pinpoint each demographic and find the perfect product for them.

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3.

You just celebrated your tenyear anniversary. What was the most exciting moment of your career?

JD: Joining forces with James. I had to persuade him to join me. That was the best moment of my career.

4.

Since 2010 the company has been listed on the London Stock Exchange. Why? JH: We reached a point to expand the brand where we knew we could take it and the stock market rotation was the next logical step. So we became a public company, but we remained true to our roots and never lost our entrepreneurial spirit. It just allows us to globalise things, for example in terms of infrastructure and organisation and takes us to the next level as a business, but we make sure we never forget the brand’s values.

5.

What has changed about the business?

JD: We still act and design today as if it were the very first day.

6.

You opened your flagship store in London. What role does London play for you?

JH: It changes people’s preconceptions of what the Superdry brand is. Womenswear is becoming just as strong as the menswear and has an equal part in the business. As we grow the denim side of things, it just enables us to show the whole world the entirety of the line. We’re making 6000 designs a year. So it’s just a perfect showplace for the brand.

7.

You sell in over 100 countries.

What country has the highest potential in your opinion?

JH: There’s so much potential all around the world. Even in our home territory of the United Kingdom there is a lot of potential in womenswear and denim, so there are always opportunities.

8.

Is Germany an important market for you?

JD: Yes, definitely. Germany, France and Benelux are the most important markets for us at the moment.

9.

What are the plans for the next ten years?

JH: In ten years? Oh, that’s hard to say. We don’t think in such timeframes.

10.

Or let’s say in one year?

JD: We want to continue developing worldwide, in the same way that we have developed in London. The goal is to emulate the success that we have in ­Britain and everywhere else.

Which is happening.

15 t h A n n i v e rs A ry e d i t i o n

J’N’C MagaziNe — tHe MagaziNe For JeaNsWear aNd CoNteMPorary FasHioN — is CeleBratiNg its 15tH aNNiversary WitH aN aNNiversary editioN oN 8tH July.

When birthdays and anniversaries come around, it’s time to take a look back and celebrate the achievements of the brands, brains and people that surround us, as well as those of our own magazine. We’re celebrating our way, with a new glossy and oversized format and you are invited to join in.

J’N’C MagaziNe „aNNiversary editioN“ Publishing date: 15th July, Booking deadline: 30th May Book your aNNiversary ad! special distribution at all relevant european trade shows!

www.jnc-net.de

unuetzer.com +49 89 255427-49

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09.04.14 11:19