AIFW BLOG

EnD and the New Romantics

Some last words and details: Dear readers, although Fashion Week has come to an end already, there were some texts and photos missing thanks to the infamous Fashion Flu (hitting not only yours truly but also designer Antoine Peters, stylist Susi Sommers and many more). So for those in desperate need of some more Fashion Information: here we are!

The warm voice of Sky Radio’s Jan van Veen was the interlude to the show of Eva and Delia.

Sky Radio is, next to one of the most popular FM stations in The Netherlands, considered to be somewhat kitsch. A smile on the faces of those seated in front row made it quite clear that the hip and fabulous all once omitted the sin of listening to sky radio.

 

The designer duo EnD obviously had loads fun creating the right atmosphere for their new collection. The romantic feeling was used not only for the collection, but also with regard to lighting, music and a real work of pulp fiction that was included in the goodie bag.  

The result was a well-balanced collection with soft ruffles, pink tones and still the duo succeeded in preserving their streetwise signature.

 

All good things must come to an end

01:30 AM - The catwalk is empty and cleaners start on what is going to be a very long night for them. In the meantime, the party continues next door, where designers, models and organizers of Fashion Week are celebrating this amazing week.

There is one thing everyone agrees on: Fashion Week is an event that Amsterdam was in need of. "It brings glamour back to Holland", said visitor Monique happily. "It is also a great opportunity for upcoming designers to exhibit their work to a large audience", like designer Michael Barnaart van Bergen experienced himself this week.

On behalf of all the bloggers, we hope you enjoyed reading about our adventures at Fashion Week. We had the time of our lives during the last two days and hopefully we will meet you at Fashion Week; maybe as visitors or maybe you will even meet us as designers!

Greetings!!

Daryl van Wouw

 Our view at Daryl van Wouw´s show.

The grande finale of fashion week was the show of the Dutch fashion industry’s darling, Daryl van Wouw. We had already heard rumours about special make-up designs and an exotic, China inspired collection and were all excited about the show.

 

Apparently, we weren’t the only ones who wanted to see Daryl’s collection. It took over half an hour, before most of the people had got inside the room, where the collection was supposed to be shown. In the end, we also got in, and noticed that indeed, this show was inspired by China – in its over crowdedness! We were standing right next to the doors with tens of other people, desperately trying to see over the heads of the others. Even heels didn’t help us to see the runway, and for the first time in our lives, we were mad at ourselves for not carrying ladders in our bags.

All we can say about the show is that music sounded good and…well, that’s it.

But this story got a happy ending called Tony Newitt, a photographer who had been to the show and had beautiful pictures of the catwalk. After hearing a sad story about the poor little bloggers, he kindly offered to give some of his photos to our use. Thank you Tony!

Daryl after the show

C'est Brilliant!

From the beginning till the end, this fashion show was different than all the others we have seen. It began with a live music performance, after which a model came through a paper wall and started the show. 

The first collection to show was the one of Olive Peoples and Malou Sebastian. It was all about artistic looks with light fabrics layered on top of each other in a loose silhouette. 

Almost the minute the pieces of this collection had been presented, the other collection came in. It was introduced by two half naked guys, who we and the rest of the audience applauded with whistles. The next collection was Anne Et Valentin & Cross Colours. It consisted of futuristic streetwear accompanied with spacy sun glasses. This collection stood out for its funky designs, and was sure to get the attention of all the youngsters of the audience.

After a paying a visit to the future of street style, the half naked guys were back in the game revealing a sign with the name of the next collection: Sama Summum. Compared to the rest of the collections, Sama Summum was a more commercial one. The pieces of clothing could easily be worn by many people. It was like a big sister to the rest of the collections, giving the show also a more serious edge.

Fourth in a row was a collection “Carrera & Ray-Ban, Nieuw Jurk”. This show definitely stole our attention with its funky, geometrical shapes and untypical materials. The designs were extravagant and showed a variety of inspiration. The designer might have been influenced by circus, as one of the models was wearing a design with a clownish silhouette and the other one had ears of a donkey.

Last but not least came a collection with models wearing designs made of paper, plastic and other experimental materials. It made us think of André Courrèges and his work from the 60s. Stiff shapes of the dresses created an interesting contrast to the fragile character of thin paper used in trousers.

 

After the last collection, all the designers came to the runway and brought not only some of the models, but also two huge mascots with them. Everybody was amused by C’est Brilliant’s performance, and that’s what we call a successful show! No-one even remembered to miss the half-naked guys. 

After the show, we ran into Michael Barnaart Van Bergen, who showed his collection yesterday. He described the show of C’est Brilliant as colourful and was pleased to have seen something from the new young talents such as the designers of these five collections.

In the meantime, backstage

Waiting for the show to begin..

Philip Riches                                                            Karin Swerink

Interview: Clayton Leslie, make-up artist of Maybelline

The lights turn off and spotlights on. Music starts playing as the models stride down the catwalk in the rhythm of strong bass sounds. We see new looks and original designs pulled together by beautiful hair and perfect make-up. It’s an eye candy that lasts for a while, and then it’s gone: the runway is empty and the showpieces have disappeared behind the scenes.

 Even though the catwalk shows get all the attention, they are only a fragment of what is going on around fashion collections. Backstage, there is a whole new world that is the power behind the shows. You’ll find tens of models sitting on chairs in front of mirrors, having hairdressers fussing around and somebody putting more make-up on them. This is where the people who are not seen on the catwalk come in; people like Leslie Clayton, the beholder of the power of lipstick, eye-liner and mascara.

Clayton Leslie is the official make-up artist of Fashion Week. While hanging out in the backstage area between the shows, he had time to tell us about his work.

“In addition to fashion shows, I work for magazines. I also give lessons for make-up courses.”

What kind of style do you have as a make-up artist?

“I have two styles: one is very natural and the other one more extravagant. Sometimes, it’s difficult to find a balance between them.”

Do you follow trends?

“I do follow the trends to a certain point, but when working for designers, their style is more important than trends.”

What about the collaboration? Isn’t it difficult to find the right way to go and compromise, when both you and the designers have your own visions?

“Well, I always discuss about the concept together with the designers. Sometimes, I disagree with them, but we have to find a solution that pleases both of us. You know, in the end it’s the concept that is the most important thing. I also do research before hands about the designers in order to find out as much as possible about them.”

 

 

 

Crazy, Sexy, Cool!

Some of the most inspiring outfits at fashion week weren’t the ones we saw on the catwalk. Here are some of the craziest, sexiest and coolest outfits we found parading the hallways and engulfing the bar.

 

     

      

 

POSTED BY SABA AND HOLLY

DAITE by Tessa Koops

Once the neon colours of the 80s and the hippie style of the 60s crashed, the collection of Tessa Koops’s was born.

Daite by Tessa Koops was a fusion of influences. The girls from flower fields were wearing dresses in all the prints possible: the collection didn’t miss checks, floral patterns nor did it lack fluorescent colours. Even wild leopard prints in pink made it to the runway, and the audience was clapping. Obviously, the bright colours dazed everybody - even to the point where we started to regret leaving our sunglasses home.

 

After the show, we asked what a young lady standing behind us thought about the collection. “I loved it, the fabrics and everything. Some of the colours were really bright: if you were skiing in the Alps, you would definitely stand out wearing the coats of this collection,” she said laughing. “But I really liked the show, also the music was very good.”

 

Getting ready for DAITE by Tessa Koops