blog team
ABOUT LAURA POSDZIECH
Laura Posdziech moved to Amsterdam to work at Zoo Magazine after graduating from fashion studies in Berlin. She recalls being shocked by the comparatively early closing hours in her new hometown. But eventually, she got used to the more “relaxed” lifestyle of the Dutch, and gave up her search for ‘Spätis,’ the late night shops of Berlin.
Laura recently worked with Zoo Magazine and Premsela, the Netherlands Institute for Design and Fashion, on Basic Instincts, an exhibition showcasing Dutch creative culture and its multidisciplinary character. Along with Zoo Magazine's creative team, she developed the digital museum brochure, which will be available as an iPad app, and the Basic Instincts newspaper. The exhibition will show at Villa Elisabeth in Berlin from July 1 to 31, before going on tour in Asia to spread the essence of Dutch creative culture internationally.
A short interview with Dutch stylist Majid Karrouch
There is no doubt that the 28-year-old Majid Karrouch is into fashion. It is clearly recognizable in the moment you see him. But instead of being the exemplary fashionista, he stands out for his distinctive style. And it is exactly that what makes not only himself so special, but also his work as a stylist. Magazines such as Zoo Magazine, L’Officiel Hommes NL, Indie and labels like Louis Vuitton draw on it.
You are working for different clients, which are as varied as the results that you are individually developing for them. What does fashion mean for you; is it about following the latest trends or finding an own style that is modifiable with the looks of the different seasons?
My starting point has never been fashion. In the process of developing my concept, I start asking myself: “What would this person wear?” Or, “What story do I want to tell?” I’m not a stylist implementing trends. I actually don’t even know much about it. For me, fashion is an accessory that vivid my stories.
Is there then a certain style that you are already following for years?
Shirts with condensed collars.
And one that you rigorously dissent from?
I really don’t like broad collars. They make the neck less elegant.
Do you have a personal “fashion”-addiction?
I’m a big fan of printed suits. Almost all my suits have a print. I think prints make suits less dull but playful instead. I’ve the feeling that people tend to dress more and more pale. Of course, trends on catwalks aren’t especially the trends that you see on the streets. Lots of catwalk trends are too extreme for the regular daily life. But colors or prints, can be a simple step to make daily life more fashionable.
Did you already buy a piece of clothing from a spring / summer 2012 collection?
I proudly got myself a nice double breasted suit with vertical stripes in light blue and white. It is from Hugo Boss and I can’t wait to wear it!
Majid Karrouch is represented by Manja Otten X Cake.
Anton Corbijn
At least since photographer Anton Corbijn is in charge of the advertising camapaigns of jeans brand G-Star, the Dutchman is back on the map: his distinctive black and white images decorate our inner cities. Being a filmmaker as well, Corbijn renownedly gives fascinating insights into singular personalities in moving images and steady portraits. Apart from striking photographs of true music legends such as Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith or Tom Waits, who have always fascinated Corbijn, the photographer has focussed in his recent work on modern personifications of artistic inspiration such as Marlene Dumas, Gilbert & George or Jeff Koons. He made Kate Moss waer a mask that creates a paradox. While it destroys the models persona created by the media and calls attention to the real person rather than the construct, it also works as a symbol for the interplay between the sacrifice of privacy and its protection. His 2007 movie “Control” depicts the life of Ian Curtis as a family man and a musician of the band “Joy Division.” As opposed to this, his latest movie “Inside Out” zeros in on himself.
Damn him, Henrik Vibskov!
Yes, it has been said a lot about Henrik Vibskov. Most often described as multi-talented and multidisciplinary, he is multi-prominent and -present as well. Just recently, fellow blogger Nisse Benhaddaoui wrote about his collection. Without a question, Henrik Vibskov is a fashion designer, whereas he describes himself as “a tour guide in a kindergarten.” 18th-century English painter Thomas Gainsborough once famously said of his competitor Joshua Reynolds, “Damn him, how various he is!” 21st-century designer Henrik Vibskov could provoke similar bursts of envy among his own peers. While the multi-talented Dane is indeed best known for his eponymous fashion label, he is also a fine artist and a musician: he is the drummer of electronic band Trentemøller and exhibits worldwide in museums and galleries.
2012 is an important year for Henrik Vibskov: he celebrates the first decade of his career . Honoring his legacy, Gestalten will release a book documenting his work and playful mind. The according video by Gestalten TV is already on view. Both mainly focussing on his fashion, it is Cologne-based Ruttkowski;68 gallery that investigates his artwork. Namely Ruttkowski;68 Vibskovski;72, the current exhibition (April 13th – May 20th, 2012) is a retrospective. Next to early works, there are also new sculptures on view that Vibskov made exclusively for Ruttkowski;68.
A 2001 graduate of London’s renowned Central Saint Martins, Vibskov takes an individual approach when it comes to art. What initially appears childlike, spontaneous and carefree is in fact thoroughly elaborated. Vibskov expects his viewers to be jaded, self-aware and savvy, and his artworks question their prevailing assumptions. ‘Panda People,’ his 2009 work, shows the endangered animal as a cuddly creature, but it could also serve as a warning against their extinction, and possibly – as the title intimates – the end of mankind itself. Vibskov’s drawings and installations reveal mesmerizing universes and sets of logic. Going beyond postmodernism, they could even be classified as metamodernism.
Ruttkowski;68 Vibskovski;72
April 13th – May 20th, 2012
Gallery Ruttkowski,68
Bismarckstrasse 68
59672 Cologne
Germany
Iris van Herpen
Whilst the exhibition Azzedine Alaïa in the 21st Century in the Groninger Museum is counting its last days, the new show has just been put on display. Iris van Herpen is the first solo exhibition of the same-named Dutch fashion designer, who started her own fashion label in 2007.
As if the development of the career of 28-year-old Van Herpen was not remarkable enough, it is striking that there is already a retrospective of her work. Next to designs of her early days, the Groninger Musuem shows her recent works as well. The juxtaposition of the first collections such as Radiation Invasion and the very latest such as Capriole and Micro, consequently reveal her outstanding way of working.
Iris van Herpen, who graduated from ArtEZ Institute of the Arts and did an internship with Alexander McQueen, combines traditional craftsmanship with latest technical innovations. As heritage and in this vein craftsmanship play a major role in fashion today, her concept doesn’t sound that unique. What is distinctive though is her approach. She thinks out of the box and doesn’t shy away from renewals that have nothing to do with fashion design in the first place. This is why she makes use of laser cutting which has actually been invented for the autobmobile industry. Her designs are innovative, exceptional, still beautiful but unwearable in everyday life.
Is it this why there are more museums than shops carrying Iris van Herpen?
March 24th – September 29th, 2012
Groninger Museum
Museumeiland 1
9711 ME Groningen
www.groningermuseum.nl
www.irisvanherpen.com
Palladium’s traditional blanc
In these days, the term heritage is that widespread and self-evidently used that we don’t even think about the expression’s meaning anymore. It is hence a good thing that others undertake this. Especially within fashion, it seems to be a common trend to connote heritage. Resultingly it is more often about jumping on the bandwagon than seriously carrying, far less inhering heritage.
As opposed to this, the boot brand Palladium is a positive example. Already existing since 1920, the French label indeed ingrains a legacy.
Proofing this anew each season, Palladium has just launched its Spring 2012 collection named Blanc. It contains their signature canvas in bright athletic colors, such as rio red, kelly green and indigo, with the classic Palladium rubber outsole in white.
Showing its origin in the past, Palladium concurrently brings its future-orientated attitude to display. In conjunction with the launch, the brand has released a film series which highlights the new collection through Palladium’s ‘urban exploring’ lens. The three-part series, entitled Streets in Focus, will showcase three young photographers as they offer firsthand insight on their craft and the hidden terrain that inspires them within their home cities.
The first film highlights fashion photographer Josh Gordon as he gathers the latest trends in fashion, art and music from London locales. The second film follows New York photographer Awo l Erizku as he discusses creative inspiration within his South Bronx neighborhood and the third film features photographer Manuela Costa Lima dissects the unknown spaces of Sao Paulo, Brazil through her innovative lens.
http://www.palladiumboots.nl/
Superbodies
There is no real reason that that takes us to Hasselt, Belgium. Well, there are a few sights, but their attraction leave a lot be desired if there was not the Fashion Museum Hasselt that currently shows SuperBodies.
In spite of its name, SuperBodies is not an exhibition about super-bodies and super-people. On the contrary, it is actually about just regular bodies. Because even though bodies are not all that extraordinary or perfect, they do wonderful things—they are, in fact, wonderful machines.
SuperBodies explores thus the fascination of many artists and designers for the way in which our body secretly moulds and shapes our experiences. The exhibition presents the body in all of its often half-conscious operations. A large, interactive ensemble of works from visual artists, choreographers and (fashion-) designers makes us see and feel the body as the source of our thoughts and emotions. Upcoming and internationally established artists and designers operate on the boundaries between disciplines to unravel the mysteries of the body.
Amongst others, participating artists are Martin Margiela (1957, BE), Naomi Filmer (1969, GB), Junya Watanabe (1961, JP) and Christoph De Boeck (1972, BE).
February 4th – May 27th,
2012
Modemuseum Hasselt
Gasthuisstraat 11
3500 Hasselt
Belgium
http://www.superbodies.be/
Dutch Invasion
When walking through Cologne’s so famous and vibrant district “Belgisches Viertel” in the beginning of this week, my attention got caught by an overwhelming, let’s even call it an overloaded, wallpaper. I stopped and looked through the big window when a guy inside just covered the last piece of a white wall with this catchy pattern. Scrutinizing concentratedly, I recognized one square next to the other, each showing stereotypes such as women in twinsets and nuns in their typical robe. Obviously showing interest, the guy informed me that this is part of the exhibition Exactitudes displaying the same-named long-term photo project by photographer Ari Versluis and profiler Ellie Uyttenbroek.
Since 2004, they have systematically documented social groups and their appearance. Each of their series is strictly structured and shows twelve similar persons, visually reminding of the works of Bernd and Hilla Becher. Some of the groups belong to subcultures, others don’t, yet they all share a characteristic dress code and usually the same poses.
Questioning the connection between fashion and art, Exactitudes epitomes that the two disciplines are indeed linked to each other. Not only in theory by some professionals, but also in everyday life: by us choosing for a certain appearance and Ari and Ellie documenting it and bringing it into gallery and museum spaces. Furthermore, the show is a reflection on society mirroring an image that sometimes causes a smirk but can also create a dispirited feeling.
Starting on the 3rd of February, the exhibition is showcased at Gallery Ruttkowski;68. Until the 18th of March.
VOO: A vision as rigid as steel
Although a year and a half has passed since it opened, it seems like only yesterday when an abandoned factory behind the famous Oranienstr. 24 in Berlin-Kreuzberg became a retail store. Located next to countless other shops in the German capital, VOO still stands out as a something special. Described as a concept store, it really started out as little more than a concept, when owner Yasin Müjdeci and his right-hand man Herbert Hoffman took delivery of the keys that opened the site’s steel door.
It was a mild summer evening when Müjdeci turned the lock and entered the dark, dusty space. Only a wooden table, two chairs and a few bottles of Coca Cola gave any clue that people had been there before. Regarding the 300 square meters before him, Müjdeci had this thought: “I know this is not the typical shopping area, and being hidden in a backyard, it is not the perfect location. But it means something to me as I am living and working here. And why do people from Berlin-Kreuzberg need to go to Berlin-Mitte to be in a nice shop? I want to concentrate on this area as I believe in its potential.” And did he ever fulfill it…
Today, VOO is known as much for its interior design as for its secret location. The goods displayed go far beyond what can initially be glimpsed: an assortment of everyday items including books, magazines, home accessories, clothing, jewelry, coffee and jam. Müjdeci says the selection is not meant to focus on fashion, but rather, serve as an overview of all the good things that embellish life. And in that vein, VOO is not only a store but a meeting point for different creative types as well. “We organize concerts, exhibitions and try to interact with our customers,” says Müjdeci.
VOO
Oranienstr. 24
10999 Berlin
Germany
Opening hours:
Mon – Thu: 11:00 – 20:00
Fri – Sat: 11:00 – 21:00
BASIC INSTINCTS
Instead of struggling for words, I will soon have a visual explanation for people who ask me to assess “Dutchness” as a foreigner from Germany. Of course, I am not that foreign, given that Germany and the Netherlands are quite close geographically. Still, until I began working on Basic Instincts, I would have found it difficult to describe the Dutch mentality. Featuring more than 50 artists across various disciplines including fashion design, fine art, product design, photography and architecture, Basic Instincts reflects the diversity of Holland’s creative culture. ‘We Share Air’ is therefore not just the title of a work by participating artist Navid Nuur. It is an apt description of the concept behind the exhibition itself.
Basic Instincts is divided not into different disciplines so much as themed into ‘landscapes’ that are named after pivotal aspects of Dutch creativity. A fashion designer, an architect and a fine artist are showcased together in one room to demonstrate how their work relates to one another, thus symbolizing the sharing of air.
For instance, fashion designer Iris van Herpen is appropriately situated in Slow Forward with product designers BCXSY, Jo Meesters, and Doepel Strijkers Architects. Her presence reflects the paradox between the avant-garde and craftsmanship.
Luca Marchetti and Emanuele Quinz – mosign – artistic curation
José Klap and Sandor Lubbe – Zoo Magazine– creative direction
Henrik Vibskov – exhibition design
Premsela
