Charity bag by Bas Kosters

Since I intern at Mada van Gaans, I see Bas Kosters very often. He and his employees/interns were working very very hard the last couple of weeks. I got curious, what were they doing?

Turns out, they were working on a Charity bag for Hippas. 100% handmade and with so much care, I can reassure you, this bag is made with lots of love. Only 100 of them are available for just 100 euros. The money goes straight to charity. I want one! How about you?

Get yours tomorrow at 10.00h Dutch time at Hippas.nl.

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Exhibition: The Hoerengracht

Last week I visited an exhibition called The Hoerengracht in the Amsterdams Historisch Museum. It’s about prostitution all around the world.

The exhibition, initiated by Edward and Nancy Kienholz has been exhibited all over the world, and now there is a chance to see it in Amsterdam. The exhibition starts with paper mache dolls, behind the windows, dressed in lingerie.

There are also some very intriguing photography about prostitues. At the end of the exhibition (my favorite part) were three outfits by the Dutch designers Mada van Gaans, Bas Kosters and EnD. On the wall, there was a sort of vending machine with rings in it, in stead of food. Above the machine it said ‘be nice to a girl, buy here a ring.’

The exhibition closes with a production by Lidewij Edelkoort. Photographs and images put into a film.

All in all, a very intriguing exhibition about the taboos on prostitution. You can find more information about the exhibition on their website. It can be visited untill the end of August 2010.

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In the Spotlight: Bas Kosters freedom collection

In the spotlight: The Freedom collection by Dutch designer Bas Kosters. ‘The Freedom collection consists of two parts. The first part tells a story about the freedom, fantasies and joy that people experience during their childhood. The second part illustrates the grown up view on a world where we try to forget about the wars, violence and crisis, by dressing up ourselves in glamorous outfits.’ as it says on the website of Bas. See for yourself!

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Love from London – day 3

Day three of my report on assisting Mada van Gaans in London, translated from ELLE.nl

DAY 3
The final day of the Pop Up Space has come. Bas Kosters, Mada van Gaans and Mark ter Berg (Dutch Fashion Foundation) visited al sorts of company’s today. Unfortunately, Bas Kosters left this afternoon. After waving him goodbye, it was time for hard work. Getting inspiration in the big city of London, visiting department stores like Liberty and Selfridges and some appointments. 

In the afternoon we were honored with a visit by a London PR agency which represents lots of international topdesigners. At half past four, everybody was back in the store’s to make it a beautiful night.

HIPSTERS & TRANSVESTITES

All dressed up we were ready to welcome all the interested (and interesting) London folks. The Pop Up Space was filled with fashion-loving people. Press, photographers, stylists and St. Martins teachers: it was quite something.

The evening was ended by visiting Soho, where the streets were filled with hipsters and transvestites. After a couple of drinks it was time to go back to the hotel. The next that was going to be a busy one. Research, appointments and tapering the gallery.

Unfortunately, we are leaving again tomorrow. Back to Holland. Gosh, we will miss the fashionable, sparkling and polite London.

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Love, from London – part two

Day 2 of my report from London during London Fashion Week 2010

DAY 2
Almost the entire day was spend in the gallery along with Mada van Gaans, Bas Kosters, Non by Kim and employees of the Dutch Fashion Foundation. The rainy weather did not stop us from exploring the well known Dover Street Market at the end of the day. Little did we know, that Dover Street Market was not that known by the folks on the streets, which made it a little harder to find.  Nevertheless, we were unstoppable.  

WINDOW SHOPPING
We were asthonished by the beautiful shops at Bondstreet (Mulberry! Miu Miu! Chanel!) and got overexited by the beautiful windows. Dover Street Market was a pleasure for the eye aswell. The beautiful garments by Comme des Garçons, Peter Pilotto, Azzedine Alaia, Hussein Chalayan and Lanvin in combination with the explicit shoes by Pierre Hardy got our creative minds work.  

VINTAGE
When in London, you can’t go without at least one visit to a vintage store. Tired of strolling around through the rain, we took a cab to Brick Lane: a street filled with vintage shops and all sorts of cute restaurants and bars. And not just that, there were also lots of boutiques with a special range of diversity of labels like Margiela, Balenciage and more.  

DINNERTIME
Of course, we enjoyed a typical English meal once again (pizza…) we got into a biological Italian restaurant that was a interiour shop aswell. Along with the Dutch designers we enjoyed our very tasty light pizza. Mmm! 

BEDTIME
All in all: a day in sign of research. Fabrics, labels, windows and stores where Dutch design would fit well!

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Love, from London

So, I’ve been so busy this week. I was in London, assisting the Dutch designer Mada van Gaans during London Fashion Week. I reported for ELLE.nl, I have translated it for you! Enjoy!

Mada van Gaans and other Dutch designers are showing their fashion during London Fashion Week in a Dutch Cultural Pop-up Space. 

DUTCH CULTURAL POP-UP SPACE
In the centre of London (Riding House street 40/42) is a space especially for Dutch designers Mada van Gaans, Bas Kosters, Iris van Herpen, EnD, Conny Groenewegen and Non by Kim. After a couple of hours building up the gallery – and a visit by Iris van Herpen who showed her collection on saturdaynight – de space is completely transformed to a chic showroom filled with designs from Holland. The windows are amazing. 

NOW THAT WE ARE HERE….
It is a must to explore the city. Especially when you see all the creative, fashionable types that seem to have taken over the city. From extraordinaire facial decoration to the coolest undergroundpeople covered in piercings: it is very visible that there is a fashionfeast going on in town.

Mada notices the love for leg-fashion in London, people show their legs in such a sophisticated way. Besides that, the gallant nature of the men is a pleasure. Allready two gentlemen have offered to carry our bags. When will these guys visit Holland?!

FASHION WEEK
Around the area of London Fashion Week (SummerSetHouse) is so much going on. Expositions, fashion exhibitions and an unusual amount of talented designers showing their designs in a ‘pass-only’ area. We even ran in to Diane  – Black Widow of Fashion – Pernet, and after Bas Kosters en Mada van Gaans chatting with her, we saw all that talent that showed in here.

To our surprise we saw a exact kopy of a Fong Leng golden ruffles pants at a designer, which name I shall not name. Outside there are lots of people ready with their SLR camera’s, ready to shoot all those fashionable people.

LONDEN BY NIGHT
After enjoying a typical English meal – eh.. Thai – we grab a cab and go to East-West London for an underground bar/café. It’s filled with tiny paintings, a moving horse head, walldecorations, garden gnomes and the toilet is a true photo-exhibition about fashionable London. The music is a great mix of 80’s music and poprock, and tout fashionable London sings a long.

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Artbags – Bas Kosters ♥

Every year I buy an artbag. Last year I bought the one of Jan Taminiau. This year one of my favorite Dutch designers designed one, Bas Kosters!

The Art Bags only cost you 5 euro and supports the Stop Aids Now fund. The bags are available from the 24st of November. My opinion? Go get them! Buy them for yourself, for a friend, for your mom… The bag is fantastic, it’s by Bas Kosters, it’s very cheap ánd if you use it for shopping it’ll save the use of plastic bags.

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Sjaak Hullekes winner Dutch Fashion Awards 09

Congratulations Sjaak Hullekes! He is the winner of the Dutch Fashion Awards 2009 for having the most chance of international succes! His man collection Dany was loved by the judges.

My alltime favorite Bas Kosters also got an award. He won the Dutch Incubator Award (go Bas!) and Iris van Herpen was the winner of the Dutch Fashion Media Award. Congratulations to all. Don’t forget: Hollands fashion talent is enormous!

Picture by DutchFashionAwards

Sjaak Hullekes collection Dany

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