My latest contribution for the ACCESS magazine, The Hague based expat publication They say fashion is a cultural barometer of our times. It gauges the zeitgeist of an epoch. In the 60-s, for example, the mini skirt and the … Continue reading →
With the advent of sunny days in The Hague gardening enthusiasts rush to their gardens and flower watchers get on their bikes to admire the blossoming bulbs: tulips, hyacinths, daffodils. Planted in orderly strips when in bloom they form a luscious carpet of vivid colours.
It seems that the fashion world got caught up in the flower garden as well. Check this season’s fashions, floral patterns bloom on everything: tops, bottoms, accessories. And not for ladies only! Menswear collections display an impressive assortment of floral delights.
Continue reading →Christian Dior, The New Look Christian Dior’s parents wanted him to be a diplomat, but he dreamt of art and fashion. With a lot of persuasion and some help from his father he managed to start an art gallery. … Continue reading →
Grote Markt, Antwerpen Well into my second year in The Hague where everything is planned weeks in advance, even meeting friends, I start getting afraid of losing spontaneity. Two weeks ago I opened my agenda and saw nothing but … Continue reading →
‘There’s too much of Dutch fashion shown everywhere, but, alas, very little sold’ says Laura van Erkelens, founder of Fashion NL, an independent online and offline platform for promoting Dutch fashion.
A passionate champion of local talent van Erkelens is as committed to the Dutch fashion cause as they come. It all started during her student days at the Utrecht School of Visual Arts and Design when she worked on her graduation paper researching Dutch fashion identity and its perception internationally. Well, the conclusion of that research was not encouraging—the overall awareness of Dutch fashion was quite low. Ironically not only abroad but also in the Netherlands.
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