Protesters in Istanbul, photo courtesy Guardian
While their peers in Istanbul and Cairo are mastering the ABC of political protests, the young boys of Amsterdam indulge in arts-y pursuits lounging languorously in hip hotel suites: playing the cello, reading sheet music, sketching and contemplating.
‘There is 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.