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.
Big fashion cities have Vogue Shopping Night Out.
Here in The Hague, an international fashion city in the making, we have to content with just the Shopping Night
Unfortunately this time I could not go out and see what was going on in the city centre where all the activities were concentrated, but John of the Hollywood to Holland kept me updated and wrote a great review. You can read it here
As John pointed out the night attracted big crowds of people but was not on the level of the previous two editions. Well, with all the construction going on it is little wonder.
Courtesy DenHaag FM
The retail landscape in The Hague is a charming store richer. Sjaak Hullekes menswear is now officially open in Denneweg. What started as a temporary outlet for the Residence de la Mode last December is now a full-fledged boutique with a complete range including separates, suits, underwear and some accessories.
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 pages filled with meetings and appointments. More appointments, more deadlines…
Am I turning into some robotic performance machine? The inner voice was questioning. And that inner voice sounded annoyingly disappointed. In me and my pronouncements about cherishing the beauty of spontaneous moments, and following your heart, and … more of the kind. I had to prove him wrong. On the spur of the moment I decided that I needed a break and Antwerp would make a perfect destination.
Why Antwerp? It has always been on my wish list of cities to visit but I could never make time. So now I made time. Friday morning an hour and half on the train and there I was. In Antwerp.
‘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.