On Saturday the 19th and Sunday the 20th of January, Amsterdam experienced its first edition of ‘Fashion Weekend’. The freely accessible public event was organized by Amsterdam Fashion Week, in collaboration with shopkeepers, hotels, restaurants, cafés and museums.
Over 80 small scale activities drew thousands of fashion lovers to the Museum Square, the PC Hooftstraat, the Van Baerlestraat, the Beethovenstraat and the Cornelis Schuytstraat in the Fashion & Museum District in Amsterdam-South.
Fashion Weekend was started on Friday the 18th of January in a packed night club AIR with ‘CELEBRATE’, where aficionados celebrated the feast of fashion. They were treated to a sneak-peek of what the coming week has to offer through unique connections between fashion and music.
When dusk fell on Saturday the 19th of January, the public enjoyed ‘Models on Ice’ in the applicable freezing cold. The ice rink on Museum Square was transformed into a catwalk where Elise Littooij, Valeria Creations and sisters Hakima & Layla Ezzimousa, accompanied by a collective of figure skaters, showed their beautiful collections.
Moreover, six pop-up catwalk shows resulted in an unusual and unexpected fashion-treat. Spontaneous shows were cared for by the Utrecht School of the Arts (on invitation by Amsterdam Fashion Week), the Willem de Kooning Academy and ‘O My Bag’ and ‘KISS and TELL’ (both made possible by Grand Marnier), among others. L'Oréal Professionnel, Pierôt Coiffures and Inglot Cosmetics provided the Pop Up Backstage.
Throughout the Fashion & Museum District, numerous entrepreneurs together provided for a creative and diverse Fashion Weekend, which catered to many tastes: At JeSse Jewelry, visitors were treated to an insight in the art of making jewelry with natural materials, while Hampshire Hotel Beethoven opened its doors for an exposition by Dutch-Afghan designer Zohra Murad. At ‘Sorel’s Fashion Swap Event’ in the Marriott Hotel, high-end fashion pieces changed owners and for a dress entirely made out of discarded toys, visitors were directed to children’s fashion store De Kinderkleding Winkel.
Internationally renowned Dutch fashion illustrator Piet Paris painted the windows of the Van Baerle Shopping, for which he received plenty of admiration.
Up and until Sunday the 27th of January, the public may visit many more fashion events throughout Amsterdam.
Today, the 23rd of January iNDiViDUALS and The People of the Labyrinths will open the catwalk programme of Amsterdam Fashion Week in the Gashouder-building on the Westergasfabriek-grounds. All shows through Sunday the 27th of January be watched ‘live’ via
www.amsterdamfashionweek.com.
Amsterdam Fashion Week will this edition for the first time host a spectacular closing party. On the party ‘SALUTE’, that will take place on Sunday the 27th of January in the Transformatorhuis on the Westergasfabriek-grounds, all the beauty of the past week will be celebrated. The line-up of artists: Kypski & Matangi Quartet, Full Crate, Covergirl Sunny and poetess Ellen Deckwitz.
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Photo courtesy of Amsterdam Fashion Week |