Get ready for Fashion for Good Experience

Working for many years in the fashion industry I was shocked by reading a post by Heidy Rehman about the fashion industry. She claims that the fashion industry is the world's second most polluting industry, after oil. 25% of the world's chemicals are used for textile production. Around 10% of the world's global carbon emissions result from the apparel & textile industry. The textile industry uses more water than any other industry apart from agriculture.

So it is time to make a change! I can make a change by using more often my clothes and by buying sustainable clothing. But I admit sometimes I am seduced by a trendy fashionable item and at that moment I don't think about anything anymore I just want to have it!

It helps to be conscious but the fashion industry itself has to look also how to improve themselves. So I enjoyed reading about Fashion for Good™. It is a global platform for innovation, made possible through collaboration and community.

The C&A Foundation is one of the initiators of Fashion for Good™. It enables the daring invention and widespread adoption of good fashion practice with ‘The Five Goods’: Good Materials, Good Economy, Good Energy, Good Water and Good Lives.

The Five Goods represent an aspirational framework we can all use to work towards a world in which we do not simply take, make, waste, but rather take, make, renew, restore. 

William McDonough, co-founder, Fashion for Good

With an initial grant by founding partner C&A Foundation and an open invitation to the entire apparel industry to join, Fashion for Good convenes brands, producers, retailers, suppliers, non-profit organisations, innovators and funders united in their shared ambition.

For us, as customers, we can be more conscious and the Fashion for Good Experience in Amsterdam will help us! The opening will be in the first week of October.
The Experience will be an interactive technology-driven museum focusing on sustainable and circular fashion and innovation.
The museum aims to change the hearts and minds of visitors by helping them discover the stories behind their clothes, learn how they can take action and explore how they can have an impact on both an industry and international level.
The museum will challenge guests to not only appreciate the aesthetics of fashion, but to actively contribute to making fashion good. Through a digital and personalised journey, visitors can learn about the history of good fashion, discover more sustainable products and explore future fashion innovations.

One of the key exhibits in the museum is an Innovation Lounge where guests can discover over 50 amazing innovators who are about to disrupt the fashion industry. This space answers questions like:

• How is biodegradable glitter made? 
• Can a dress be made from mushroom roots? 
• How can blockchain technology make the garment production process more transparent? 

During the visit, actions and badges can be collected via an RFID-enabled bracelet, so that visitors are motivated to commit to personal change and positive action in the way they relate to fashion. This will be turned into a personalised digital Good Fashion Action Plan that visitors can take home.

Additionally, the museum will also feature a concept store called The Good Shop where, every three months, a curated capsule collection will be revealed. A mix of international brands and up-and-coming labels will be included, to show visitors what innovations are out there and demonstrate that sustainable fashion can be beautiful at different price points.

The first collection is called “Splash: Rethinking the Role of Water in Fashion” and features innovative pieces from adidas x Parley, Kings of Indigo, ECOALF, Insane in the Rain, Karün and Miss Bay.

As a whole the museum will contain interactive activations that let visitors get creative. In the Design Studio, visitors can design their own Cradle to Cradle Certified™ GOLD T-shirt and print it on demand. Featuring live projections and digital design technology, this maker space will be an immersive area for interacting with the main themes of the Experience.
Visitors can also strike a pose in the Good GIF booth and send it to a visually-striking Impact Cascade installation to demonstrate their commitment.

For more information of Fashion for Good visit the website.

Source: Press Release

Africa Fashion Week in Amsterdam

Africa is trending! It is a beautiful country from north to south with so many cultures and so many influences on fashion. From the colours of nature to the colours of the traditional clothing. So one more reason to organise a special Africa Fashion Week.

Today is the kick off of Africa Fashion Week Amsterdam. It is a 3-day event celebrating African & African inspired fashion, art, culture and rich heritage.

This event targets buyers, retailers, fashion stores, fashion influencers and the public.
AFWA will light up the city of Amsterdam at De Koning with colourful wax prints and art. This event is brought by the Dutch-Cameroonian high-end fashion designer, ambassador and philanthropist Miss Diana Tambe of Shades by Blackpearl.

Africa Fashion Week Amsterdam under the umbrella of the ‘Stichting Africa Fashion Museum’ is aimed at "'the empowerment of African designers, branding African countries as global players in fashion, art and culture’’.
At De Koning is starts at 1:00 p.m. with a press conference. The opportunity to meet and interview participating designers, vendors, creative art, buyers, retailers, fashion professionals and the team behind this event and exciting acts that will be performing.

Tomorrow on Thursday 23rd is the official opening day which will be brought forth by His Excellency Ambassador Isaac Nyenabo, Liberian Ambassador to the Benelux and the Aspiring Governor of Delta State, Nigeria Comrade Sunny Ofehe.
Up&coming designers, and african menswear segment will colour this day.

And Friday 24th is a 'GALA’ day, full of high-fashioned surprises from renown designers such as the dutch/surinamien artist Zyllva Jewelry with an african royalty themed collection, the Ghanian fashion moguls Metakay and Naa Duku who will bring together an exclusive show stopping collection. Shades by Blackpearl will also present its SS2019 African Royalty themed collection bearing a political statement.

Africa Fashion Week promises to be cultural exploration! For more information visit: afcwonline.com

Source: press release AFWA

Wondering about natural products - My visit to Weleda

As I am visiting fashion events I often return home with a goody bag. Most of the times these goody bags contain beauty products. For me to test the new products of several cosmetics companies.  Each company promising eternal youth and beauty.
To be honest when I use brand A or brand B I really don't see any difference. Sometimes I prefer one texture above an other but I don't see any difference in the result.

My attention was attracted by Weleda, they don't claim anything, they just "provide us the wonders of nature". Their mission is to give everyone the experience of extraordinary wellbeing.

So maybe it is time to test some of these 100% natural products. I am lucky to live in Zoetermeer, the headquarter of Weleda Benelux is situated here so by bicycle I can visit this company. Starting the day with a 25 minutes bicycle ride and being environmental-friendly!

The company in Zoetermeer produces mainly medicines but also provide some ingredients for the skincare products as the company is surrounded by a biodynamic garden.

I loved the field of marigolds flowers (Calendula), by only seeing the yellow-orange flowers you already feel great but this flower has also medicinal benefits, especially for the skin.

During my tour I visited the biodynamic garden and the compounding pharmacy and was intrigued by the methods Weleda uses for their products.

After lunch it was time to test some of the face care products of Weleda. First I cleaned my face with a sensitive care cleansing lotion of almond and a warm wash towel, with the smell of rosemary.
As I didn't know which face care to use, I started with two serums. One on the left side of my face and the other on the right side. One of Pomegranate and the other Evening Primrose. I loved the texture of the Evening Primrose serum. My skin 'slurped' it in.

But continuing with the day cream of Evening Primrose on the right it didn't feel good. The texture wasn't right for my skin. But also the Pomegranate day cream wasn't what I expected. Wanda, the beautician, advised me to use the Almond Facial Cream light and it felt great!

Another reason to use the products of Weleda is the idea of 100% natural products. I never used it for a longer period so I will try it for three months and let you know!

The beauty industry is booming. Skin care, make-up, hair care and perfumes, everyone has some products in their closet. Many international companies are promising the world to you but don't forget  the impact on the environment with all these synthetic products. So start by looking at the label of your skin care products and start questioning which ingredients doesn't add anything to your personal health.
Natrue, a non-profit association is committed to promote and protect natural and organic cosmetics to the benefit of consumers worldwide. So maybe start to look for their logo.

But I am still wondering about the benefits of natural products. If it is so much better for our health why is not everyone using it? Or why the beauty industry is not only using natural products? As it seems better for our skin, our health but also for nature in general.

So whatever product you use, let us never forget that natural beauty comes from within.
So beauty starts with inner work! I totally agree with Jayn Sterland, managing director of Weleda UK on this.

More photos of my visit and a review in dutch at my website.

Viktor & Rolf - 25 years @ Kunsthal Rotterdam

Whenever I think of Viktor & Rolf I think of two dutch creatives, lifting fashion to art. As not every piece of fashion is art, this designer duo is doing a great job. Many items are represented in musea.
For now until the end of September 2018 Kunsthal Rotterdam offers us an overview of 25 years of their work. For me a reason to visit the fashion artists!

With exquisite craftsmanship and dreamy silhouettes, sometimes made from tinkling bells or red carpet, the fashion artists Viktor & Rolf - a real dutch national treasure - have been creating wearable art for the past twenty-five years in the most unique and singular style.

Thierry-Maxime Loriot, curator of the exhibition

By entering the first hall of the exhibition I was impressed by the huge rug, a portrait of Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren and an article of Miles Socha 'Flying Dutchmen' were woven in this rug.

The second room showed the impressive Russian Doll, nine layers of clothing around a single woman. In 1999 Maggie Rizer was their model for this performance and gave them international acknowledge.

As many of their shows are powerful eloquent ‘performances’. As I enjoyed photographing their show  'Wearable art' back in 2016 during Amsterdam Fashion Week.

It was impressive to see all the designs from closeby, my favourites are the Van Gogh Girl and Wearable Art. My hands were itching as I would love to feel the fabrics.

In the exhibition creations from collections such as ‘Bedtime Story’ (2005), ‘The Fashion Show’ (2007), ‘NO’ (2008), ‘Cutting Edge Couture’ (2010), ‘Red Carpet Dressing’ (2014), ‘Wearable Art’ (2015) and ‘Van Gogh Girls’ (2015) can be seen, as well as pieces that have never been shown before from their newest collections, ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’ (2017), ‘Action Dolls’ (2017/18) and ‘Surreal Satin’ (2018).

And the exhibitions is not only for grown ups, as 25 dolls are on display! And a workshop to create your own impressive collar.

I couldn't choose between the masks of Viktor & Rolf so follow my on instagram and let me know which one is your favourite!

Enjoy scrolling down my photo review. But don't miss the exhibition at Kunsthal Rotterdam, it is a great opportunity to see all these designs in front of you.

The exhibition is accompanied by the anniversary publication 'Viktor&Rolf: Fashion Artists 25 Years’, compiled by guest curator Thierry-Maxime Loriot and published by nai010 publishers. The book includes an exclusive recent interview by the curator with the designers, a fascinating glossary of Viktor&Rolf and a rich iconography with images by leading artists and photographers such as Cindy Sherman, Andreas Gursky, Herb Ritts, Anton Corbijn, Mert & Marcus, Annie Leibovitz, David LaChapelle, Tim Walker, Nick Knight and Inez & Vinoodh.

Old Masters meet New Designers: Masterly The Hague

Fifty-five contemporary designers, photographers and artists selected an Old Master as their muse and drew inspiration for a new contemporary design. These designs will be on display in the city center of The Hague in the third week of September 2018.

Three historical buildings near the Hofvijver at Binnenhof (or Inner Court) complex will be open for four days to the public and hosting a festival for old master paintings and Dutch Design: Masterly The Hague. A new cultural event next to the Residence of Dutch Parliament of The Netherlands at Lange Vijverberg.

Frederik Hendrik by Michiel van Mierevelt, the inspiration for Viktor & Rolf (photo by Marijke Aerden)

Old Masters and new Dutch Design 
This combination of new and old generates some surprising insights into the beauty of art.
For example, the haute couture of fashion designers Viktor & Rolf forms a fascinating combination with Frederik Hendrik's armour and his splendid collar, portrayed by Michiel van Mierevelt before he became Prince of Orange in 1625.
Linda Nieuwstad’s gigantic metal flowers refer to the roses in a seventeenth-century portrait by Jurriaen Ovens of Lucia Wybrants, then the wealthiest woman in Amsterdam.
Contemporary artist Lita Cabellut presents a striking painting beside a beautiful historic painting of Amalia van Solms, painted bij Honthorst.

Lucia Wybrants by Jurriaen Ovens, Linda Nieuwstad’s gigantic metal flowers

Four days of celebration
While from 20 to 23 September, these new works by contemporary designers, photographers and artists will be on show alongside their muse, the event also offers an opportunity to meet the designers and artists who created these works.
Visitors are offered a unique perspective on beauty and craftsmanship by exploring their contemporary vision of the historical paintings.

Temporary cultural department store
When the red carpet rolls out on Lange Vijverberg, the public will be introduced to an unprecedented array of art and culture including previously unshown paintings from the collections of Dr Abraham Bredius, art dealers Hoogsteder & Hoogsteder and artist Cornelis Kruseman.
All the Dutch Design exhibits on display are also available for purchase.

Masterly The Hague is a new annual festival open to the public. Historical paintings appear alongside works specially made for the event by contemporary designers, artists and photographers.
'Masterly The Hague' is a Nicole Uniquole and Willem Jan Hoogsteder (the Hoogsteder Museum Foundation) initiative.

20-23 September 2018
Frisian Court in the Museum Quarter
Lange Vijverberg 14-15-16
Opening hours: 11-18 hrs
For tickets visit Masterly The Hague.

Source: press release