amsterdam fashion week: winde rienstra
(images via team peter stigter)
while i know it’s going to take me most of the rest of my life to truck through all the designers i want to discuss to come out of berlin fashion week, the time has already come for opt to retire the fall edition of amsterdam fashion week. and as you know, this creature of habit likes to end on an up note, so, i thought, how better than to close with the a/w 2012 collection of delightful-experimental designer winde rienstra, whose s/s 2012 range was one of my absolute highlights from that season? and yes, i know as with some young conceptual designers, we’ll have to be careful, lest her work falls into a rut a’la van herpen, but honestly, i’m not so concerned, given that we’re already seeing a shakeup this time around.
anyway, as vaag magazine describes, set to the soft strains of a live harpist, ms. rienstra presented her fall collection, titled ‘reflections of facets.’ in explaining her inspiration for the range to ensemble magazine, she said (trans.) “(f)or this collection I was inspired by paintings by JC van Schagen, where multi-dimensional cubes are processed. Secondly, I wanted the different ways that we as people can look at life highlight. Sometimes you think a particular view about something, but it’s good to step back so you might do to other insights can come. These two facets I have tried to process in my collection.”
she also told the armenian site overdose, “(s)pirituality is important to me, I believe it helps to get me further in life. All materials are organic and friendly to nature,” while the dutch site design nl notes that she “makes slow fashion, not dominated by the conventions of today which dictate that designers should present at least two collections a year.” continuing on to ensemble magazine, she pointed out (trans.) “(y)ou can really walk in the shoes, of course, only not outside in the rain. I made them from cardboard, and have all the layers drawn one by one and cut with a laser. Subsequently, these layers are glued together. Of course they are not very portable, but I would love to actually produce such an implementation. “
meanwhile l’officiel termed the range (trans.) “full of tensions and contrasts between shapes and materials,” while an article on the dutch site fashion nl praised it as (trans.) “(a) collection consisting of beautiful white, futuristic creations of coarse organic pleated silk, decorated with paste. These are returned as a huge collar on a white transparent dress and subtle in a wooden corset. The masterpiece was a long white skirt, [that moved] like an accordion with the model’s body as she was moving along.” i suppose what in particular struck me was the way the designer really seems to be pondering her ideas, following the quieter or more ostentatious path as it leads; there’s something that feels very genuine in her collections, rather than purposefully seeking the most avant-y route.
finally, team peter stigter quoted the designer as saying “(t)o give it that feminine touch is really important to me. I like feminine clothes, I wear only skirts myself too. I never wear trousers. And it’s also really nice to see how the hard and soft elements intensify each other.” “But,” they went on, “it was also the strong 3D- effect that made this painting so special to her. ‘The light that falls on the painting determines the shapes and 3D- effects you see. So it changes all the time, which is so interesting.’ She translated that in big, sculptural 3D- pieces and all made from natural fabrics like silk, cardboard and wood.” it was a thoughtful and exciting way to end the event. and i hope ms. rienstra has many, many new ideas left yet to ponder (see additional images at this chick’s got style & style|kck).
(watch a brief collection video here)
