Dutch fashion on the other side of the Jeans

Amsterdam is regarded as a highly creative metropolis, but not as a fashion city. The exhibition "Basic Instinct" shows this unknown Wunderkammer.

"Abroad, they frequently believe that our most famous fashion designers Viktor & Rolf came from Germany." That said Ben Knapen, Dutch Minister for European Affairs and International Cooperation, at the opening of the exhibition Basic Instincts in the Berlin villa Elizabeth in the third Invalidenstraße There are still 31 July clothes, presents furniture, objects and architectural models of Dutch designers.

The minister speaks to a fundamental problem: Much is known not actually abroad on the couturier of his country. It lacks a strong center of Antwerp or Paris, which has a strong tradition and triggers immediately clear associations.

Amsterdam is indeed a very creative city - but not primarily a fashion city.If one thinks in connection with Amsterdam of clothing, then most likely of jeans, such as on the Dutch label G-Star showcase. But Couture? Not really.Therein, Amsterdam and Berlin are pretty similar: not for nothing that they are regarded as world capitals of the denim culture.

So it is fitting that the first station of Basic Instincts Berlin. Here the Dutch designers go on familiar territory. The interdisciplinary approach is experimental, playful and unpretentious, qualities that characterize the whole exhibition as well as the individual exhibits are attributes that also apply to Berlin.

Where the visitor encounters now if he enters the Villa Elisabeth. Then he stands in front of one of the six large-scale installations, which were designed by the Danish fashion designer Henrik Vibskov for the exhibition. These so-called "landscape" shape the individual sections in which the objects are arranged according to basic design ideas. For the "Un-Designed" presented a series Vibskov ever smaller untreated wood frames in the hall, the draw as an archaic view of the Arc de Triomphe in the center hanging clothes by Monique van Heist.

These fit perfectly with the theme of the room, unglamorous objects that are inspired by the harsh, everyday experience. Because van Heists 2009 project launched "hello fashion" breaks with the usual conventions of fashion.Its simple, they ostentatiously modest proposals are not presented in the seasonal rhythm, but it adds little by a continuously growing body.