MAISON AMSTERDAM fashion exhibition at De Nieuwe Kerk Amsterdam
Get your tickets to MAISON AMSTERDAM fashion exhibition at De Nieuwe Kerk Amsterdam, the first fashion exhibition in history with the Dutch capital at its core.
Holland’s largest temporary fashion house: MAISON AMSTERDAM
De Nieuwe Kerk Amsterdam has been transformed into Holland’s largest temporary fashion house: MAISON AMSTERDAM, which runs until April 3, 2022. The exhibition displays more than 150 creations, both historical and contemporary, that tell stories of Amsterdam as a fashion capital with its own, entirely unique signature.
MAISON AMSTERDAM helps to convey what is "typical Amsterdam" about the fashion in this liberal and creative city where anything is possible. MAISON AMSTERDAM is the first large-scale fashion exhibition with Amsterdam at its core. The exhibition is alive with iconic highlights, including Queen Máxima's wedding dress.
An exhibition that guides you through Amsterdam
In the exhibition, you take a tour through periods in time in Amsterdam. Different parts of Amsterdam tell their story in the exhibition: places such as the Zeedijk, Vondelpark and the Eastern Ports, each associated with their own specific fashion themes.
You dive into the nightlife of the roaring twenties and the heyday of the famous ’80s and ‘90s nightclubs RoXY and iT. You visit historic department stores, fashion shows and festivals, such as the Hartjesdagen and Keti Koti. The MAISON AMSTERDAM exhibition poses the question "what effect does freedom, but also unfreedom, have on fashion?"
Photo © Evert Elzinga
Haute couture meets youth culture
Iconic couture and innovative designs take their place alongside revolutionary trends such as the mini skirt and the punk jacket. These are styles that were born from youth cultures, such as the hippies on Dam Square, graffiti and the punk movement that left a visible trail through the city.
The emphasis is on individual garments, each telling its own story through the eyes of the designer, or the wearer. Jeans, for example, that were purchased at the first jeans shop on the Warmoesstraat, or the iconic Rainbow Dress. Themes such as sustainability, gender and diversity are woven into this exhibition.
Photo: Amsterdam Rainbow Dress, fotografie Dario & Misja, model Valentijn de Hingh
Collection: designers from then and now
MAISON AMSTERDAM presents historic masterpieces from the fashion collection of collaboration partner Amsterdam Museum, as well as a wide variety of contemporary designs. On display are creations by famous 20th-century couturiers such as Frank Govers, Frans Molenaar, Max Heymans and Fong-Leng, as well as internationally renowned designers of today, such as Ronald van der Kemp, Iris van Herpen, Jan Taminiau and Viktor & Rolf.
The new generation is featured prominently with designers like Amber Jae Slooten, Karim Adduchi, Ninamounah, Bonne Suits, Patta and Daily Paper. Not only that, but Amsterdam is acknowledged as Denim City: the worldwide hotspot of famous denim labels such as G-Star.
Photo © Evert Elzinga
Famous wearers in the audio tour
In addition to an abundance of creations from the collections of fashion designers and museums, the exhibition also includes dozens of loans from private individuals. "Six Famous Wearers" have been asked to look in their wardrobes for a piece of clothing that symbolises freedom for them.
The "Six Famous Wearers" are: Mayor Femke Halsema of Amsterdam, singer / songwriter Jeangu Macrooy, former editor-in-chief Avenue Louki Boin, fashion journalist and programme maker Aynouk Tan, Marine Corps veteran Peter Bercx, co-owner Club ChUrch and drag queen activist Jennifer Hopelezz. The chosen creations are shown in combination with a video message.
Get your tickets to MAISON AMSTERDAM
MAISON AMSTERDAM is open from 10am until 5pm each day and is running until Sunday, April 3, 2022. To buy your tickets and for more information, visit De Nieuwekerk website. Check out De Nieuwe Kerk Instagram and Facebook page.
Photo: Nederlands Fotomuseum / ©Ed van der Elsken - Beethovenstraat Amsterdam, 1967
Thumb photo: ©Paul Huf / Maria Austria Instituut - Fashion Designer Fong Leng & Mathilde Willink, 1974