'In the making': an exhibition exploring fashion behind the windows of De Bijenkorf

‘After an eventful year, spring inspires us with an appetite for something new. Something beautiful, something special that is lovingly crafted.’ Under that philosophy, De Bijenkorf presents the window exhibition ‘In the making’ from March 9 to June 9, 2021, according to a press release. De Bijenkorf is a chain of high-end department stores in the Netherlands, and all seven Bijenkorf stores, one after the other, will give a stage to the work of young designers and students, who will pay tribute to the process of making fashion. The exhibition can be viewed from the sidewalk, coronaproof.

Twelve designers - alone or in collectives - were commissioned by De Bijenkorf to create new designs from white test fabrics, so-called ‘toiles,’ with which they draw attention to the traditional manufacturing process of fashion design and creation. Within that work, they also reflect on contemporary themes, such as sustainability, inclusiveness, and the importance of creativity. The designers contributing to the exhibition are Suzanne Mulder, Merle Kroezen and Puck Martens from Studio PMS, Armia Yousefi, Margherita Soldati, Lisa Konno, Camiel Fortgens, Marie Lamberechts, Flora van Egeraat, Romy Yedidia, Tess van Zalinge and Sinéad O’Dwyer .

Work by Camiel Fortgens and Tess van Zalinge for ‘In de making’. Photos: N / J Studio

In addition, students of the Master Coupeur course and the Dutch Shoe Academy made reconstructions of silhouettes that were once sold at De Bijenkorf in the more than 150 years that the department store has existed, using the same sample fabrics. In this way, they bring the history of De Bijenkorf into focus.

Work of the Coupeur Master Training and the Dutch Shoe Academy x Nike for ‘In the making’. Photos: N / J Studio

‘In the making’ is a Room on the Roof project, which is the name for the small tower room at the top of the Amsterdam Bijenkorf, where local and international artists are invited to work ‘in residence.’ Recent artists working there include Martina Taranto, Duran Lantink, and Koos Buster.

The exhibition runs from March 6 to 26 at the Bijenkorf in Eindhoven, from April 6 to 18 in Rotterdam, from April 19 to May 2 in The Hague and Amstelveen, from May 3 to 11 in Utrecht and Maastricht, and ends its journey at the original Bijenkorf in Amsterdam, where the exhibition will be on display from May 24 to June 6.

This article was previously published on FashionUnited.NL, then translated and edited into English by Tess Stenzel.

Homepage image: Marie Lamberechts for ‘In the making’. Photo: N / J Studio