ABOUT

Every designer and artist has their own way and medium to express themselves. For me, it has always been fashion. My designs are a direct expression of my inner world, and therefore, I believe, they hold more importance and interest for the world to see than my personal story.

However, lately, I have been receiving more and more requests to share a bit about myself, my history, and my work. I am really honored by this interest and feel compelled to open up. Fashion has been my language, my way of communicating with the world, and through it, I convey my thoughts, memories, and visions.

Each piece I create is a narrative, a fragment of my story woven into fabric. As I navigate through this ever-evolving landscape, I am eager to share not only my designs but also the personal experiences and inspirations that shape them. This is an invitation to look beyond the seams and stitches, and to understand the person behind the creations.

CHILDHOOD HEROES

My journey into fashion began years ago in my early childhood.

I was born into a family of artists. Therefore as a child I was surrounded by creativity and beauty.

MY MOTHER

My mother as a young bride in her own designed wedding dress and hat, 1953

I remember walking alongside my mother on Sunday mornings, making our way to the church. In those days, it was a tradition to be at your very best on Sundays, especially when you went to church. My mother, always elegant, wore a beautiful hat that was according to the latest fashion in Paris. Being a young woman in the late fifties and sixties, her idols were Audrey Hepburn, Jackie Kennedy, Grace Kelly. In spite of having almost no money to spare, she would copy the designs from Elle magazine and have them made by the local seamstress, adding her own unique touch.

Even into her old age, she could passionately talk about the quality and details of a particular garment. How she had saved up for it, who had made it, which fabric she had bought for it, and in what color.

Every purchase was made with careful consideration and truly made her happy. That one pair of leather gloves, that one belt, that one scarf, that one bag. Her wardrobe was not overflowing; on the contrary, each piece of clothing was cherished and lovingly cared for for many years.

Wearing beautiful clothes was a purely personal matter for her, not intended to show off, but to make herself happy.

Her talent for style, color, and material use has left an indelible impression on me. Time and again, I find myself aware of how much I follow in her footsteps.

MY FATHER and GRANDFATHER

Both my father and grandfather were photographers. They taught me not only to look, but also to see.
In addition to his work as a freelance photographer, my father was a teacher at art school. Occasionally he took me along. I loved the atmosphere there so much. It seemed like everyone was playing and having fun.

His students came to visit our house sometimes. Among them was a beautiful girl with long blond hair. She wore a long, beige knitted dress. As an eight year old, I was completely blown away by this image. How much of an impression it left became apparent years later, when I started my knitwear designs, and it reappeared in my mind.

MY GRANDMOTHER and BARBIE

My grandmother lived alongside of us. She had a great deal of fantasy and humor. While my mother was very much into GOOD TASTE, my grandmother bought me a Barbie doll, and together we spend hours making the most beautiful dresses out of paper doilies, plastic bags and all sorts of haberdashery. And of course evening dresses were our favourites.

In contrast with my mother she had a very frivolous approach to fashion. Like a little girl she felt as a queen, wearing her imitation pearls and earrings. I think she loved to play with the Barbie, as much as I did.

Often I feel I am designing the clothing they would have loved to wear, if they would be still alive.

I am truly grateful for their amazing heritage.

FROM ARTSCHOOL to DE BIJENKORF

Due to various personal circumstances, I was only able to start studying fashion when I was already a single mother. I attended the academy in the evenings and rediscovered my playfulness.

At the fashion academy, I was introduced to a knitting machine for the first time. It was love at first sight! I knew I wanted to pursue this further.

Because it was difficult to find a job as a breadwinner in the fashion industry after graduating, I worked in various jobs for many years.

Until one day, I decided to start knitting during my breaks. This way, I could once again give vent to my urge to design and create. My colleagues heartily laughed at me, as knitting was seen as something old-fashioned and for old women.

Despite that, my designs were picked up by friends and family. I received commissions and organised my first photoshoot.

When I hit the limits of my production capacity, I remembered that I had an old knitting machine stored in my attic. Suddenly, my enthusiasm from the academy resurfaced. I cleaned the machine thoroughly and taught myself to knit on it using an online manual. The possibilities it offered felt magical.

I began to experiment and created my first collections in 2014.

DE BIJENKORF

When I participated in a design fair, my work caught the attention of the stylist from De Bijenkorf. He invited me to showcase my designs in their display window, which received a lot of attention. To my great pride, I was given the opportunity to run a pop-up shop on the ground floor of De Bijenkorf for ten days that October.

By then I decided it was time for a fitting professional approach. How I accomplished this, I will gladly share in the next blog.

Stay tuned!