Words | Sophy Grimshaw

This month is Fashion Week in Amsterdam and the city has also transformed the windows of the redlight district into a showcase for world-class design. Forget packing too much luggage – just bring an empty suitcase for your purchases

THERE’S NEVER BEEN a better time to go shopping in Amsterdam than right now. That’s the message the city is trying to send out to world travellers, some of whom view the capital of The Netherlands as one of the more obvious choices for rowdy stag parties. As it happens, the marketing message is right on the money. After you’ve escaped the plastic clogs at Schiphol airport’s gift shop, you’ll discover that a short shopping trip here yields unique and exciting finds. Start practising your smuggest, “Oh this? Just something I picked up from my weekend in Amsterdam.”

One reason the city is in the mood to shop is that this month heralds another Amsterdam International Fashion Week (19-28 July). The fashion-fest may only have been established in 2004 but it’s a genuinely exciting creative outlet for a town with more than its fair share of gifted designers. And while there was sparse international media coverage when it first started, it’s now regarded as a launch pad for new trends.

This year you can expect to see established Dutch designer Monique Collignon’s new collection (www.moniquecollignon.com) and the Lichting 2008 show, which brings together some of the most talented students of Dutch fashion academies. A hot tip for the future is young Dane Claes Iversen (www.claesiversen.com), a former intern with the avant-garde Amsterdambased duo Viktor & Rolf, whose bold, blockshaped dresses look ready for Björk’s wardrobe.

Fashion Week here has an egalitarian rather than snooty spirit, so although some of the catwalk shows are industry-access only, there is also a wide range of events that the public can attend. With so many parties, there are several city venues, but a lot of the shows happen in Westergas, a former gas works building (www.westergasfabriek.nl).

This season also heralds a new shopping initiative which is in full swing this month, Redlight Fashion Amsterdam. High-end local fashion designers are showcasing their glossy goods in the windows of the formerly seedy district, and these can all be purchased in one place, the Code Gallery store (121 Oudezijds Achterburgwal, +31 204 08 5511; www.codegallerystore.com). Most of the brands export their lines to select stores worldwide and don’t have flagship outlets here. Among the many participating are enfant terrible Daryl van Wouw, whose ‘street couture’ has been a hit at past Amsterdam fashion weeks (see his window display at 13 Oudezijds Achterburgwal) and Noor Wentholt, whose label Ignoor produces bags in shapes designed to complement the natural curves of the human body (see her display at 27 Oudezijds Achterburgwal). For cutting edge, luxury menswear check out the brand Sebastic, with a window display at 1 Boomsteeg.

See www.amsterdamfashionweek.com and www.redlightfashionamsterdam.nl for more details. Or simply head to the city yourself.

In the meantime, look at the opposite page for voyager’s pick of further shopping highlights to check out while you’re there.

WHERE TO SHOP

Market trading
Amsterdam has several regular markets. Locals shop for food at the stalls on Albert Cuyp street in the De Pijp, where you can pick up dainty handmade chocolates and local cheeses. But for clothes, the best market is Westerstraat (Mondays, 9am- 1pm). If you know what you’re looking for, you can find last season’s designerwear here at low prices. And Noordermarkt, in the Jordaan, is the market to come to for miscellaneous gifts like unusual jewellery and fabrics.

The department stores
For designer labels like Roberto Cavalli and Burberry, try Metz & Co (34-6 Leidsestraat, +31 (0)20 520 7020; www.metzenco.nl). Less chichi is Vroom & Dreesman (or V&D), the biggest Dutch department store chain (203 Rokin; www.vd.nl).

Lady Day
Fans of vintage clothing may feel almost overwhelmed by the thrift store Lady Day, a hub for bohemian chic which opened in 1972. “We are an inspiration for many designers and a source of clothes for film and TV productions,” says owner Marijke Bijkerk, who travels regularly in Europe and the USA to source clothes. Girls might find a tea dress or statement belt, while guys can get suited and booted without looking like they’re in the rat race.
Lady Day, 9 Hartenstraat, +31 (0)20 623 5820; www.ladydayvintage.com

What’s Cooking
A former fashion stylist for magazines, Jacqueline Overtoom owns this cool and quirky kitchenware store. She tells voyager: “I sell ‘kitchen lifestyle’ things which are a nice gift to take if you’re going to a friend’s for dinner, or if you’re a tourist looking for something to take back home with you.” Pick up some glassware, cute aprons and lots more.
What’s Cooking, 16 Reestraat, +31 (0)20 4270 630; www.whatscooking.nl

Droog Design
To be a fan of contemporary design means being a fan of Droog. The inspiring concept store brings together over 300 products by some 200 different designs, most of which is homeware, from furniture to accessories. Among the items you’ll find here are a reading lamp that doubles as a clothes hanger (below), and the ‘sugar cage’, a stylish alternative to a sugar bowl, with a design influenced by surrealist artist Marcel Duchamp.
Droog Design, 7b Staalstraat, +31 (0)20 523 5059; www.droogdesign.nl

Paul Frank
The Amsterdam outpost of the Paul Frank empire of kitsch (the brand originated in southern California) has its bi-annual sale till the end of this month on branded goods from clothing and bed linen to watches, toys and more. Ask about upcoming events, as touring bands are sometimes invited to play in store.
Paul Frank, 23 Hartenstraat, +31 (0)20 423 2580; www.paulfrank.com

Marlies Dekkers
Lingerie maven Marlies Dekkers is famous for her striking smalls. Her flagship store is in nearby Rotterdam and her Amsterdam branch is similar in style. Both have the feel of a Manhattan loft or an exhibition space. Her carefully sculpted undergarments are worn by celebrities including the singer Nelly Furtado.
Marlies Dekkers, 13 Cornelis Schuytstraat, +31 (0)20 471 4146;www.marliesdekkers.nl

The Frozen Fountain
There may be a limit to how much furniture you can realistically cart home from a shopping weekend, but even if it’s just for inspiration, you owe yourself a visit to The Frozen Fountain. The shop opened in 1985, moving to its new location in 1992. Over the years it has increasingly taken a gallery-style approach to sourcing stock, by commissioning local designers to produce new and exciting work.
The Frozen Fountain, 645 Prinsengracht, +31 (0)20 622 9375; www.frozenfountain.nl