Amster Glam
Words | Sophy Grimshaw Long famous for its diamond trading, Amsterdam knows how to do high-end glitz to rival any national capital. So take a look at our essential guide to going glam in the ’Dam IT’S IN THE BAG When the new Museum of Bags and Purses opened last year, it was the first [...]
Words | Sophy Grimshaw
Long famous for its diamond trading, Amsterdam knows how to do high-end glitz to rival any national capital. So take a look at our essential guide to going glam in the ’Dam
IT’S IN THE BAG
When the new Museum of Bags and Purses opened last year, it was the first venture of its kind.
This private collection of bag-lover Hendrikje Ivo and her daughter Sigrid (who is the museum’s director) ranges from 16th century merchants’ purses to Hillary Clinton’s evening clutch – a tiny bejewelled purse made in the shape of the one-time White House cat, Socks. Madonna’s handbag from the Evita premiere is also here, and brand new acquisitions include Carrie Bradshaw’s cupcake-shaped bag from the Sex and the City movie.
In a fairy-tale twist, the luxuriously decorated townhouse venue was donated by a philanthropic millionaire, who wanted to enable the Ivo family to showcase their
collection. There’s a changing showcase of up-and-coming bag designers and the permanent exhibition explains how the bags hold clues to the social and political history of their time. Even fashion-phobics will find the accompanying social commentary lends the museum a broader appeal than you’d expect.
When it’s time for a break, retreat to the museum café where the ceiling is covered by a swirling 17th-century mural that depicts the Netherlands as the centre of the
known universe (naturally). You can order traditional English-style scones with clotted cream and jam, or dainty chocolates adorned with patterns in gold sugar. There’s a downstairs shop if you’ve been inspired to replace your well-worn handbag.
Museum of Bags and Purses (Tassenmuseum Hendrikj), 573 Herengracht, +31 (0)20 524 6452;
www.tassenmuseum.nl
MAKE A HOUSE CALL
alt="The Blue Room in the Museum van Loon">
Don’t have any socialite friends to call on in Amsterdam? Be a houseguest of the illustrious van Loon family, cofounders of the Dutch East India Company. An elegant 1672 canal house on Keizersgracht was their family home from 1884. It has been open to the public as a museum since the 1970s (entry fee €6), but remains the property of the family, with some areas closed for their private use.
The van Loon huis retains its cosy residential feel with its sumptuously decorated bedrooms and drawing rooms, despite the ambiguous stares of the numerous family
portraits looking down as you go. Soft, Delftwear-ish blues and dull golds abound, lend the interiors a serene atmosphere, ideal for contemplating the home’s former
inhabitants and their seemingly charmed lives. In the summer months you can head out to the garden, with its mini-maze and thick greenery, for a glass of wine and a seat for a short play that is staged in the grounds.
alt="a 1950s plastic handbag">
The residence has a certain magic that’s more than the sum of its parts. With no inhouse cafe and little in the way of new media tour content – a short film about
the family’s history flickers continuously on a TV screen downstairs, while a local cat sleeps obliviously beside it – an hour here feels as though it’s been snatched from another time.
Museum van Loon, 672 Keizersgracht, +31 (0)20 624 5255; www.museumvanloon.nl
BLING AND BUY
alt="Madonna’s bag from the London premiere of Evita">
Amsterdam’s past as an international trading port is interwoven with its long history at the forefront of the diamond business. Gassan Diamonds, for instance, is a
family-owned company which has been trading in the ultimate natural jewels in one way or another since 1800 (although the families involved have in fact changed during that time).
As well as a private showroom for those in town to purchase some serious ice, Gassan has a visitors’ centre so that anyone can take a tour and watch the process of
a rough diamond being refined by an expert craftsperson. You can also take a crash course in the basics of diamond dealing, learning how to identify a rock’s quality based on its clarity, colour, cut and carats.
alt="Hillary Clinton’s Socks-the-cat bag">
There’s plenty of captivating trivia; for instance, heartshaped diamonds originated simply because the natural shape of some diamonds makes a heart one of the easier
designs to carve.
Gassan Diamonds, 173-175 Nieuwe Uilenburgerstraat, +31(0)20 622 5333;
www.gassandiamonds.com
BANK ON IT
Descend to the intricately-decorated vaults of De Bazel, a former investment bank, whether or not you are have assets to keep under lock and key. The space has recently been returned to its original 1920s glory, with layers of dirt and wallpaper stripped away so that the art deco floor mosaics and ceiling stencils could be carefully restored.
alt="The decorative bank vault of the Municipal Archives;">
The luxurious feel of the vaults was originally created to foster a sense of trust between the bank and its deposit box customers. Today, the former financial institution is HQ of the Amsterdam Municipal Archives, which document the city’s history. Among the hundreds of items is the police report of the theft of Anne Frank’s bicycle – one of the more poignant relics.
Step into the adjoining mini-cinema (you’re likely to be the only person there) to see titbits from the film archive, such as black and white newsreel footage from the past of the Dutch royal family.
The Amsterdam Municipal Archives, 32 Vijzelstraat, +31 (0)20 251 1511;
www.stadsarchief.amsterdam.nl
A WAAG’S TALE
alt="Het Muziektheater opera house">
Built in 1488, the tower that houses the De Waag restaurant was originally one of Amsterdam’s three main city gates, called St Anthony’s Port. It was allowed to
remain standing when the city walls were torn down to facilitate Amsterdam’s expansion in 1601. The restaurant has been here since 1996, having been a Jewish Historical Museum just prior to that.
Visit on any given night and you’ll find a space lit by 300 candles from wrought iron chandeliers, with trestle tables in the bustling main space and a quieter room in the back that’s also available for private functions.
Typical mains include fillet of dorade (Mediterranean bass), succulent rib-eye steak and vegetarian tagliatelle. For dessert, try one of the sticky apple pastries the Dutch are so fond of, appleschnitt (which is also available as a breakfast option) or lavender ice cream.
Restaurant-Cafe In De Waag, 4 Nieuwmarkt, +31 (0)20 422 7772; www.indewaag.nl
LOVE BOAT
alt="the highly fashionable Jimmy Woo Lounge">
As in Venice, almost everyone who goes to Amsterdam will hop on a water taxi at some point. But for a more memorable canal cruise (and admittedly a good few more euros), you can also choose to hire your own private boat to do it in style.
A private party ship like De Amstel comes complete with captain (anything else would be less luxury and more like hard work). Local boating firm the Canal Company can organise a bespoke package for small groups, including wine and nibbles. Prices on request.
Canal Company, 26 Weteringschans, +31 (0)20 623 9886; www.canal.nl
STARRY, STARRY NIGHTS
Come dusk, many Amsterglammers will have their binoculars at the ready to take in a show from the Netherlands Opera.
alt="hit Gassan Diamonds to pick up some bling">
The company has its home at the Het Muziektheater (www.hetmuziektheater.nl). From this month, you can catch inventive new opera production The Forbidden Cities of Marco Polo. The music includes sounds generated by using water and paper. Another unusual offering is Don Giovanni – The Ballet.
alt="De Amstel is yours to hire">
If you’d rather hit a club, you’ll be in good company at Jimmy Woo, an oriental lounge named after a fictional gangster. George Clooney and Britney Spears are among the patrons who have sipped cocktails under a ceiling that glitters with the crystal effect of 12,000 mini-bulbs. There also more private booths and curtained-off areas for the camera-shy.
Jimmy Woo Lounge, 18 Korte Leidsedwarsstraat, +31 (0)20 626 3150; www.jimmywoo.com
