The many faces of Amber on show in de Bijenkorf

Dutch department store de Bijenkorf is Amber’s favourite shopping destination. It houses all the tools she needs to look different everyday. This love proved to be mutual when the Amsterdam flagship hosted the launch of the exclusive Amber fragrance.
This month, de Bijenkorf branches all throughout the country welcome Amber into their shop windows. Arnhem Mode Biennale invited young Dutch fashion designers to create a face for Amber using a selection of de Bijenkorf products. Shoppers in The Hague, Eindhoven, Rotterdam and Arnhem will be treated to inspiring displays where tableware, chairs and make-up become part of the word of fashion.

Twan Meijerink, member of the Arnhem Mode Biennale creative team, is the project’s curator. ‘The brief for the designers specifically asked to use the shop windows as a three-dimensional space. It may seem a flat surface, but the best results are achieved when using its depth. We looked for designers who would know how to deal with such a space.’

Twan’s choice for Janneke Lemmers was easy. ‘She creates large size illustrations, so she already thinks in strong lines and open spaces. We asked her because she would know her way around this vast shop window.’ Furthermore she could count on her mother Elly van der Voort for help, a professional window dresser. For them, this was the ideal opportunity to work on a project together, of which the results can be seen in The Hague.

The choice for MaryMe – JimmyPaul was made quickly. ‘Their collections often show large, round shapes; a style we thought underlined this project’, says Twan. For the Eindhoven branch Jimmy Paul and Marie Burlot caught Amber in their signature style. With spilled soup, milkshakes and coffee, the shop window shows a spectacular, unexpected interpretation of Amber.

Thomas Voorn previously created an installation for the 2009 biennale and was asked to join in again for 2011 by designing the shop windows of de Bijenkorf Rotterdam and Arnhem. In Arnhem a recognisable image is on display: the game of following dots and numbers to create a drawing. However, there is a difference here: dots have been replaced with a selection of products from de Bijenkorf. In the windows in Rotterdam, he calls out: ‘Amber, where are you?’ by using ‘garment graffiti’, clothing that has been shaped to form letters.

Twan is very satisfied with the results of the project. ‘De Bijenkorf is the only real department store in Holland. It is amazing that this collaboration shows Amber and the young designers throughout the country.’ The installations are on display during the entire month in several de Bijenkorf branches.

The Hague: Janneke Lemmers & Elly van der Voort
Arnhem: Thomas Voorn
Eindhoven: MaryMe-JimmyPaul
Rotterdam: Thomas Voorn