Blusher best applied with these two fingers
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There are so many duos in the fashion world but none is as destined to be together as Spijkers en Spijkers. Once upon the time in the Netherlands, the two girls Truus and Riet were born on the same hour, the same day, month and year. Yes, and in case you haven’t got it by now, they are twin sisters. What else? They also went to the same Arnhem Academy of Arts and later the same Fashion Institute Arnhem. There the girls’ creative vision diverged.
They individually won the Body Fashion Design Award and the Contec Design Award, while their latter collaboration earned them the Robjin Fashion Award. Hand in hand they created Spijkers en Spijkers in 2000 and have ever since showcased their breathtaking collections at London Fashion Week.
Spijkers en Spijkers’ design ethics is “form follows function.” For the edgy duo, beauty is as crucial as wearability. In studio, Truus would take up the “painter” work looking after style and colours, while Riet would supervise the “sculptor” work bringing the two-dimensional design concepts to life. Influenced by the Art Deco and Modernism of the early 1920s, Spijkers en Spijkers aspire to create the clothes that challenge the unified notion of ideal femininity but at the same time enhances female sensuality. Their signature lies in the mix of soft material with strong and clear geometrical forms. The clothes emphasise the female body but not blatantly reveal it. They are nice—and naughty.
Spijkers en Spijkers’ individual collections are taken inspiration from real or fictional characters. Their Autumn/Winter 08-09 is a re-interpretation of Scarlett O’Hara and the romance, coupled with Aubrey Beardsley’s dark Art Nouveau prints. Girly ruffles meet camouflage print, while high-knee socks and thick belts add a sleek factor to the voluminous tops. Silk monochrome dresses are edged out with the sharp, geometrical v neck and finished with a masculine bow tie. The extra-collar factor is carried forward to Spijkers en Spijkers’ Spring/Summer 09 collection where origami folds of organza bow collars accentuate the laced-and-ruffled dresses.
Citations from Hywel Davies’s 100 New Fashion Designers
Insight
SS: Can clothes be considered as political and how?
Truus Spijkers: Clothes/fashion can indeed be considered "political". A lot of fashion fashion design is created to make a political statement (for example Katharine Hamnett's slogan t-shirts). A lot of people use clothes to express they’re own political views. On the street everyday, we see political statements expressed via sub-cultural fashion.