Dutch Product Design - Netherlands Foreign Trade Agency

Born of conceptual work and an open culture:
Dutch Product Design
Fashion
Industrial Design
Interior Products

‘The Netherlands is
currently one of the
world’s poles of great
modern design, a
centre of innovation
and experimentation
in architecture, urban
planning, industrial
design, and graphic
design’.
Source: ‘False Flat. Why Dutch Design is so good.’ By Aaron Betsky and Adam Eeuwens.
Pioneers in international business

Contents
In brief 4
Facts & Figures
Dutch Design 6
Dutch Masters:
design with a “twist” 8
Where to find Dutch designers? 11
Making bobbin lace
with fibreglass 12
Art, comfortable chairs and
table lamps in offices 15
G-Star: Raw Denim as
a fashion tour de force 16
What’s New
Fashion 18
What’s New
Industrial Design 20
What’s New
Interior Products 22
Dutch design links 24
About this publication
September 2007
Made in Holland, Product Design, is a publication of the EVD, Agency for International Business and Cooperation, which is part
of the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Editor-in-Chief Aimée van Lijf Editing Caroline Boessenkool, Peter Koll, Annelies Brüning,
Jolanda Donkersteeg, Priscilla de Jong Editorial address EVD Made in Holland, P.O. Box 20105, 2500 EC The Hague,
The Netherlands, madeinholland@info.evd.nl Contributors BNO, Premsela stichting, Gerda van Groesen, Arnoud Veilbrief, Bregje
Lampe Translation and revision Overtaal, Utrecht Design Mood Factory Lay-out Arjen Hoogland Ideeën Printing PlantijnCasparie
The Hague Copyright Articles may be reprinted or reproduced only with acknowledgement of the source: Made in Holland,
Product Design / EVD
No rights may be derived from the contents of this publication.
www.hollandtrade.com
Coverphoto: Hollandse Hoogte
3

In brief
Design Academy Eindhoven, “School of Cool”
In their summer 2007 Style & Design supplement, Time magazine
called Design Academy Eindhoven the “School of Cool”, stating,
‘the Dutch college and graduate program is a breeding ground
for the high-concept work that’s dominating industrial design’.
What is more, British architecture and design magazine Icon
ranked the Design Academy Eindhoven fifth in its top 21 most
influential people, products and institutes worldwide. So what is
this academy’s secret? According to teachers and students, it is
the way the course programme is organised, which is designed
to highlight the connections between the various disciplines.
They believe this fosters the ability to think conceptually, which
is what makes Dutch design so distinctive. The emphasis is on
both developing creative concepts and practical know-how. The
Design Academy Eindhoven has turned out big names
‘False Flat. Why Dutch design is So
Good’
This book showcases the dynamic nature of
contemporary Dutch design and, through
a detailed exploration of the country’s
geography, culture, and history, defines its
distinguishing features as a manifestation
of things intrinsically “Dutch.” Eschewing
a traditional academic presentation,
authors Aaron Betsky and Adam Eeuwens,
together with the renowned Dutch book
designer Irma Boom, have conceived a witty,
multidimensional structure for the book
that brings to life a prolific design culture in
a rich landscape of interconnected stories.
False Flat consists of an introduction and five
illustrated text chapters by US-born Aaron Betsky,
4 Holland Product Design
who is the director of the Netherlands
Architecture Institute. These chapters are
interspersed with 16-page sections consisting
solely of selected images and extended
captions, in a unique presentation conceived
by Boom. The foreign point-of-view offered
by both Betsky and Eeuwens (the latter being
a Dutchman who lives in Los Angeles and
works as a writer and partner in design agency
The Culture Industry) was pivotal for both the
selection and the interpretation of the projects
covered in the book.
www.phaidon.com
Dutch exhibition “Happy Street” at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai
Dutch artist and architect John Körmeling will design the Dutch pavilion at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. Körmeling’s interpretation
of the theme of this world expo, “Better City, Better Life”, has
taken shape in his exhibition, “Happy Street”, which is a 450metre-long
street in the form of a figure eight that is lined with
17 houses, each and every one of which is a small pavilion. These
pavilions show how innovative the Netherlands is when it comes
to managing resources such as space, energy and water, while
developing modern technology in harmony with the needs of
humans and the environment. Körmeling’s concept demonstrates
that creating a better city and a better life starts with improving
your street. Visitors to “Happy Street” can experience the street
and visit the houses lining it.
www.expo2010china.com
Studio
Erosie
ISBN: 0-7148-4069-6
including the leading female designer Hella
Jongerius and Maarten Baas, who achieved fame
by burning chairs and coating them with epoxy.
One of these chairs was the Rietveld
“Zigzag Chair”, which
he burned for New York
gallery owner Murray
Moss.
www.designacademy.nl
www.rijksbouwmeester.nl
Designer: Maarten Baas. Project: Clay Furniture
Photo: M. van Houten

Dutch Design Awards
Every October, the Association of Dutch Designers (BNO) presents the Dutch Design Awards in Eindhoven. Here is
a selection of the 2006 winners:
Smartcap (Design for All category)
The Smartcap, which is a twist-on lid for glass jars, is a wonderful
example of an ergonomic innovation. The lid has two parts: a
flat plate that seals the jar and a ring with a screw thread that fits
over the plate, pressing it against the jar. When the lid is turned,
ridges automatically push the plate upwards, which releases the
vacuum.
www.platopc.nl
Slim Table (Products for Interiors category)
To mark its 100th anniversary, Arco Meubelfabriek commissioned
12 young designers to present their vision of the future. The
Slim Table, which is a fragile-looking table designed by Bertjan
Pot, was one of the results. The structure of the aluminium
sandwich can be disassembled, but is all the same also very
innovative. Despite its delicate appearance, the table’s stability
is unprecedented, and perhaps also unexpected. The veneer
applied to the surface of the table makes it look like the most
impossibly thin wooden table ever created.
www.arcomeubel.nl
www.hollandtrade.com
Pearl Necklace Bronzino (Applied Arts & Fashion
category)
Pearl Necklace Bronzino is a strand of “pearls” with a silver lace
finish, the design for which was inspired by the famous portrait
Eleonora of Toledo and her son Giovanni (1545) by Agnolo
Bronzino. Carla Nuis reinterpreted and reproduced the decorative
pattern of Eleonora’s dress in the surface of the beads with the
aid of specific CAD/CAM, photographic and electrolytic etching
methods and laser soldering techniques. By using the latest
techniques, Nuis successfully breathed new life into the opulence
and aesthetics of the Renaissance.
www.carlanuis.nl
Modular futuristic vehicle Phileas (Eindhoven Design
Award category)
“Phileas” is a modular, futuristic low-entry vehicle with a
lightweight synthetic body. The vehicle is equipped with many
innovative technical features. For example, the bus has been
programmed, enabling it to follow its route without a driver
behind the wheel. The lightweight material used to make Phileas
means that it is more environmentally friendly and thanks to the
special suspension system, the ride is exceptionally comfortable.
The vehicle is also easily accessible for all passengers.
Additionally, the FROG technique, which involves the use of
magnets built into the road surface, allows these buses to follow
their route on “auto pilot”.
www.phileas.nl
www.nederlandsedesignprijzen.nl
5

Photo: Hollandse Hoogte
Facts & Figures
Creativity and the economy
“Dutch Design” is often associated with Dutch creativity, but
what exactly is “Dutch Design”, anyway? Strictly speaking,
it refers to designs devised in the Netherlands or by Dutch
designers. One could go on at length about Dutch design in
a philosophical sense, but there is no clear-cut explanation,
because everyone has his own point of view. Therefore, it is
easier to start with a quantitative description of the Dutch design
sector.
In his famous book, The Rise of the Creative Class, Richard
Florida observed that economic growth could no longer be
seen as separate from creativity and the capacity to foster
creative communities. This realisation has also permeated the
consciousness in the Netherlands, which can be seen in all areas
of the design world, from the work of the old Dutch masters
of yesteryear, who combined modesty with excellence, to
contemporary architecture and music. The creativity of the Dutch
has left its mark in many areas of society. According to Florida,
Amsterdam is one of the world’s foremost creative centres.
Additionally, the Netherlands ranks eighth on his Global Creativity
Index.
A look at the number of people employed in the creative sector,
which includes the arts, media and entertainment industries,
reveals that the sector is not particularly large, but it is expanding
quickly.
Number of people employed: 403,000
Percentage of total employment: 5%
Percentage of GDP: 4%
Turnover due to export: 11% (2004)
Rob Huisman, Director of the
Association of Dutch Designers
(BNO)
‘Dutch Design stands for imagination,
durability, humanity and meaning,
for creativity without boundaries but
building within limits. The examples are
here to see.’
6 Holland Product Design
Dutch design
Clusters
In Amsterdam, the financial and
business capital of the Netherlands,
6.5% of the jobs are in the creative
sector. Amsterdam focuses on ICT
and new media in particular.
In Eindhoven, which is home
to a design academy, the
emphasis lies more on
design and technological
sectors. The technical
university also offers
a programme that focuses
specifically on industrial design. To
top things off, the city also hosts
Amsterdam
Eindhoven
Arnhem
the Dutch Design Week, when the Dutch Design Awards are
presented. Additionally, the Industrial Division (including product
development) of the Netherlands Organisation for Applied
Scientific Research (TNO), which is the Netherlands’ largest
independent research organisation, is located in Eindhoven.
In Arnhem, which is home to the Fashion Biennale and the
Fashion Institute, fashion is omnipresent.
Design
The Dutch design industry employs some 46,100 designers, 72%
of whom work in the commercial services sector, 20% in industry
and 8% in the non-profit sector. Together, they contribute some
2.6 million euros to the Dutch economy, which accounts for 0.7%
of the GDP. In fact, the design sector is responsible for a larger
portion of the GDP than the oil industry or traditional sectors like
shipbuilding. Roughly speaking, design can be divided into the
following three categories:
• Visual communication: graphic communication, information
design, typography
• Spatial design: interior architecture, scenography, interior
design
• Product design: industrial design, costume, fashion and
jewellery design

Percentage Aandeel werkgelegenheid of employment naar subsectoren:
by subsector:
Visual
communication:
59,4%
Export
On average, the Netherlands exports 21% of its total
production (turnover of all companies and organisations).
The various design sectors fall short of this average. The
advertising sector exports only 7% of what it produces, and
the modern interior design sector even less. The furniture
and architecture industries have an export quota of 19%,
which is closer to the Dutch average. No other industry that
employs a significant number of designers can claim such a
high percentage.
Sources: Design in the Creative Economy, 2005 (TNO/Premsela)
Fashion Design in the Netherlands, 2006 (Premsela)
To read more about the Netherlands, the Dutch economy and the creative sectors, go to the website www.hollandtrade.com
Form of government: Constitutional monarchy,
parliamentary democracy
Head of state: Queen Beatrix
Currency: Euro
Spatial design:
10,4%
Product design:
30,2%
Designer Miriam van der
Lubbe:
‘I try to comment on the ordinary
as an outside observer to get
people to look differently at the
things around them: such as
raising questions about a perfect
hotel china service, making a
T-shirt with a piece of chalk in it,
which allows you to create a new
design every day. Because at the
end of the day, what exactly is
fashion, anyway?’
The Netherlands in a nutshell
Location: Western Europe, bordering the North
Sea, between Belgium and Germany
Capital: Amsterdam
Population: 16,337,685 (May 2006)
Largest cities: Amsterdam: 743,393 inhabitants
Rotterdam: 599,859 inhabitants
The Hague: 472,087 inhabitants
Utrecht: 281,011 inhabitants
Languages: Dutch, Frisian
GDP: EUR 501.9 bn (2005)
Economic growth: 2.9% (2006)
www.hollandtrade.com
Focus on product design
Dutch design can be both a feast for the eyes and practical;
take for instance Dick Bruna’s “Miffy” or Mijksenaar’s
airport signs. Or, its value can lie in its ability to create an
extraordinary experience for the viewer, as is the case with
exhibitions by Kossman.dejong. In addition, Dutch design
can also be very functional. Across the globe, many children
are already transported in Bugaboos, and people are making
coffee with Senseos and wearing Marlies Dekkers lingerie.
These are all Dutch designs.
In the book &Fork, published by British publisher Phaidon,
ten experts in product design are each asked to name ten
great designers. No fewer than 11 designers on this list of
100 names were educated in the Netherlands, including Piet
Hein Eek, DEMAKERSVAN, Ineke Hans, Lambert Kamps,
Joris Laarman and Wieki Somers. About DEMAKERSVAN,
Milan architect Francesca Picchi says, ‘the design trio is part
of a recent Dutch phenomenon - that of young creative
people becoming involved in the entrepreneurial aspects of
design.’ In terms of product design, Dutch designers are well
represented in a number of product types:
Industrial design:
mass-produced
or productionline
products
like the TNT post
box, Senseo
coffee-maker and
Bugaboo pram.
Interior products:
products that
are functional,
or alternatively,
decorative:
anything from
functional hat
racks and attractive
wall lamps to
spectacular, but
sometimes lessthan-comfortable
chairs
Fashion:
2485 designers,
2360 wholesaler’s,
880 ready-towear
garment
companies,
EUR 3.7 billion
in clothing exports
Export: business and financial services,
machinery and transport equipment,
chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs
Import: machinery and transport equipment,
chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs, clothing
Schiphol Airport
(Amsterdam): 39,960,400 passengers
Port of Rotterdam: 369 million tonnes of cargo
Businesses: 99% of Dutch firms are small and
medium-sized enterprises (up to
250 employees). They tend to be flat
organisations and their small size
means they can respond quickly to
customer demands.
Unemployment: 5.5% (2006)
7

Photo: Hollandse Hoogte
Dutch Masters:
design with a “twist”
The land of polders and dikes has a knack for design. But why is this? Could it be because of the bright
daylight and the straight lines of the landscape, the old Dutch masters or the strong-willed nature of the
Dutch people? It is probably a combination of all of these.
By Arnoud Veilbrief
Haute couture is not exactly the first thing that comes to mind
when you think of the Netherlands. It is about as unlikely as Maria
Callas in a battle suit, Ralf Schumacher in a Volkswagen beetle, or
top chef Ferra Adriá eating a Big Mac. Many things spring to mind
when you hear the word “Netherlands”: dikes and delta works,
flowers and friendly people, or maybe a naughty weekend in
Amsterdam, but not haute couture.
As far as the fashion world was concerned, the Netherlands was
a blind spot. Amsterdam was always known as “the capital of
casual clothes”, as an English newspaper so brutally put it. It
was a country of raincoats, that is, until the summer of 1997,
when two unknown Dutch fashion designers called Viktor & Rolf
presented their line in Paris. They were two young men with an
introverted demeanour, but whose designs were cheeky and
innovative.
Paris was completely bowled over. Within no time, Viktor & Rolf
had become the sensation of the fashion world and their show
was packed to the brim every year. They were the talk of the
town. Who were these boys and where did they come from?
The Dutch skies and landscape that inspired many Dutch masters to create
spectacular displays of light. A statue of Rembrandt van Rijn amongst the
daffodils.
8 Holland Product Design
That’s right: the Netherlands.
Before Viktor and Rolf, Dutch fashion was just that: fashion for
the Dutch. Frans Molenaar and Frank Govers reigned supreme
in the mini-kingdom of Dutch couture. They were professionals
who had trained in Paris and built up a loyal clientele amongst
the Dutch smart set, or anyone who aspired to belong to it.
What they were not was great innovators of international
renown. Thanks to Viktor & Rolf, the Netherlands claimed its first
international “designer label” and women in Paris and New York
also wanted to be seen in their clothing.
Not alone
At first it seemed like a small miracle. On the other hand, maybe
it was not so strange after all, because Viktor & Rolf were not the
only designers of their kind. The school where they honed their
skills has produced many good designers, the school in question
being none other than the fashion department of the Arnhem
Academy of Art and Design. The fashion programme was set up
nine years after the autumn of 1944, when the provincial city of
Arnhem was where allied troops fought bitterly to gain access
to Germany. Currently, the academy boasts a student body of

over 100 of Dutch and foreign origin. “Arnhemmers” have a good
reputation, regularly win international prizes and can be found
in all segments of the fashion world, for example in the studios
of Diesel, J.P. Gaultier, Hennes & Mauritz and Chloé. There are
also many others who try to make names for themselves as
independent designers.
The Netherlands has a knack for design. This tradition can be
traced back to the 17th century, if not further. At that time, the
Netherlands had just broken free from the grip of the Spanish
Empire and was undergoing tremendous economic and cultural
growth. Painters like Rembrandt and Vermeer were laying the
foundations of the “Dutch School”. From that point on, the
tradition has continued, unbroken, to the present day. Take the
romantic landscapes of Jacob van Ruysdael, the unique style of
Vincent van Gogh and the modern art of Mondriaan.
However, the Dutch design tradition is not limited to painting.
Graphic and visual design and architecture occupy an equally
important position. In the first half of the 20th century in
particular, designers tried to broaden their horizons. The
brain behind the functionalist school of architecture “Nieuwe
Zakelijkheid”, Gerrit Rietveld, was both a furniture maker and
an architect. He designed the famous Rietveld chair, which is a
monument of modernist design, as well as the Rietveld House.
Although they are already more than 80 years old, the designs still
have a progressive, elegant and transparent aura.
Progressive patron
Designer Piet Zwart’s 1930s advertisements for Dutch national
telephone company PTT were also fully in keeping with this
tradition of freshness and playfulness. The various typefaces and
amazing collage techniques used in his folders were so daring
for their time that it is nearly impossible to believe that they
were made before World War II. It speaks volumes about the
Dutch outlook on design that the national post and telephone
company was not afraid to use Zwart’s work. Innovative designers
who crave an opportunity to experiment do not have confine
Photo: ANP
Eccentricity is by definition
unique
A painting by Van Gogh at the exhibition
“The Last Landscapes” in Madrid’s
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum.
www.hollandtrade.com
Designer Frank Willems:
‘I think that designers can be very free and uninhibited in
their work in the Netherlands. Design in the Netherlands
is so sophisticated that everything you come across here
has been designed, even the landscape. This is not so
widespread in other countries. It’s something that the
Dutch learn at their mother’s knee, so to speak.’
themselves to their own attic studios, but are given the chance to
show their creations to the public. The evolution of Dutch design
has gone hand-in-hand with the government assuming a role as
progressive patron.
If one were to name all Dutch designers that have achieved
international success, the list would be long and unremarkable.
It is more interesting to consider what all those designers have
in common. That is easier said than done, because their genius
lies in their unique features. Eccentricity is by definition unique
and every innovative designer does have a bit of a “twisted
mind”. However, if it is possible to speak of a “Dutch School”,
then it has a few distinguishing features, namely, being open to
“The PTT book”, which was designed by
Piet Zwart in 1938 and whose purpose was to
educate young people about the postal and
telephone services.
9

Photo: ANP
the unknown, humanity and humour, guts and a preference for
unusual shapes and techniques. Maybe it has something to do
with Dutch society, which is democratic, in the truest sense of
the word. No one is really that far above anyone else, so trying to
overawe will not achieve a great deal. This results in an ongoing
dialogue, which serves as a source of innovation and creativity.
Dutch designers prove that level-headedness, playfulness and
aesthetic pleasure make an excellent combination.
Not a potato salesman after all
Marcel Wanders’ designs reflect the Dutch mentality. The
designer laureate of Studio Moooi applied the technique
of crocheting, which is normally used to knit small woollen
cardigans, in various furniture designs. The results included the
“Knotted Chair” in 1996 and five years later the cube-shaped
“Crochet Table”. As his breakthrough design, the chair continues
to be one of his favourites. The contrary and unpredictable air
expressed in Wanders’ designs can also be found elsewhere.
When the Miami Herald once asked him what he would be,
had he not become a designer, Wanders answered, ‘a potato
salesman’.
From Rembrandt through
Mondriaan to Viktor & Rolf
However, Wanders is not a potato salesman, but a designer and
as such, he has only one goal: to surprise people, time and time
again. He wants to make beautiful things for people who enjoy
the unexpected. ‘I want my customers to be fearless, intelligent
and witty’, says Wanders. ‘Life is continually changing and a fixed
life and style are for the insecure.’
That is Dutch Design for you: cheeky, but never dull or
predictable.
Viktor & Rolf. Their theatrical fashion shows, the shop in Milan “turned upside
down” and their collection for H&M finally put Dutch fashion on the map.
10 Holland Product Design
Designer Marcel Wanders:
‘Life is continually changing and a fixed life and style are for
the insecure.’
The following are a few of the leading design programmes
in the Netherlands in the area of fashion,
product and interior design:
Amsterdam Fashion Institute: www.amfi.hva.nl
Arnhem Academy of
Art and Design: www.modearnhem.nl
Industrial design programmes
at the technical universities: www.io.tudelft.nl
www.io.utwente.nl
www.tue.nl
Design Academy Eindhoven: www.designacademy.nl
Rietveld Academy: www.gerritrietveldacademie.nl
Photo: Hollandse Hoogte

Where to meet Dutch designers:
Design Post
Cologne, Germany
www.designpostkoeln.de
31 October - 4 November 2007
100% DESIGN
Jingu Gaien, Tokyo, Japan
www.100percentdesign.jp
11-15 December 2007
Business of Design Week
Hong Kong
www.bodw.com.hk
Orange Alert
USA
www.dutchdesignevents.com
20-28 October 2007
Dutch Design Week
Eindhoven, the Netherlands
www.dutchdesignweek.nl
20 October 2007
Dutch Design Awards
Eindhoven, the Netherlands
www.nederlandsedesignprijzen.nl
15-21 November 2007
Shanghai International Creative Industry Week
Shanghai, China
14-20 January 2008
IMM Cologne The International Furniture Fair
Cologne, Germany
www.koelnmesse.de
16-21 April 2008
International Furniture Fair
Milan, Italy
www.cosmit.it Spring 2008
Dutch Design Month
Madrid, Spain
9-11 June 2008
NeoCon Chicago
Chicago, USA
www.merchandisemart.com/neocon
2010 World Expo Shanghai
Happy Street pavilion, J. Kormeling
www.expo2010china.com
January and July 2008
Amsterdam International Fashion Week
Amsterdam, the Netherlands
www.amsterdamfashionweek.com
2009
Arnhem Fashion Biennale
Arnhem, the Netherlands
www.arnhemmodebiennale.com
www.hollandtrade.com
11
Photo: Hollandse Hoogte

Making bobbin
lace with
fibreglass
12 Holland Product Design

To begin with, here are a few facts. The Dutch art movement
De Stijl originated in the Dutch city of Leiden. Rietveld, who
was one of the founders of the movement, invented the “L40
Lamp” in 1920, which consisted of three lamps pointing in
three different directions. Another example is contemporary
Dutch designer Niels van Eijk, who in 2002 invented the
“Bobbin Lace Lamp”, which is made of fibreglass. De Stijl
and the L40 and Bobbin Lace lamps have now been brought
together in the Diaconessenhuis hospital in Leiden, where
the interior and exterior of the building have been dedicated
to De Stijl. A special edition of Van Eijk’s “Bobbin Lace
Lamp”, which was inspired by Rietveld’s “L40”, hangs
in the hall. “Bobbin Lace” is actually manufactured on a
production line, but sometimes special editions are made.
For example, Las Vegas is home to a very exceptional one.
www.hollandtrade.com
The Foundation of Art and Public Space (SKOR) wanted a De
Stijl model for the Leiden hospital and whether or not it is a
special edition, making bobbin lace with fibreglass is certainly
pretty special in itself. What is more, the fibreglass fashioned
into bobbin lace using traditional methods also serves as
a light source. This juxtaposition of old techniques with
contemporary material is what gives the lamp the purpose
that Niels van Eijk and design partner Miriam van der Lubbe
incorporate in all of their products: asking questions about
the commonplace. Their designs make you look at the world
around you in a different way. Hotel china service with gold
spots and a bobbin lace made of fibreglass are both the result
of their quest to find ways to put a different spin on reality.
www.ons-adres.nl
www.skor.nl
photo: Gert Jan van Rooij / SKOR
13

‘People want to be in closer contact and use space
more judiciously. Our answer is the “500 Bench”,
which is a long desk divided up by partitions.’
14 Holland Product Design
Photo ANP

Ahrend company profile
Art, comfortable chairs and
table lamps in offices
The Dutch company Ahrend has been in existence for over 100 years and has been furnishing offices
throughout the world for decades. Amidst classic favourites and “state of the art” design agencies, we
had the opportunity to discuss the brand: introducing Ahrend, its new vision for office interiors and
Dutch Design.
By Arnoud Veilbrief
The “Revolt Chair” is a bonafide classic Dutch design and style
icon on a par with the “Philishave” or possibly even the “Fiat
500”. It is functional, sturdy and ergonomically designed. The
chair was introduced in 1953 and is now experiencing a real
revival. In 2005, the Italians raved about the chair at the trade
fair Fuori Salone del Mobile in Milan, and at the Woonbeurs
Amsterdam trade fair for home design the “Revolt” was named
“best home design product” of the year.
Ahrend’s history is every bit as extraordinary as that of its
famous chair. In Ahrend’s home market in the Netherlands it
has been the leading office furniture company for decades. The
company achieved international success in 1986, when it was
asked to furnish the headquarters of HSBC Bank in Hong Kong.
Ahrend later went on to furnish the London HSBC office, and the
premises of many other clients.
In straight lines
Billions of people the world over work in offices on a daily
basis and these offices have changed beyond all recognition in
recent decades. It used to be the case that wooden tables were
arranged in straight lines and there was not a computer in sight.
Ahrend’s Head of Communication, Remon van Rijn, recalls, ‘At
that time, the “Revolt” represented a watershed in the way
people thought about office furnishings’. He then points to a
desk with a large, thin top: the “Mehes” from 1972. ‘It was one
of the first modular desks, with a minimalist design,’ says Van
Rijn. The “Mehes” is another piece of furniture that still sells
well.
Next to Van Rijn sits designer Wijtse Rodenburg, who started
at Ahrend as a trainee in 1972 and worked on the “Mehes”. He
now teaches at the Design Academy Eindhoven, but has also
continued to work at Ahrend. ‘I’m even too old to work as a
Senior Designer’, laughs Rodenburg in self-mockery.
However, he is far from being out of design ideas. Rodenburg
has just won the prestigious Red Dot Award from design
institution Design Zentrum Nordrhein-Westfalen for the
“Ahrend 800”. A jury consisting of 24 people from 18 countries
chose Rodenburg’s desk from the 2548 entries by designers
from 43 different countries. Ahrend gave Rodenburg free reign
to design the “800”. ‘I wanted to make a modular, minimalist
desk,’ says Rodenburg. ‘It worked. There isn’t a knob or handle
www.hollandtrade.com
to be seen anywhere. However, they are all definitely there.
What’s more, all of the parts are interchangeable. The customer
is free to decide which parts should be made of wood, steel or
glass.’
Making the office feel more like home
Another goal for the “800” was to combine hominess with
an office style. According to Rodenburg, ‘The two styles
are becoming more and more similar. Offices don’t look
as businesslike as they used to; there are works of art and
comfortable chairs, just as you would find in a nice living room.
Those table lamps are another example’, he says, pointing at a
desk in the showroom. ‘At the same time, working areas in the
home are being made to look like offices. The “Ahrend 800”
was designed to suit both environments.’
There is worldwide trend towards integrating the domains of
the workplace and people’s private lives. The same is true as
regards the thinking about office furnishings. ‘People want to
be in closer contact and use space more judiciously’, says Van
Rijn. Ahrend’s answer to this trend is the “ 500 Bench”, which
is a long desk that is divided up by cloth partitions that provide
the necessary privacy. The “500” was the success story of the
Neocon trade fair in Chicago in June 2007.
There is also a trend towards increasingly similar furniture being
selected for offices in different countries. Van Rijn relates,
‘Exxonmobil is a good example. They say that if you work
for them, then you have the right to a good workstation, no
matter where you are in the world. They always have the same
standards, regardless of the average quality of the furnishings in
the country in question. They want to be the same everywhere.
Of course, it is flattering that a company like that has opted for
our “Mehes” system.’
People are often interested in Wijtse Rodenburg’s background
as a Dutch designer. ‘Being renowned in the field wasn’t
our primary aim, but foreigners do often talk about “Dutch
Design”. When I ask them what they mean exactly, they say, “a
combination of attractive, functional design and reliability. It
often also has a sort of down-to-earth humour to it. That’s nice
to hear, don’t you think?’
www.ahrend.com
Anne Frank House, Amsterdam, Benthem Crouwel Architekten
15

A story of tough denim and Dutch talent
G-Star: Raw Denim as
a fashion tour de force
‘On the outside, G-Star is rock n’ roll, but on the inside it’s like a Swiss watch’, says Patrick
Kraaijeveld. This is the story of a company called G-Star, its pursuit of new talented designers and its
success, which is just as much about good business sense as it is about creativity.
By Bregje Lampe
Admittedly, the Dutch are not known for their discriminating
fashion sense. However, the Netherlands is a real trading
nation. It may look small on the world map, but it is large in
terms of exports, and Dutch fashion brands and designers are
enjoying more and more success abroad.
Take the jeans brand G-Star, for instance. Founded in 1989,
the company now has 4900 sales outlets worldwide, of which
almost 100 are G-Star Mono Brand Stores. In 2006, the turnover
amounted to 470 million euros. At the beginning of 2007, the
Dutch jeans brand put on its own show for the first time during
the New York Fashion Week, which is an event that could easily
be called the Mount Everest of the fashion world. According to
G-Star Export Manager Patrick Kraaijeveld, ‘Dutch designers are
very gutsy. Our designs are more frivolous than, say, those by
the six Belgian designers known as the “Antwerp Six”. When
it comes to jeans, the Dutch designers are even trendsetters.
Of course, G-Star’s design team is made up largely of Dutch
people, although head designer Pierre Morisset is French, but
there are also a great many Dutch designers working for other
denim companies.’
Businesslike creativity
In Kraaijeveld’s opinion, however, the company’s typically
Dutch image can be attributed to more than just the design
department. ‘G-Star is above all very businesslike. We deliver
16 Holland Product Design
on time, have enough products in stock and settle everything
with care. Apart from being reflected in the collection,
innovation is part of who we are. G-Star was the first denim
company that did not force retailers to purchase hundreds of
pairs of trousers immediately, because products can easily be
reordered thanks to our stock system. For the last four years,
we have launched a new collection every month. Right now, we
are in the process of expanding that system to offer a complete
line per month. Customers then see new products in the shops
all the time, which increases sales for us and for the retailers.
You might say that on the outside, G-Star is rock n’ roll, but on
the inside it’s like a Swiss watch.’
When G-Star was launched in 1989 it was called Gapstar. The
name was changed to G-Star in 1994 to prevent a legal dispute
with American clothing giant Gap. Just like the rest of the jeans
world, G-Star started out selling blue jeans with a distressed
look. The launch of “Elwood Jeans” in 1996 was the company’s
big breakthrough in the international arena. Over seven million
of pairs of the famous model with the three-dimensional
knee patches have been sold since then. ‘Since 1996, we have
continued to build on a single clear idea, which is G-Star RAW
denim. The message is that you can do anything, as long it’s
“Raw”,’ says Kraaijeveld.
He continues, ‘it’s not that we’re ashamed of our Dutch roots,
but we don’t consciously market G-Star as a Dutch brand.

First and foremost, our advertisements are international.’ They
have to be as well, because the Netherlands accounts for only
15 percent of G-Star’s total market. The United States and a
number of Asian countries will be the most important growth
markets in the years to come.
Not just any jeans brand
The company had planned to show its collection during the New
York Fashion Week for quite some time. ‘Slowly but surely, we
are gaining a foothold in the U.S. market. We worked on it for
a long time before we were ready. Everything had to be just
right: the collection, the sales organisation. However, putting
on a show during the New York Fashion Week is the single most
effective way to promote your collection there. Having your own
show lets people know that you’re not just any jeans brand, and
it was extremely good for the G-Star image,’ says Kraaijeveld.
G-Star is working hard on that image in the Netherlands, as
well. For example, G-Star was one of the sponsors at the
recent Arnhem Fashion Biennale, which is a biannual event
where both Dutch and foreign fashion designers can show their
The Arnhem Fashion Biennale was proof positive of G-Star’s clear intention to provide a steppingstone
for talented, up-and-coming Dutch designers. In 2007, designs by the following three promising Dutch
designers were on show in Arnhem:
Merel Boers
Merel Boers (26) graduated with honours
from the Rietveld Academy last year. Her
graduation project consisted of a series
of three-dimensional garments made
largely of black threads. Immediately after
graduating, she was awarded the BLVD
fashion prize, and at the beginning of
this year she won a place in the final of
the Lancôme Colour Design Awards that
was held recently in Paris. Boers is well
aware that, at this stage, she will not be
able to make any money from designing
couture. However, she can work in applied
fields, creating such things as designs and
fashion illustrations for magazines. Boers
and her boyfriend are currently working
on a collection to be presented during the
Amsterdam Fashion Week in July. The next
step will be selling her designs.
www.missblackbirdy.com
Jan Taminiau
Jan Taminiau (32) graduated with honours
from the Arnhem branch (HkA) of the
ArtEZ Institute of the Arts in 2001 and
completed his Master’s degree at the
Fashion Institute Arnhem in 2003. During
his studies, he gained experience working
with Oscar Suleyman, Olivier Theykens
and corset designer Hubert Barrere.
Recently, Jan Taminiau was the only
Dutch designer to receive permission to
show his collection during the couture
week in the fashion mecca that is Paris.
Taminiau has a studio in Tilburg, where
he creates garments for a growing pool of
regular clients. He has his own PR agency
with offices in the Netherlands and Paris.
www.jantaminiau.com
www.hollandtrade.com
work. According to Kraaijeveld, ‘For us, denim is a fashion
product. That’s why we consider it important to contribute
to the Arnhem Fashion Biennale, because it’s a platform for
“contemporary fashion”. Like at the show in New York, we can
let people see that G-Star is also fashion.’
Another reason why G-Star is an avid investor in the Arnhem
Fashion Biennale is that it helps the company come into contact
with young fashion designers. Styling & Design Manager Paulien
Barendregt says, ‘We think we can bridge the gap between the
professional reality and the academies. Many Dutch designers
have a poor understanding of how the design world works in
practice when they leave the academy. I find the discussion
about the gap between creativity and the professional reality
very interesting. As an established Dutch brand, I believe that
we can make a very valuable contribution to that discussion.
At the end of the day, it’s in everyone’s interest to develop a
strong group of Dutch designers.’
www.g-star.com
Bas Kosters
Bas Kosters (30) graduated from the
Enschede branch (AKI) of the ArtEZ
Institute of the Arts in 2001 and finished
his Master’s degree at the Fashion
Institute Arnhem in 2003. Kosters won
the professional judges’ choice prize
at the Robijn Fashion Awards for his
“two teacups and a frying pan” line.
The collection consists of wild, colourful
garments that Kosters presents with a live
pop band in the background. Kosters is a
great fan of second-hand clothes, do-ityourself
styling and customised clothing.
In 2004, he designed a limited edition
pram for Bugaboo. In the meantime, his
clothing is now selling in small amounts,
mainly to young “creative people”.
www.baskosters.com
17

What’s New
Fashion
Climate-neutral clothing
Now that fair trade is already a goal and the use of organic
cotton is being encouraged, the Dutch fashion industry can
further enhance its record with respect to Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR). This is because it so happens that Dutch
clothing company DutchSpirit is the first brand in the world
to make climate-neutral products by reducing CO2 emissions
during the manufacturing process and, where necessary,
compensating for them by planting trees. What is more,
together with other organisations, DutchSpirit is researching
how CO2 emissions can be reduced. July 2007, the climateneutral
designs were presented for the first time on the catwalk
during Live Earth Alert in Amsterdam. The use of different
fabrics and the simplicity of the models, combined with
craftsmanship, are what make the collection stand out
Guardian Angel
The motto of bag makers
Vlieger & Vandam is “You are
what you wear”, which the
company took quite literally
in creating its “Guardian
Angel” series. These “armed”
handbags appear to carry
weapons, and are therefore a
comment on society. You can
clearly see the contours of a
knife or a gun through the bag.
Vlieger & Vandam find bags
interesting because the wearer
New Shopping in Japan
In recognition of her extraordinary achievements in the
Japanese market, Dutch designer Susan Bijl won the 2006
Deshima Award for excellence in export to and business with
Japan. After studying at the Willem de Kooning Academy in
Rotterdam, Susan designed “The New Shoppingbag”. She
came up with the idea spontaneously and the bag was originally
intended for friends and personal use only. However, the bag
can now be found in shops the world over and is an enormous
success, particularly in Japan. “The New Shoppingbag” is
functional, is based on a simple design and is available in over
50 different colour combinations.
The Deshima Award was created in 2000 to honour businesses
that have acquired a unique position in the Japanese market.
18 Holland Product Design
from the rest. Trade journal Textilia called the collection
‘innovative’ and the weekly Vrouwenmode declared it “Young
Fashion”.
www.dutchspiritfashion.com
www.hier.nu
can make a statement by carrying a particular bag. In the
words of Vlieger & Vandam, ‘We drew inspiration from the
exaggerated media reports of the crime in Rotterdam, where
we live. These bags represent a protest against the illusion that
there is a threat to safety and the notion that you can protect
yourself by carrying a weapon. That offers pseudo-protection
against a pseudo-threat.’ The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in
New York recently included the bag collection in its permanent
collection.
www.vliegervandam.com
Every year, it is the task
of the Dutch Chamber of
Commerce in Japan, the
Dutch Embassy in Tokyo
and the Dutch Ministry
of Economic Affairs to
select the recipient of
the award. Susan Bijl
won the award in the
small and medium-sized
enterprises category.
www.susanbijl.nl
Model: Alena Fazlic

Photo: Jan Schrijver
gsus fashion: dripping with
humor
In 14 years time, gsussindustries
has developed from a small Dutch
store into a clothing company
that operates worldwide and
whose collection is available in
28 countries. Every year, four
collections are sold in over 2000
shops. Recently, gsus began
offering staggered deliveries,
which allow shop owners to
display a different array of
colours every month. Over the
years the signature gsus-style has
become more and more clearly
defined, combining individuality
with a pinch of self-mockery, a
Cheeky ATTI illustrations
Dutch designer ATTI makes products, illustrations and large
murals. ATTI has its own product line, which includes Kitty
pillows, Sexy Bedsets and baby suits. The idea behind the
Kitty pillow is that if you are allergic to cats, you may still
want to have a furry friend on the sofa with you. It is a very
pettable product. ATTI also has its own line for the Japanese
fashion brand Robe Picnic, a brand that is designed for
young Japanese women who love “cute stuff”. Japanese
shops carry the T-shirts, hooded sweaters, slippers, purses
and bags with her prints. ATTI’s style is lively, cheeky and
straightforward. ATTI’s work featured at the International
Furniture Fair in Milan, Arhem Fashion Biennale, Dutch
Fashion Week, Arti et Amicitiae, Platform 21, Superstore
Modefabriek and GEM.
www.atti.nl
Daryl van Wouw with actress and
model Bracha van Doesburgh.
www.hollandtrade.com
good dose of humour and an unexpected use of contrasts. The
designers have a tongue-in-cheek approach to fashion clichés
and always try to place them in a different context. In one of
the first collections (‘93) a conservative pinstripe, mostly found
in uptight business garments, was used for oversized skate
pants. Other familiar items from the first collections were the
faux-fur bikini´s. The collection has evolved since then, but the
rebellious, thought-provoking character is still clearly visible.
gsus has become a member of the Fair Wear Foundation (FWF),
which has developed a Code of Labour Practices. By endorsing
this code, it has committed itself to monitoring labour
conditions in its factories and implementing improvements,
where necessary.
www.gsus.nl
80s old skool: Asian folklore style
In July 2007, Daryl van Wouw showed his collection during
the Amsterdam International Fashion Week. In addition to the
women’s collection, Daryl introduced his first men’s line in 2007.
The colourful collection consists largely of unisex pieces and
includes everything last detail. The collection has a tough and
rebellious flair and the women’s line is especially sexy. Daryl van
Wouw drew inspiration from the “old skool” look of the mid-
1980s for this collection, adding a touch of today’s Asian folklore
style, in both its modern and traditional form. He knows better
than anyone how to take the “street” look and turn it into a
powerful collection. Instead of once again using the “all-over
Daryl print”, he replaced it with bold graphic prints of origami
and taut lines. The silhouettes are varied and reminiscent of
1920s and 30s glamour. The palette includes three primary and
seven secondary colours, with white forming the base colour. A
myriad of different materials have been used, from street and
chic fabrics to cotton, denim and jerseys, as well as cashmere,
braided bamboo and other knitwear and silk.
www.darylvanwouw.com
19

What’s New
Industrial Design
Works like a digital camera
Traditional specialist electron microscopes are so costly that
some universities or small research laboratories cannot afford
them. FEI Company had this target group in mind in particular
Making it easy for you to take your baby out on the
town
The visitors to a forum on the site of a Dutch consumers’
organisation had no problem listing the plus points of the Quinny
Zapp: ‘A fantastic pram, very easy to use, very compact when
folded up, extremely easy to manoeuvre, handles as if it were
on rails, very lightweight.’ The pram is a godsend for parents
who enjoy taking their bundle of joy out on the town, because
it is one of the smallest in the world at 69 cm, weighs six kilos
and is exceedingly easy to manoeuvre, thanks to its three-wheel
design. Also, the front wheel can rotate 360 degrees. You can
also quickly collapse and fold up the pram, which easily fits
in the smallest car boot or on aircraft. With its taut lines and
lightweight mat silver finish, the Quinny Zapp’s daring design
makes it very noticeable. Depending on their taste, parents can
choose from an array of striking colours such as lime-green,
Beer available everywhere
Small restaurants and bistros
sometimes have too little room for
large draught beer systems or do
not find them lucrative because they
do not sell enough beer. Heineken
wanted to find a way to solve this
problem and asked npk industrial
design to design a fully fledged
draught beer system that would fit
into narrow spaces and would be
mobile and easy to use. The Xtreme
Draught was npk’s answer.
20 Holland Product Design
when it developed a compact and affordable high-resolution
electron microscope called the Phenom. Commissioned by
FEI Company, design agency VanBerlo designed the casing,
individual components and the user interface based on a
technical prototype. The result is a desktop electron microscope
that is just as easy to use as a digital camera and is also
economical. That is the beauty of the Phenom, according to
Boudewijn Soetens at VanBerlo: ‘Compared to the high-end
electron microscopes, the Phenom is relatively inexpensive,
but the fact that it allows you to view details at the nanometre
level means that it has a much higher magnification power than
optical light microscopes. In addition, the Phenom is easy to
operate; there is no need for users to undergo intensive training
to learn how to use it.’ The Phenom was presented at the end of
2006 and launched on the market at the start of 2007.
www.vanberlo.nl
ocean blue, deep red,
hot pink, olive green or
cool black. The pram is
designed for babies, toddlers
and children under five and a
Maxi-Cosi baby car seat can
easily be attached to the
pram. The Quinny Zapp
comes complete with the
following “essentials”
that no parent should do
without: a sunshade, a parasol, a travel bag and an adaptor for a
Maxi-Cosi baby car seat.
www.quinny.com
The Xtreme Draught is an ultra-light mobile draught beer
system on wheels, thus combining a super-compact design
with tremendous mobility. The Xtreme Draught tap can be
dismantled and is made of synthetic materials, which make it
energy-efficient, light and strong. The system can hold both
10-litre and 20-litre kegs, which are attached to carbon dioxide
cartridges to add the bubbles. The kegs are placed in a built-in
electric refrigerator, but even if there is no electricity, the beer
will remain cool for a couple of hours. The Xtreme Draught’s
wheels mean that the system is easy to move around at
pavement cafés or events.
www.npk.nl

Lightweight design means greater comfort
In addition to being fashion items, sunglasses of course have
a practical use as well. Sunglasses must be functional, but
they obviously should not get in the user’s way. Designer Timo
Voorhuis of Studio Bizq asked himself, ‘What would really make
sunglasses more comfortable?’. He decided that the answer
was to make them lighter and proceeded to design the Zero-
G sunglasses, which weigh less than five grams, whereas the
average pair of sunglasses weighs at least twice as much. The
frame, which is made of one-millimetre-thick titanium, is one of
the factors that make these sunglasses lighter than the average
pair. However, the most extraordinary parts are the lenses,
which are made of a synthetic film. Normally, lenses are a few
millimetres thick, but this film is 0.01 millimetres thick, which
further reduces the total weight. The film is applied to the
inside of the frame and is shrunk by heat treatment to achieve
the right tension and a smooth surface. Besides being lighter,
the film also does not cause distortion: light is distorted when
it passes through materials with different refractive properties,
but the amount of distortion is proportional to the thickness
of the lens, so the Zero-Gs cause considerably less visual
distortion than sunglasses with conventional lenses.
www.bizq.nl
How convenient is the Bugaboo?
After featuring in the American series “Sex and the City”, the
Bugaboo pram became extremely popular all over the world.
Parents do not buy Bugaboos just because of the product’s
familiarity and design, but also because it is convenient. The
pram can easily manoeuvre around the hurdles presented by
On the wish list of DIY enthusiasts
Tough, robust and comfortable are the
catchwords that best describe the series of
tools in Ferm’s POWER RANGE. With their
modern design, high quality and reasonable
price, these tools are not likely to go unnoticed. It
is therefore not surprising that they are very popular with
consumers: the POWER RANGE tools that are already available
in shops are selling like there is no tomorrow. Brandes en
Meurs industrial design, which is located in the Dutch city of
Utrecht, was commissioned to design the POWER RANGE
product line. A study was conducted to determine the
most important aspects of the brand, after which
www.hollandtrade.com
Timo Voorhuis of
Studio Bizq:
‘My working method
is methodical and
derived from one used
by the Delft University
of Technology, which
allows you to work
towards the final
concept in various phases. The important part is that the client
gains an understanding of what is happening and is involved
in that process. That way, I arrive at a final product that the
client is happy with and that incorporates my own creative
contribution. That system works well, both for clients around
the corner here in the Netherlands, and for those on the other
side of the world.’
busy shops, tight lifts and turnstiles. But how can you show
shopping people how convenient the Bugaboo really is at a
glance and with a simple display? Kubik took up the challenge
and designed a modular display for the latest Bugaboo model,
the Bee. The display consists of a white cube with a situation
clearly illustrating the pram’s flexibility shown on each side of
the cube: a turnstile at the entrance to the metro, the boot of
a car, a baggage scan at the airport, a stairway and a cupboard.
The cube is modular, you can install it yourself, and it fits into
lifts, can be used in both the United States and Europe and
shows the most important advantages of the Bugaboo known as
the Bee. The cube was presented in Studio 450 in New York and
it will go on to tour the United States and Europe.
www.thinkubik.com
they were incorporated into a striking and
distinctive design. However, Brandes en
Meurs also ensured that the tools were userfriendly
and safe. In the meantime, Ferm is
in the process of further expanding its line of
POWER tools, to include an 18V lithium-ion drill, for
example. Compared to nickel cadmium batteries,
the lithium-ion battery in this rechargeable drill
lasts longer, is more environmentally-friendly and
is also more powerful (18 volts and 2.2 amps),
which means you can drill large holes.
www.brandesenmeurs.nl
21

What’s New
Interior Products
Rietveld by Rietveld
If you think that Dutch designers did not become players in
the international design scene until recently, you should think
again. Architect, designer and furniture maker Gerrit Rietveld
of the De Stijl movement created the world-famous “Red and
Blue Chair” 90 years ago. Rietveld’s grandchildren knew him as
more than the creator of the famous chair that is now on display
in the Rietveld Schröderhuis museum and are thus carrying on
his legacy under the name “RIETVELD by rietveld”. They have
taken Rietveld’s 215 furniture designs and chosen to relaunch
a number of them on the market in order to make Rietveld’s
designs available to a wider public. This may seem an odd choice,
given the astronomical amounts paid at auction for genuine
Rietvelds. However, grandson Egbert Rietveld explains, ‘It isn’t
going to be like the Swedish idea of something being “affordable
for everyone”, but we can finally make Gerrit’s dream of machine
manufactured furniture come true’. For instance, in collaboration
with office interior design firm Gispen, they have reintroduced
Eindhoven graduate conquers the world
Kiki van Eijk is one of the many graduates of the internationally
renowned Design Academy Eindhoven. Kiki’s collection can be found
in galleries and museums in London, Paris, New York, Milan, Tokyo
and Amsterdam. In addition to her collection of “soft” furniture,
her carpets, including the “Kiki Carpet”, “Rose
Lace” and “Hexagon Lace”, are also selling very
well. These modern carpets are manufactured
using traditional methods. The hexagons in the
“Hexagon Lace” are interwoven in a pattern
that further enhances the geometric aspect
of the carpet. The colours themselves are
especially powerful and lively, with a
great deal of contrast. Elle Deco NL
nominated the “Hexagon Lace” as
Decoration, hanger or hat rack?
If it is not a hat rack, or a clothes hanger or a work of art, what is it?
It is all three in one: the “Kangaroo wall wardrobe”. Both whimsical
and practical, this interior piece combines the advantages of a
clothes hanger with coat hooks. And whenever the “Kangaroo”
is not in use, it is still extremely decorative. Designer Robert
Bronwasser says the following about the “Kangaroo”: ‘If you want
to hang up your jacket or coat neatly at home or in the office, you
often need a hook on the wall with a separate hanger. However,
the hanger and hook attract your attention, even when they are
not in use. I want to take full advantage of these two situations by
integrating functionality and design.’ The “Kangaroo” is made of
cast aluminium and is available in white, black, green, orange and a
polished aluminium model that is sure to catch the eye.
22 Holland Product Design
the “Mondial Chair”. When
the chair was presented at
the 1958 Expo in Brussels, it
was intended for worldwide
use, but in the end, it
was only in production
for a short time (a total
of 250 units were made).
However, thanks to modern
welding techniques, it is
The “Mondial”: both a design classic and a
chair for the whole world
entirely possible these days to manufacture the chair as Rietveld
intended: fashioned from a single piece with a sturdy aluminium
seat. In this way, the “Mondial” will become a design classic after
all, and at the same time it will also be used across the world.
www.rietveld-by-rietveld.com
www.gerrit-rietveld.nl
the “best floor covering design” for 2006. At the same time, Kiki was
also nominated as “best young designer” of 2006. Her work can be
found everywhere; together with Joost van Bleijswijk, she created
the “Quality Time” collection, which featured at the International
Furniture Fair in Milan. The collection consisted of
four rooms in an abstract style, where, over the
course of ten days, the two brought to life the
four elements in life that are most important
to them - food, play, life and sleep.
www.kikiworld.nl
www.projectjoost.com
The “Hexagon Lace”, with its
interwoven geometric pattern.
The “Kangaroo” has been included in the collection of Cascando,
which is a Dutch manufacturer of high-quality interior accessories.
www.smool.nl
www.cascando.nl

Madam Rubens’ extreme makeover
Most of the waste in this world is either destined for recycling or
targeted incineration. However, this does not apply to mattresses.
Frank Willems found this amazing and started folding discarded foam
mattresses to make comfortable, voluminous chairs. He fashioned
shapely legs from a discarded antique chair. Next, he applied a
coating of a colour of his choice to the folded mattress, creating a
voluptuous Madam Rubens that is once again fresh, water-resistant,
hygienic and totally modern. And as befits a true lady, the chair
never looks the same twice - each one is an original with different
legs and a unique shape and colour. The process of treating the
mattresses is intensive and takes ten weeks, but yields an end
product that is also quite extraordinary and can be made to order.
According to Frank Willems, ‘People are often very enthusiastic
at fairs abroad. Despite being kind of an odd-looking little stool,
the “Madam Rubens” still retains all its aesthetic value.’ In 2003,
Willems won a prize for the chair, which was awarded for the most
useful application for waste. The prize was presented by waste
processing company AVR.
www.frankwillems.net
Traditional ceramics on your desk
Years ago, Royal Tichelaar ceramics were just ceramics.
However, since undergoing a process of modernisation
and involving great Dutch designers like Hella Jongerius
and Marcel Wanders in the creation of their products,
Tichelaar’s ceramics have again become “hot” both literally
and metaphorically, and they continue to take things to
another level. Tichelaar’s latest project is a series of office
supplies designed by Dick van Hoff entitled
“Work”. For the designs of two lamps, a
clock, a vase
and a pen
holder, wood
became one of
the materials
used by the
Store your books on a piece of pure happiness
Frederik Roijé’s designs are always inspired by his fascination
with shapes. This time, the shape of sound waves captured his
imagination and then he came up with the design. Based on his
fascination, he set out to find the required combination of shapes
that would convey the message and the necessary production
methods. The “Storylines” were the result: bookshelves in the
shape of a sound wave representing a particular spoken word or
even an entire sentence. For the worldwide launch of his product,
Roijé used the sound waves for the word “bliss”. So now you
can store your books on a piece of pure happiness. The shelves
are manufactured using a special machine that folds the metal in
tight curves to achieve the right shape and letters. There is also a
connector available that allows you to join several shelves together,
thus creating a whole lot of happiness in your living room. You can
position the shelves horizontally, vertically, or in any other way
possible, and you can use as many shelves as you want.
www.hollandtrade.com
company, in addition to the usual ceramics. This gave the
material a whole new dynamic. Traditional design becomes
functional, while a freshness is added to an otherwise
dull office environment. Tichelaar did not ask just anyone
to design the collection – the Boijmans van Beuningen
Museum in Rotterdam has been collecting Dick van Hoff’s
work for some time. His creations are also included in the
collection of design collective
Droog. Incidentally, Royal
Tichelaar also recently
recruited fashion designer
Alexander van Slobbe as one of
its suppliers.
www.tichelaar.nl
www.vanhoffontwerpen.nl
The bookshelves have become an international success because, as
Roijé explains: ‘The concept of this Dutch design is also based on
functionality. It’s beautiful, but it is also functional’.
www.roije.com
www.storylines.nl
23

Publications Mail Agreement # 40721581
Holland
Product Design
Dutch design links
BNO
The Association of Dutch Designers (BNO) is the trade organisation
for designers and design firms in the Netherlands. Its members are
active in communication, product and spatial design and in all the
specialist areas they encompass. The BNO represents a total of
6,700 designers.
www.bno.nl
Premsela
Since 2002, the Premsela foundation has been actively involved
in improving the design climate in the Netherlands. To achieve
this, Premsela takes various approaches, as design and fashion
can touch on anything from culture and economics to crafts and
industry and anyone from designers and manufacturers to clients
and users to amateurs and professionals, both in the Netherlands
and abroad. In its role as a platform for design and fashion, Premsela
organises lectures, debates and exhibitions, in addition to
conducting research, writing publications and issuing information
and advice.
www.premsela.org
Dutch Designers Database
The website www.dutchdesigners.com features a link to an up-todate
database of Dutch designers who are active in all the various
disciplines. Clients, journalists, designers and students can carry
out a search by name, product or other criteria to find registered
Dutch designers and their recent work.
www.dutchdesigners.com
Design.nl
Design.nl is a portal to the world of Dutch design. It is ideal for
professionals, clients and Dutch and foreign students who want to
stay on top of the latest design news. The site highlights existing
projects in the Netherlands and abroad and provides a detailed
calendar of events.
www.design.nl
Dutch Design in Development
Dutch Design in Development (DDiD) assigns Dutch designers to
small producers in developing countries, who collaborate with
local designers and artisans to design new products that are in line
with Western trends and fashion.
www.ddid.nl
www.hollandtrade.com
DesignMatcher
The DesignMatcher website is intended for enthusiasts and
collectors of 20th century design. It consists of a portal with
an integrated worldwide marketplace for trading in exclusive
second-hand design furniture. The DesignGallery, which is the
largest design encyclopaedia on the Internet, forms an integral
part of the website.
www.designmatcher.com
VIVID centre for design
Designws.com was launched by the VIVID centre for design in
Rotterdam. VIVID, a foundation whose mission is to note and
report new trends in design, is both a real-world and virtual
centre. VIVID provides the latest news on design events and
organises public exhibitions of cutting-edge design ideas, concepts
and products.
www.designws.com
Platform 21
Platform 21 is a centre for design, fashion and creation, which
focuses on contemporary issues and topics that will be relevant
in the future. It’s aim is to create dynamic spaces for a variety of
projects and activities that raise questions and provide insight
into the shape of the world around us.
www.platform21.com
MODINT
MODINT is the trade organisation for suppliers of clothing,
fashion accessories and (interior) textiles and carpets. The
organisation has over 850 members, accounting for an
aggregate industrial and wholesale turnover of € 4 billion in the
Netherlands and € 2.5 billion on export markets. The products
range from every type of ladies’, men’s, baby and children’s
clothing to interior textiles and fashion accessories.
www.modint.nl
Dutch Fashion Foundation
The Dutch Fashion Foundation (DFF) strives to strengthen the
cultural, economic and social role of Dutch fashion on a national
and international level. DFF manages a network of talented Dutch
fashion designers. Its activities have led to the expansion of a
national and international interdisciplinary network. DFF manages
this network to shape a contact point and quality guarantee for
all parties, commercial and non-commercial, that want to work
with the highest level of contemporary Dutch fashion.
www.dutchfashionfoundation.com
Photo: Hollandse Hoogte