Interviews | StyleBlog'N

Continuing my interviews with young and talented designers, I would like to present to you a Dutch fashion designer Catta Donkersloot and her label Imoto-chan.

Last Saturday I was hosted at Catta’s shop-studio in Amsterdam, where Catta, together with assistants, make high quality and affordable designs for women, babies and children.

Influenced by Japanese culture, Catta creates very feminine, unique and long-lasting collections.

The minimalistic style and modest colours combined with eye-catching prints, fabrics or finishing techniques make each piece an interesting work of art.

The exotic name of the label has Japanese origins too and translates as little sister.

Here are some of Catta’s designs. Enjoy 😉

photo by Lisa Kortenhorst

photo by Lisa Kortenhorst

You can find Catta’s collections both online and in the stores in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Leiden (since 2 May). For more information check: http://www.imoto-chan.com

In my next post I will share with you an interesting D.I.Y. from Catta. Stay in touch! 😉

A few days ago I had an interview with a young and talented Dutch menswear designer – Kim Bakker. Hereby I am happy to share with you her story and her designs.

In 2005 Kim graduated cum laude from the Amsterdam Fashion Institute. Her collection received the AMFI prize for the best graduate collection of the year. After graduation, she started working as a menswear designer for a number of brands. However, soon she realized that while designing for a brand that already had its signature style, she was missing her own style. The wish to be faithful to her own style drove Kim towards launching her own label.
In 2007 a new menswear label NŌN by KIM was founded.

“It is very difficult to start your own label. Besides being a designer you should have also entrepreneurial skills to manage and organize the whole processes from the idea to the final result.” Kim Bakker

In her designs Kim challenges the traditional patterns and seeks new ways to interpret the existing shapes. Driven by abstract concepts, she starts researching certain shaping principles and their background, later successfully incorporating them into men’s garments.
Kim’s signature style is minimalistic silhouettes free from unnecessary details and modest colors.
In addition to designing sober looks, Kim also cares about the sustainability aspect of the label. NŌN by KIM collections are being produced in factories in Portugal. Kim regularly checks the factory workers’ working conditions. Her collections are made from, among others, organic cotton, recycled wool/cashmere, left over stock fabrics and recycled polyester.
Kim periodically presents her collection during different fashion events. In January 2014 NŌN by KIM F/W 14/15 collection “Zero” was presented during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Amsterdam.

Here are some looks from NŌN by KIM F/W 14/15 collection “Zero” (photos are made by Peter Stigter). Enjoy 😉