Guest blog by DIVOIAM: Fashion, what else?!

After an exciting couple of fashionable days, yesterday saw the final day of the Amsterdam Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2014. On this very last day Dutch talent proves that there is still plenty of ground left to be broken in footwear. Ground or ankles, who’s to say…

After an exciting couple of fashionable days, yesterday saw the final day of Amsterdam Fashion Week SS2014. On this very last day Dutch talent proves that there is still plenty of ground left to be broken in footwear. Ground or ankles, who’s to say…

The image of Victoria Koblenko walking in on the bamboo and tie wrap shoes from the designer’s ‘Mourning Cloak’ collection was a perfect illustration of what was yet to come. The East-European beauty might be the only one who could actually wear and walk in the incredible shoes – which ironically are part a collection that was inspired by Russia – that Rienstra would cater the audience with just moments after.

The entire show and collection were poetic, indeed, but all eyes were on those crazy shoes. I mean that in the most positive sense of the word. Those shoes were so crazy that the models had to be escorted the entire runway by the male seaters. Still, it wasn’t enough to prevent some from (nearly) falling. The last girl fell before she even turned the corner, but was warmly applauded when she made it onto the runway by the audience. Unfortunately she could not get the shoes back on so she had to grace the runway barefoot.

The pace that the models were moving at, even with their escorts, makes you wonder how far designers should go. I of course loved it, but at the risk of models breaking their ankles I could live without this type of beauty.

Not even 4 hours later Duran Lantink showed me, and the entire world basically, that it can always be more extreme during the ‘Lichting 2013’ show. 65 centimetres, that is the height of his 3D printed platform heels. The model had to literally be pulled onto the runway on a special carriage. Extreme is not extreme enough of a word to describe the grandeur of that runway-moment. With the model being elevated I felt so insignificant from my second row seat.

Is all this spectacle really necessary? No it’s not, but it’s fashion. No other reason is needed. Try sitting front row at a conceptually pleasing fashion show and feel the emotion that comes with it for yourself. Let your breathe be taken away and then come back and talk to me about reason. Fashion is and forever will be the only necessary reason.

Love, R.