20 January 2014, Amsterdam
Amsterdam Fashion Week
Autumn/Winter 14/15 collection – SIS by Spijkers en Spijkers
Around the World in a Day
The A/W 2014 SIS collection, Around the World in a Day, draws inspiration from Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne. While modern travel allows us to cross continents faster than ever before, imagination moves even more swiftly—transporting us anywhere in a heartbeat.
Although the hot air balloon has become the defining symbol of the collection, it does not appear in Verne’s original story. In the novel, Phileas Fogg briefly considers balloon travel, only to dismiss it as impractical and risky. Spijkers en Spijkers, however, embrace the romance of the skies. Their A/W 2014 journey unfolds by hot air balloon—where, with your head in the clouds, anything feels possible.
The collection finds its muse in Sophie Blanchard, history’s first female professional balloonist and one of its most romantic aeronauts. Making her debut flight in 1804, she quickly became a celebrated performer known for her daring spirit. Despite her courage, she was famously sensitive to loud noises—making the silent grace of balloon travel her ideal mode of flight.
The collection showcases the brand’s unmistakable graphic detailing and bold use of color. Warm tones drift across fabrics in soft, cloud-shaped patterns. Playful prints of colorful skies are layered into harmonious compositions. Classic 18th-century French landscape motifs are reimagined as airy aviation scenes filled with clouds, balloons, and airships.
This exclusive “travel print,” created especially for Spijkers en Spijkers by their longtime collaborator Martine Johanna, introduces a sense of lightness and serenity while adding an elegant, romantic dimension to the collection.
The A/W 2014 SIS collection pairs bright printed silk skirts and dresses with cozy sweaters and vests in merino and mohair, creating a refined winter silhouette. Super-soft wool twill pieces balance comfort and sophistication. For eveningwear, colorful dresses in Japanese twill feature graphic motifs that highlight the waist. Casual elements, including T-shirts and sweatshirts, complete the range, adorned with stylized cloud prints that subtly reference folkloric dot patterns.
Together, the collection captures a spirit of adventure, romance, and imagination—proving that in fashion, as in travel, the most extraordinary journeys begin in the mind.