Innocence is not a virtue
Dutch design duo Spijkers en Spijkers, identical twin sisters Truus and Riet Spijkers have looked again to fuse the worlds of fashion and art for their Autumn/Wwinter 2005 / 2006 collection. Following shortly behind seasons art inspired affair, the twins have focused on the dreams and longings of dutch artist Lizzy Ansingh (the doll painter) to set the tome for this seasons collection.
The twins have used Lizzy Ansingh’s Doll house as one of the central influences for the collection. The Dolls house, now part of a public collection of 17th and 18th century dolls houses in the Netherlands, is part of a collection of dolls houses which were never intended for childs play, but built to keep the ladies occupied. Fitting inspiration perhaps, for a Spijkers en Spijkers collection. The doll house was bought by Ansingh in 1910 at an auction in Amsterdam from which it went on to become her world and reality, as well as her inspiration providing the subject for a series of eerily surreal paintings where the dolls came to life.
Spijkers en Spijkers continue to enforce their signature style throughout the collection. One which remains uncompromisingly romantic and partial to the influences of art deco and modernist styles of the 1920’s. Autumn Winter sees Spijkers introduce a silhouette, which runs throughout the collection with emphasis on a cinched waist and volume on the hips. Demonstrated through a chic range of dresses and separates in silk crepe, silk satin, brocade and wool and accompanied by square, curved and v-shaped necklines. Brocade, cashmere and mohair wool coats are created in keeping with the collections new take on the feminine ideal which, alongside a new collaboration with glove maker Nina Peter, (who has created soft leather elbow length gloves for Spijkers in black, ivory emerald green, and beige) make sure that the Spijkers girl is kept warm throughout the season. Continuing last season’s collaboration with Slovenian shoe designer Leonora Mark, shoes take the form of dolls shoes for adults, created in black patent leather and complete with 12 cm stiletto heel.
The Chinese geometric puzzle tangram is used to create various creatures on dresses and tops including cats and bluebirds in cyan blue, emerald green and mercury grey, which appear throughout the collection alongside a more muted colour palette of burgundy, black, beige, and grey continuing to demonstate Spijkers masterful use of colour and resulting in a collection of distinctive, yet wearable designs which maintain a precarious balance between past and present.