By Editor Design.nl / 02-02-2010

Alexander van Slobbe (1959) is one of the pioneers who put the Netherlands on the map in the international world of fashion. Already celebrating his 20th anniversary, this fashion designer has remained a best kept secret in the Netherlands.

All the more reason for the Centraal Museum Utrecht to host a large exhibition to honour this master of refined, minimalist design and also front runner of the Dutch Modernism that is characteristic of Dutch fashion design. Van Slobbe himself has taken an active hand in the development and realisation of the exhibition ‘Fashion for thought’.

Fashion for thought
Alexander van Slobbe is extremely weary of fashion fads. The designer’s independent attitude is a cause for intrigue: how does his mind work and how do his designs take shape? The exhibition ‘Fashion for thought’ therefore not only displays his finished designs, but also provides insight into the dynamics and creative process involved in fashion design. The exhibition will include items from Van Slobbe’s personal archives, such as patterns, fabric samples, film footage and photos, as well as recent collaborations with for example Claudy Jongstra, Royal Tichelaar Makkum, Marc Mulders and PUMA.

Alexander van Slobbe
Van Slobbe was always far ahead of his time. From the start of his career he has shown a constant interest in the design process, craftsmanship, quality and construction. In the fashion industry this trend only emerged in the late nineties, as a reaction against the industrialisation of fashion. Technique and the creative hand are once again the main focus. Taking the forefront in the Netherlands, Alexander van Slobbe now serves as an important inspiration to current Dutch designers.

Alexander van Slobbe graduated cum laude at the art academy of Arnhem in the Netherlands. Since the late eighties, his designs have been admired worldwide in cities such as Paris, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Vienna, Stockholm and Hong Kong. In 1988 he founded the women’s fashion label Orson + Bodil, successfully followed in 1993 by the men’s label SO. In 2003 he was awarded the Prins Bernard Cultuurfonds Prijs.

Fashion and costume collection
As early as the nineties, the Centraal Museum was the first museum to collect designs by Alexander van Slobbe. The Centraal Museum’s fashion and costume collection is one of the most prominent in the Netherlands. The museum organises fashion exhibitions on a regular basis, displaying the diversity of the collection, but also reflecting current developments in fashion design. In this respect, the Centraal Museum has taken a leading role.

Holland Art Cities
This exhibition is part of the official programme of Holland Art Cities 2009-2010. This festival pools the resources of ten major museums in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht to present an unprecedented wealth of art treasures.

Main image, images 1&2: Alexander van Slobbe, Orson + Bodil, Summer 2009 and winter 2009/2010, Photography: JR-X
Image 3: Alexander van Slobbe, Orson + Bodil, Winter 2005. Photography: Anuschka Blommers and Niels Schumm

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