By Cassandra Pizzey / 03-02-2011

Dutch menswear designer Kim Bakker of NÕN by KIM presented her latest collection named HOUSE of NÕN (Fall Winter 2011/12) at winterSALON/ last week. 

Again here no standard catwalk; the models/actors formed a tableau vivant displayed in various rooms around the Museum Willet Holthuysen in Amsterdam, where the show was presented. Bakker explains: "In this collection the feeling of comfort was very important; a catwalk show would be too fast and clean to present this collection properly." Instead, the models occupied five rooms where they acted out various day-to-day rituals such as folding laundry, laying the table and reading a book. Accompanied by a soundtrack relating to each action, the scenes "became a little surreal, almost like a film scene".

The collection includes various takes on the classic smoking jacket and jogging trousers with a quilted pattern, yet also oversized jackets, capes and cardigans. Bakker's comfortable knits adapt to the body without losing their somewhat unusual shape. The look of the garments is achieved by combining pattern making with working on a stand, making the pieces very constructed yet flowing at the same time. "The piece I like the most is the thick woolen jacket, with its knitted checkered pattern and oversized, geometric cut."

HOUSE of NÕN relates to Bakker's personal experiences of the home: "I began by collecting images relying on my intuition, when I analyzed them I noticed they all had to do with 'home'." The collection has a duality between nostalgia and modernism, which has been made clear through geometric patterns and high-tech materials, versus a reference to classic 'smoking jackets' and other timeless pieces. "Showing the collection in this setting, amongst 19th century objects, heightens the atmosphere of the collection."

"I like to show that there is a world of different/new garments and constructions outside traditional menswear. Also, protecting the environment is an important factor in my work," says Bakker. "This is achieved through the use of ecological fibres and styles that won't go out of fashion, as well as keeping a close watch on technological developments." In addition to the knitted fabrics, typical of her work, Bakker uses recycled wool and a fabric that won't stain or need ironing. "Some of the T-shirts have silver in the yarn, which makes it anti bacterial. All these developments mean less washing is needed."

Click on the images to enlarge

Photography: Team Peter Stigter

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