FASHION DESIGNERS DISPLAY CREATIONS IN FORMER PROSTITUTION ESTABLISHMENTS

Redlight Fashion Amsterdam Part 2: CODE Gallery Store openes its doors

On Friday the 4th of April 2008, Code Magazine opened the CODE Gallery Store in the middle of Amsterdam´s Red Light District. Art & Fashion at the Oudezijds Achterburgwal 121.

Art & Fashion
The CODE Gallery Store features a constantly changing mix of fashion by designers participating in the Redlight Fashion project (including Bas Kosters, EnD, LEW, Jeroen van Tuyl and Jan Taminiau) and international designers such as the Danish Henrik Vibskov and Berlin-based Starstyling.

Sneakers, shoes, watches, accessories and art complete the CODE store. The photography on sale is available in various print qualities, varying from high-end limited editions to very affordable art prints in numbered editions.

Show off
The original character of the prostitutes´ work space has been retained. Beds, lighting; they´re all still partly there. Webcams have been installed throughout the store, so visitors can flaunt themselves in the window or in front of a camera, if they so desire.

Design
Zowie Jannink and Cris Bartels, both graduates of the Eindhoven Design Academy, were responsible for the store´s interior design. Jannink´s work is currently on display as part of the ‘Design and the Elastic Mind’ exhibition at the MoMA in New York. Bartels was twice nominated for several design awards during his years at the academy.

Brand Installation by Björn Borg
CODE introduces the ´brand installation´ concept at the store: art installations inspired by brands. Every month a brand will be able to present itself through an installation in one of the former work spaces.
Swedish lifestyle brand Björn Borg will kick things off by presenting a  ‘work space for business women´ a reference to recent discussions concerning the Red Light District.

Björn Borg has an ironic, humorous, naive view of the world. Arthur van Rongen, Björn Borg´s marketing manager: 

“To us, the Red Light District has become a very inspiring environment because of the presence of young design talents. Our products are not even for sale in the CODE Gallery Store. The brand installation is an autonomous object which will seduce visitors into briefly becoming a ´girl in a window.”�

Code Magazine
Quarterly magazine CODE was founded in 2006 and is distributed in the Netherlands, Belgium, Paris and Tokyo. In 2007, CODE initiated the bi-annual fashion event Off Schedule which is held during the Amsterdam International Fashion Week. | www.code-mag.nl 

Redlight Fashion Amsterdam
The Redlight Fashion Amsterdam project was launched in January 2008 and is a collaboration between the municipality of Amsterdam, NV Stadsgoed and fashion recruitment & consultancy agency HTNK. In order to redevelop the centre and reduce crime in the area, NV Stadsgoed purchased several brothels. These buildings have been made available to Dutch fashion design talents until the end of the year and are currently being used as work/living spaces. 

Fashion -ranging from fully fledged couture to street couture- is on display in the Red Light District. The combination attracted fashion tourists and press from around the globe. Who could have imagined the Red Light District turning into a fashionable area? The CODE gallery store is a definite must see and may have the only window in this part of town you want to be spotted entering. For more information on Redlight Fashion Amsterdam and/or the participating designers: www.redlightfashionamsterdam.com 

www.iamsterdam.com  |  www.stadsgoed.nl   |  www.htnk.nl   

 Code Gallery Store opening hours: Wednesday - Sunday 12.00pm-21.00pm