Journal 001: Long Live the Artsy
Night settles over studio lights and thrifted silk; you can hear scissors thinking. In this city of early adopters, I’m done with obedient outfits. The it-girl is changing shape. She’s not algorithm polished or nepotism fueled; she’s weird & artsy and listening to grunge rock, a collage of paint under nails, bike grease on denim, and ideas that bruise if you touch them.
The new current (and why you feel it on your skin)
In fashion, silhouette is politics. Every return to conservative styles has forecast a conservative turn in culture. And yet, even those who once cheered restraint can feel the air thinning. What’s next isn’t quieter, it’s clearer. The city’s cool people aren’t dressing for approval; they’re dressing like they mean it. That’s the mood on the streets from De Pijp to Noord: Amsterdam has fashion with a pulse, not a posture.
Merit over proximity
The overnight magnetism of creators like Rama Dawaji didn’t arrive with a PR pedigree, it arrived with work. The era of the hand-me-down spotlight is closing. We’re not rewarding access; we’re rewarding thought. This is where the artsy people steps forward: they read, debate, edit, stitch, and refuse to file off the interesting edges.
Stylistic code: studied, messy, lived-in
I’m bored of perfectly curated outfits that feel like mood-board reheats, and considering everything I've seen during fashion week, everyone is. Give me:
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Jackets with a second life, curated vintage, deconstructed tailoring, visible mending.
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Looks that read like a passport, textures from Istanbul, hardware from Berlin, a cuff found in a flea at Waterlooplein.
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Grunge layering that says “I simply do not care about your opinion."
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Rocker style carved by living it.
This is not anti-luxury; it’s pro-criteria. Taste isn’t the sum of your receipts. It’s years of looking into galleries, reading, peeking into friends’ and family members' closets, and bad experiments that taught you. Luxury is being redefined.
Culture > content
Less consumption, more creation. Less “get the look,” more get the idea. When I meet people in their 20s and 30s across Amsterdam, I don’t ask what they bought; I ask what they’re making. A city that stays awake for art openings and warehouse sets doesn’t need another how-to-wear guide, it needs a why.
Amsterdam reality check
Rain happens. Bikes rule. Your look has to survive both. The city’s best dressers mix avant-garde with utility: sharp shoulders for the studio, knit balaclavas for the ride, a belt that doubles as a handle when the club gets crowded. Early adopters here aren’t waiting for approval, they prototype on their bodies.
What I want to see more of in 2026
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Weird & artsy looks: clothes that carry paint, ink, and memory.
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Grunge aesthetic: flannel with finesse, leather that’s earned not faked.
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Party people who dress for movement and fun.
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Rock coming back.
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People who know theirselves and value their personal taste.
Let's be more human
I don’t want quiet luxury, I want quiet confidence. The point isn’t to whisper wealth; it’s to broadcast knowing. AI can summarize a runway; but it cannot replicate the heat of a night when your outfit changed your posture and your posture changed your fate. Keep the imperfection.
