Shades of ochre, terracotta, and the lush green that envelopes both your eyes and senses, are the defining colours of Amsterdam. And of course the calming influence of the water in the canals that so charmingly weave their way in and out of this Dutch city.

As you walk around the city crossing little bridges built over the canal you learn that some of these waterways were used to transport fruits and vegetables until mid- 20th century, in open flat boats.

Houseboats line these canals; earlier, only people who could not afford a house, lived in these houseboats, and it wouldn’t have been much fun. Today of course the canals contribute to the beauty of Amsterdam but in those days there must have been a lot of stench as the residents emptied bucketfuls of rubbish into the canal. These days of course the rich opt to get their “house arcs” or bungalows built on a floating barge, which is moored in concrete.

During national celebrations, some of these homes need to get protective fencing to prevent drunk revellers from jumping into them from boats!

But the most defining image of Amsterdam has to be the bicycle; as the distances are small, most people move around the city on bikes… to work, shop or eat out. “Even the Mayor of Amsterdam uses a bike,” says Mariette Hoitink, Managing Director of the fashion recruitment and consultancy HTNK. She bikes her way to the most hip and happening events in the city; I am astonished to find her at the Fashion Week in a pair of white sneakers. That evening her event – Lichting -, one of the most important shows of the week is on.

Lichting, which means ‘graduation’, provides a platform for the next generation of fashion talent and showcases the work of the brightest of that year’s students graduating from Holland’s art and fashion schools. This year 14 students put 5 of their best graduating designs on the catwalk. Of course, at the catwalk event Mariette was found in an elegant pair of shoes. “Oh, I have a box in front of my bike where I keep suitable shoes for such occasions,” she grins.

It is people like her, and the couple Geert de Rooji and Hans Demoed, founders of fashion company The People of the Labyrinth (POTL), who reassure us that the fashion industry is not necessarily filled with hoity-toity people who walk with their heads in the air. More important, they exude the legendary warmth, hospitality and openness of the Dutch society… in many ways, so similar to what drives and defines us as Indians.

This charming gay couple met at an art school in Arnhem, an hour’s drive from Amsterdam, and established POTL in 1983. Their designs display their fascination for labyrinths, ancient and modern, such as chips and fingerprints. “Labyrinths are metaphors for a society that is getting more and more structured and yet elusive”, says Rooji, as we are served the choicest of wines in the enchanting garden at their huge and fascinating home in Arnhem.

Otherwise very private individuals, that evening they open out their home and hearts to us, revealing a fascinating collection of rare photographs, at least three libraries packed with books, closets full of clothes (“They all belong to Hans,” jokes Rooji) and the most fascinating collection of glass pieces from Murano in Italy. The food, like their designs, is fusion too.. Chinese and Western. For the two Indians, care has been taken to substitute beef with … duck! Vasantha, my colleague, who is actually a South African, goes for the beef while I dig into the duck. The food, the wine, and the talk is so scintillating that we overstay by at least two hours.

But we’ve not overstayed our welcome is made clear by the two, as they urge us to help ourselves again and again to the excellent after-dinner wine that stimulates sound sleep on the one-hour drive back to Amsterdam!

 

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