There are people who might cautiously test the common boundaries a little and there are people who are true rebels, completely unapologetic towards the social norm for what is deemed fashionable, Sabine Staartjes is definitely the latter.
For a quite a while now we have been familiar with designs by Studio Sabine Staartjes because we’ve seen other bloggers and event/door hosts wearing her creations, these instances proved time and time again how recognizable her aesthetic is and how clearly defined her target market is. Identifying herself as an eclectic fashion designer, she focuses on contrasts and contradictions in her designs while using lively prints and a lot of color. Upon receiving the invitation to her very first solo fashion show titled ‘Set me Free’, the vibrant character of her previous designs had our expectations running wild and none the less, she absolutely didn’t disappoint!
As eclectic as her designs, up-beat eclectic tunes filled the I-Dock leading up to the show as guests trickled in, which in itself already was an interesting sight, as most of Sabine’s clientele and inner circle display a very outspoken sense of style. After a short introduction by Anne-Fay Kops –singer and longtime customer and friend of Sabine- the uplifting beats commence and the show is opened by a model wearing a silver skater skirt and floral boxy blouse with purple fuzzy accents on the shoulders. Turning out to be one of the demure looks, this is followed by a rainbow of metallic leggings paired with short reversible bomber jackets, flowing iridescent and printed kimono style vests, printed jumpsuits and playsuits, sexy bathing suits and even some jackets featuring unconventional materials such as tie wraps. Furthermore, the uber cool sunglasses sponsored by Polette really complete all the looks.
One would say the slogan “less is more” would surely not apply here, with the collection to seem to the faint-hearted like a deliberately disarranged mixture of colors, patterns and shapes. On the contrary, to the eye of the fashionably seasoned beholder we see a very well balanced choice in color combinations with very distinct accents and shapes to complement each other. The contrasts and contradictions are perfectly positioned as straight opposites. And –pun intended- that’s about the only ‘straight’ thing about her collection, as it clearly celebrates creative and sexual diversity. Most of the outfits can be worn by both men and women, or more literally by any body; tall, short, skinny, chubby, black & white, feminine or gender ambiguous, fearlessly challenging multiple boundaries. This is also very evident in Sabine’s choice for runway models, showing a wide range of various body types and ethnicities and on top of that a huge dose of vibrant personalities and sass.
Making her way through the blasts of confetti, Sabine Staartjes marches ahead with her hands in the air, inducing a sense of liberation that even makes the audience feel like they have been set free!
The (sun-)glasses worn by the models are available at: Polette.com
The ‘Set me free’ collection is now available online: SabineStaartjes.com
