Art is often informed by our surroundings. For Biek Verstappen, her art is informed by architecture and nature in kind: the 1939 industrial shed that houses her studio and the painterly landscapes of the Netherlands beyond its walls. In her self-named line, she draws upon these influences to create heady, intellectual collections plucked from another time.
Biek describes her pieces as “handmade garments that evoke distant memories in contemporary time.” Often presented in rich, earthy hues, the Dutch designer captures a curious romanticism often missing from the offerings of larger studios. She works instinctually, immersing herself in the sensory nature of her materials, such as raw silk, bamboo, angora and yak. Throughout her hand-dyeing process, each fiber reacts differently, resulting in organic, textured and singular fabrics.
Alongside a tight team of seven, she creates menswear and womenswear in small batches. Every garment is made in-studio, quietly passing hands as it develops from concept to raw material to hand-dyed textile to finished garment. In this tactile process, her garments evolve beyond mere wearables into subtle pieces of art.
“My atelier, that’s right behind our house, is a 90 years old, 200 square meters flower bulb shed with flower fields front and back. It is completely quiet there, and because it is close to the sea the wind blows fully over the fields and around the [structure.] The rain creates a serene sound on our metal rooftop.”
