By Katie Dominy /asdf 22-01-2009

Dutch fashion labels key players at Bread & Butter, 21 to 23 January 2009, Barcelona.

Bread & Butter is the leading International trade fair for streetwear and denim. Of the new autumn/winter 2009/10 collections unveiled at the Barcelona show, 52 came from Dutch brands.

G-star RAW is one of only two brands to present a catwalk show at the fair. Next autumn the Amsterdam-based brand focuses on the jeans jacket, returning as an iconic design classic in seven distinct washes. The two major themes for the label are a Retro-Modern story featuring tailored pieces inspired by 60s Paris and, in contrast, the rugged outdoor-inspired Bronco range, ‘fusing the extreme, natural world of the Canadian logger with the military battlefield, adding the heavy wool of the lumberjack and the nylon and canvas of the professional soldier to G-star’s Raw Denim base.’ The fair also saw the launch of the G-star by Marc Newson collection, as well as the NY Raw collection, inspired by the relaxed but formal tailoring of 1920s sporting activities.

Blue Blood also showing at Bread & Butter has its catwalk show in Amsterdam as part of the city’s Fashion Week. The brand prides itself on ‘concentrating on ‘grown-up’ jeans lovers’. “We don’t just sit around in our studio designing something beautiful. We work together intensively with our textile weavers and washers,” says founder Steve te Pas. “We exchange ideas and knowledge with one another, discuss what’s technically possible, what’s beautiful, what inspires us.” One of Blue Blood’s most dramatic washes at the show was the Schnabel wash, named after American painter and filmmaker Julian Schnabel. Blue Blood’s men’s line is inspired by the lifestyle of the Hollywood movie-mogul Robert ‘Bobby’ Evans; the ‘Hollywood Outcast’ story bringing in themed graphics, such as top-hats, typewriter keys, movie posters and ‘Actor Wanted’ adverts.

Kuyichi, based in Haarlem is a leader in the organic denim market, with 80% of its jeans produced from organic cotton. Kuyichi is also involved with Made-By, a Dutch-initiated umbrella label that links fashion brands with socially responsible producers. For next autumn, Kuyichi is focusing on developing new sustainable denims, such as bamboo and hemp denim. Also a new fashion denim range for women was launched at Bread & Butter, entitled Pure Plus - indispensable fashion items, but realised in organic denim.

Höm Sweet Höm is the name of the autumn 2009 collection from gsus. It tells the story of Canadian outdoor sports people who come to visit their Scandinavian family in their cozy, traditional environment, leading to a clash of cultures collection that is a mix of technical sport and traditional handicraft. Fabrics are mixed and contrasted together; waxed cotton pants, digital printed knits, nylon jackets, plus an innovative foil printing technique for brilliant accents of colour.

Also at the show was Ontour, a young label from Eindhoven that specialises in working with graphic designers to produce bold printed T-shirts, hoodies and fun poster bright accessories, such as hoodie scarves and gloves.

Other brands showing include Cast Iron, Cold Method, Excessive, Goliath, JC Rags, Noize, PRC by Percy Irausquin, Protest, Scotch & Soda, Vatos Industries and Zumo.

Main image: gsus
Catwalk images: G-star
Last image: Ontour

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