Few designers have put Dutch style on the map quite like Iris van Herpen. She launched her eponymous brand in 2007, just months after graduating from ArtEZ University of the Arts in Arnhem. The year before, she had stints interning at Alexander McQueen in the U.K. and with the textile artist Claudy Jongstra back home. Still, at just 23, van Herpen made waves with her debut collection at Amsterdam Fashion Week.
In 2009, Lady Gaga wore one of her designs during a performance in Sydney. Three years later, Gaga appeared in a custom lacquered couture dress—you know the one—for the launch of her perfume, Fame. Since then, van Herpen has dressed everyone from Björk to Beyoncé. A touring retrospective of her career—described by Laura Jacobs, our Arts Intel Report editor, as “a fashion exhibition like no other”—is now on view in Rotterdam.
Here, the Dutch designer shares her go-to sights, restaurants, and more in the city she calls home.
REM EILAND
Once an offshore oil platform, it was moved to Amsterdam after serving as a pirate television and radio station in the North Sea. Today, it’s a celebrated restaurant with amazing 360-degree views of the harbor and the NDSM cultural center. (remeiland.nl; rem.amsterdam)
ARCHITECTURA & NATURA
The most unique bookstore in Amsterdam, specializing in nature, architecture, and the artists and architects who combine the two in their work. It offers many books that you cannot find anywhere else. (architectura.nl)
Embassy of the Free Mind
The Embassy of the Free Mind is one of the most inspiring museums in Amsterdam, yet it remains quite unknown to travelers. It’s a great place to find inspiration, thanks to its focus on free thinking and its mix of philosophy, alchemy, and spiritual thought. (embassyofthefreemind.com)
KONINKLIJK THEATER TUSCHINSKI
An incredibly beautiful Jugendstil- and Art Deco-style cinema from 1919. Stepping inside feels like entering an illusion. Its eclectic details are mesmerizing, both inside and out. (pathe.nl)
NDSM
An artist hotspot, home to many studios and new galleries. It’s great to wander around its streets, staying open to the unexpected, and to attend its events and festivals. (ndsm.nl)
The cellars of the Rijksmuseum
My favorite part of the Rijks, where you can find amazingly crafted armor and huge, intricatetely detailed models of ships, even down to their interiors. (rijksmuseum.nl)
THE FROZEN FOUNTAIN
A wonderful, wide-ranging blend of art and design by contemporary Dutch designers. The craftsmanship you find here is sublime. (frozenfountain.com)
ZEBREGS & RÖELL FINE ART AND ANTIQUES
An otherworldly art and antique store with a surreal selection. The owner’s refined tastes and encyclopedic knowledge of every object are so remarkable that even museums come here for research. (zebregsroell.com)
