MARTAN OPENS AMSTERDAM FASHION WEEK WITH NEW “TEMPEST TIDES” COLLECTION

words by SONNY NGO

On September 3rd, MARTAN officially opened the 2024 edition of Amsterdam Fashion Week with their latest “Tempest Tides” collection, a reminder of the brand’s ability to upcycle throwaway textiles into luxurious garments, and making waves doing it. The show took place at the Conscious Hotel Westerpark and was powered by Hyundai.

Each year in Europe alone, nearly 27 million kilograms worth of luxurious textiles gets thrown away, regarded as imperfect with the slightest of smudge. Unnecessary, designers Diek Pothoven and Douwe de Boer proclaim, as this entire collection is once again upcycled - and as is expected from the circular brand. MARTAN used these textiles to create the show and outfits, even using deadstock spinnaker sails to design the set with the help of Zelt Studio.

Alongside these flowy revitalised sails, atmospheric sea sounds played to maintain the image of a voyage through the tempest, transforming the Conscious Hotel Westerpark into a moving castle traversing the seas in the process. This backdrop worked perfectly to showcase the nautics and marine-inspired collection. 

The many sharp lines in the collection mimic the architectural structures of ships, while the triangular shapes further reminisce of Genoa-sails. Ropes fittingly spiraling across the model’s bodies form the foundation for dresses and abstract tops, and with it highlight MARTAN’s dedication to precision craft.

The used colours in the collection further echo a stormy scenery. They are reminiscent of weathering skies, green algaes, and deep orange sunsets. And with this palette, a complete picture is painted of the tempest and maritime.

At the end of the show, Hyundai revealed their latest electric INSTER car model from beneath a spinnaker. The moment marked both MARTAN’s and Hyundai’s mission to bring circularity to the forefront of fashion and transport. They showed that you can shift tides, and in style that is.