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Despina Bampa

June 6th 2008

Age: 31
Nationality: Greek
Occupation: Ballet teacher
In Amsterdam: 1 year

Why did you move to Amsterdam?
Working and studying.

What do you like to do in Amsterdam?
Following dance lessons, going to concerts.

What do you think of Amsterdam street culture, how the people dress, express themselves?
It is interesting! You can see many different styles. However,
I think that the majority of the people are dressed in a way:
‘I don’t care’. They don’t combine the colors, the materials and
the style of their clothes. I have the feeling that they open their
closet and they pick up their clothes with blind eyes.

Did your style of clothing changed since you live here, and because of what? These can be emotional, cultural reasons or practical reasons such as weather or availability.
Yes, it has changed due to practical reasons. It is usually cold
and rainy. Not many choices in the way you can dress yourself!

Are you influenced by what you consider Dutch culture or by any other culture represented in Amsterdam?
Probably yes, but I cannot really specify it.

Are you aware of the fact that 177 cultures are represented in Amsterdam?
I didn’t know. It is amazing! At a certain degree it has influenced
the Dutch culture. For example you can eat in so many different
restaurants and you can listen to many different kinds of music.

Kristine Hymøller

August 10th 2008

Age: 36
Nationality: Danish
Occupation: Artist
In Amsterdam: 8 years

Why did you move to Amsterdam?
To study at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy.

What do you like to do in Amsterdam?
Art, music, Galleries, food and Bars.

What do you think of Amsterdam street culture,
how the people dress, express themselves?
Great, in the sense that people use a lot of colour and mix
styles much more than in Denmark.

Did your style of clothing changed since you live here,
and because of what? These can be emotional, cultural
reasons or practical reasons such as weather or
availability.
I guess living in another country will always influence you.

Are you influenced by what you consider Dutch culture
or by any other culture represented in Amsterdam?
I like to look at all cultures and sort of mix it a bit, but Dutch
I don’t know.

Are you aware of the fact that 177 cultures are
represented in Amsterdam?
I did know that..., well in a way, as I said, I think people mixes
their style of clothing more here. I think I see a lot of people
dress kind of awful and great at the same time, which I think
is the tendency of a big city. Amsterdam is a small city with
a big city spirit.

Marc Andrews

August 7th 2008

Age: 30
Nationality: Swiss, British
Occupation: Graphic Design
In Amsterdam: 2 years

Why did you move to Amsterdam?
After living in Nijmegen and Utrecht for a couple of years
I thought it was time for a city. I am now building up my own
graphic design studio with a friend in the city center. I love
it, Amsterdam forms a good base.

What do you like to do in Amsterdam?
Riding the bike through the streets, going to expositions,
going out, working.

What do you think of Amsterdam street culture,
how the people dress, express themselves?
I like Amsterdam’s street culture and watching all different kind
of people; it is very multi cultural. Well dressed people; funky,
groovy and experimental. I think the variety in clothes also comes
because of all the foreign youngsters invading Amsterdam for
holiday.

Did your style of clothing changed since you live here,
and because of what? These can be emotional, cultural
reasons or practical reasons such as weather or
availability.
No. Just my collection of tracksuit tops exploded.

Are you influenced by what you consider Dutch culture
or by any other culture represented in Amsterdam?
I like wearing ‘klompen’...just joking.

Are you aware of the fact that 177 cultures are
represented in Amsterdam?
Yes, I knew and it’s a good fact about Amsterdam. It makes
it a special place, this high density of cultures on a limited space.
Amsterdam is less Dutch than other cities here in the Netherlands,
that makes it unique.

Ola Vasiljeva

August 4th 2008

Age: 27
Country of origin: Latvian
Occupation: Artist
In Amsterdam: 8 months

Why did you move to Amsterdam?
For an art residence at the rijksacademy.

What do you like to do in Amsterdam?
Parks, friends and movies.

What do you think of Amsterdam street culture,
how the people dress, express themselves?
I think it’s pretty much the same as in other Dutch cities.
There might be more tourists here and more of the extravagant
groups, but for the rest I don’t feel much of a difference.

Did your style of clothing changed since you live here, and
because of what, these can be emotional, cultural reasons
or and practical reasons such as weather or availability?
I think it changed a little maybe. I feel more confident about
whatever I wear, but I am not sure if the reason for that is the
big city, or just the fact that I like it here a lot.

Are you influenced by what you consider Dutch culture
or by any other culture represented in Amsterdam?
I am influenced by the cycling culture a lot :).

Are you aware of the fact that 177 cultures are
represented in Amsterdam?
I thought there were many more actually..

Q Hisashi Shibata

July 30th 2008

Age: 36
Nationality: Japanese
Occupation: Artist
In Amsterdam: 7 years

Why did you move to Amsterdam?
To study.

What do you like to do in Amsterdam?
Playing football.

What do you think of Amsterdam street culture,
how the people dress, express themselves?
It’s casual and easy going. But I miss elegance and extraordinary
looking people.

Did your style of clothing changed since you live here, and
because of what, these can be emotional, cultural reasons
or and practical reasons such as weather or availability?
I start not to care about how other people look at my way of
dressing. I could wear any kind of easy outfit, but I don’t put in
so much effort and don’t spend money for it. On the other hand
I start to customise it. The weather has affected it a lot. I never
wear laser shoes here because the rain.

Are you influenced by what you consider Dutch culture
or by any other culture represented in Amsterdam?
Not so much by the Dutch culture. I think Dutch culture is pretty
neutral, it does not have a strong colour. But I am influenced
by Dutch mentality. They are super individualistic .

Jimmy Wordsworth Rage

July 30th 2008

Age: 16
Nationality: Jamaican
Occupation: Artist, poet, musician, performer, father.
In Amsterdam: Too long

Why did you move to Amsterdam?
Rest and being able to be and become an artist.

What do you think of Amsterdam street culture,
how the people dress, express themselves?
Basically copying what they see in magazines. Real street
culture comes from a need to express one’s self and from
a place where one has no money, here it is different, folks
have enough money to do and become what they see in
magazines. Of course there are exceptions but by a large
there is simply the herd mentality… Following each other..

Did your style of clothing changed since you live here,
and because of what, these can be emotional, cultural
reasons or and practical reasons such as weather or
availability?
My style of clothing has changed and improved due partly
financial forces or sponsorship choices or simple that better
clothes can be found somewhere else. Growing up is also
part of it, as one shapes ones own self image then it becomes
apparent that yesterdays fashion does not apply with
today’s looks and vice versa, simple. Supply and demand and
the demand is always greater than supply thus, one shapes
ones own identity, based on self image and self projection
and inflection and reflection. Music is also and influence;
music videos tend to show the latest and trendiest.. Whether
we wear the clothes or not is up to us. As for the notion of
cultural reasons. not really, it is rather to shape culture to put
ones own individual edge or stamp on culture...
I have been fortunate to be sponsored early by a few companies
that scouted me for their brand and was able to shape
what kinds of clothes they put out for style conscious folks.
Writing about it now seems awkward and my whole intent
then and now is to look at all aspects of the city as a lifestyle
cycle, where ones routine and work and lounging influences
what one wears and where one goes, or even lives, and eats..
Ironically most cultures, at least the Dutch, haven’t a clue
as to what shape its fashion is in, simply because people are
so bizzy copying and imitating what they see in cheap magazines
as such the emphasis is on being the same..
Of course, the obvious persist, the seasons summer fall
winter spring, one wears wool cashmere and scarves in
bright hues, the seasons they change with the favourite
colours, and summer shorts or linen or cotton, to even silk.
For myself I have always dressed with the season simply
because of practical reasons, in winter its cold and wet,
and in summer its dry and hot, one has to wear clothes that
keeps one warm and cool. I have my favourite designers or
my favourite mode of expression, mixing the old with the new
and the contemporary, keeping the basics strong and the
frivolous things like scarves and gloves to a minimal, saving
money for the shoe/boots or a good coat..

Are you influenced by what you consider Dutch culture
or by any other culture represented in Amsterdam?
No, rather the question should be, is Dutch culture influenced
by other cultures in Amsterdam, that answer is yes,
enormously and with greater degrees of hilarity, by this
I mean that city culture as it were always, by and large tend
to absorb all the small eco cultures that exists in the city.
The dominant culture then functions as a sort of house and
the different rooms function as the types of culture in that
house where all is there and mixed up, by this I mean on any
given day one can find a Palestinian / Arabic head scarf
wrapped around the neck of some ‘nederhop’, ‘wigger’, they
come in black and white and red and white and black and
ochre. Somewhere somehow that scarf has made it across
lines of culture and on the street, and on the necks of the
many, that is but one example. By this I mean the house has
rooms not yet opened or explored. What started out as a
political statement has become fashion.
During the sixties and seventies these scarves were worn
by anarchists to protect their identities, while throwing stones
or Molotov cocktails, or by heads of state to show their
national identity..
The culture of the city as we know it is constantly turning
itself over and out influencing the dominant by setting the
trend of supply and demand. The European way of dressing
is a mish mash of all the cultures of the world. On any given
day one can find clothes from Tibet, mixed with clothes from
America, and Amsterdam, topped off with a Balkan hat...
so to speak. I guess what I am saying is that while one lives
and dwells in Amsterdam, its ecosystem of eating and dress
is always fast forwarding to be inclusive and exclusive, and
that is always independent of Dutch culture itself, rather
rooted in city culture..

Are you aware of the fact that 177 cultures are
represented?
Yes, I knew that simply from understanding the vast dynamics
of city life and the ecosystem of city life. Again it’s a
matter of measuring ones own space and how one navigates
it with the help of others. By this I mean I believe that
Amsterdam as a city is influenced by the many openness
of all that is dwelling in it. Rather than thinking of it as influencing
us, we influence it by our own self expression, and our
own dreaming to express it on the catwalk that is the streets,
that is cosmopolitanism.
It is important not to think of the culture of the city as an
influential fabric on its people, rather it is a fabric from which
many people create their own identities, through living working
eating dressing, it is the backdrop from which to spring,
projecting and invention, there is no set rule in the book,
no set ways to be and become. The streets itself see and
breathe and speak in languages not yet written down, not yet
photographed not yet seen, yet it’s there teaming amidst all
the traditional, and the practical, the holy and the ugly.
What is the day is tomorrows night and the night is always
influenced by what isn’t there in the day...dus.