Amsterdam Fashion Week: Dennis Diem, killer heels and corsets

Feb 3, 2014 | by Chloë Arkenbout | Fashion, Photos

About the author

Born and raised in Amsterdam, lives to dance and dances to live on electronic music, has a small vinyl addiction, appreciates a little sarcasm now and then, thinks musicals are annoying and loves those moments where you lose track of time completely.

Can I just start by saying that I freaking love Dennis Diem‘s work? I went to see his show at Amsterdam Fashion week in 2012 as well and absolutely loved his collection. So obviously my expectations were high this year, and I was very happy to see them fulfilled. His collection is inspired by opium and the movement of smoke. If only I had a little more money I’d buy one of his pieces to flaunt at a party such as Ontrouw.

Corsets and intense heels are the two things that always return in Diem his work. He says that a woman’s posture is transformed as soon as the body is laced and that high heels can instantly change a woman’s aura. More about heels later. His show featured a Tame Impala song among others, which showed that Dennis not only is extremely talented as a designer, but also has a pretty damn good taste in music.

Killer heels, literally

Dennis Diem and his crazy high heels have a reputation. At almost every show at least one model trips and falls on the runway. Back in 2012 I saw a girl fall and get up again which made me feel a mixture of malicious pleasure, sympathy, and respect. I was expecting, and secretly hoping (I do have an evil side sometimes) that it would happen again. And it did. But definitely not how I expected it; when a girl fell down she started making crazy movements on the floor, spasms almost, that looked freaky but also artistic. She got up again and walked on with a poker face, fell again at the end of the runway in front of the photographers.

Rumour has it that it was all on purpose and that she was a hired actor or dancer. If this is the case, Diem turned one of the inevitable flaws of his work around by completely owning it. It was also a smart move because when another model fell it seemed as if it was on purpose as well. The fall definitely created some controversy among the audience. But isn’t that what art —because good fashion is art— is all about? Pushing boundaries and sometimes provoking a little?

Photography by Leonor Von Salisch.