If you’re willing to take a trip all the way to the Albert Cuyp to see what I’m talking about, I can assure you will not be disappointed. Walking into Bazar still gets me amazed and excited every time, and I can’t wait to get settled down. Luckily there’s always a host to show you where to enjoy your night in this stunning, double floored Maroccan/Turkish/Greek/Arabic fusion restaurant. As you are guided to your table, the immense space with typical Mediterranean details draws the attention. For instance the bar built of exotic cans that you pass by while at least 15 staff members are awaiting to take you to the next level. Is this Amsterdam happening?

I’m taking the rest of the day off, celebrating holidays at Bazar. هتاف!

Somehow this feels more like having dinner somewhere else, and escaping Amsterdam cold. It rather feels like being somewhere far away enjoying the good life with comfort food and a vibrant atmosphere. The way the staff communicates by clapping, for instance, makes me feel on holiday trip in my own home town.

As the entrance is pretty impressive, so will be the rest of your precious time. I could go on to describe their menu, but why don’t you have a look for yourself? Sure I’m curious to the courses that draw your attention, but I can assure you that ‘Irfan’s starter’ is a great success straight away. I’m taking the rest of the day off, celebrating holidays at Bazar. هتاف!

Bazar Amsterdam

Where: Albert Cuypstraat 182
Open: Friday and Saturday till 01:00, Sunday – Thursday till 00:00
Website: www.bazaramsterdam.nl

Photography by Fione Teunis

My last week before I bid you all adieu as temporary sub for Miss Kemper. It was short, but sexy. I thank the many film geek fans I have gained and hope to see you soon in a comfy red velvet cinema chair.

My week with Marilyn

One disadvantage of being an IMDB addict is reading about amazing film projects long before they are released. Subsequently, this film has been on my bucket list for quite some time. After hearing Michelle Williams would portray the legend herself and aware of her skills I was looking forward to her interpretation of Monroe. Marilyn is from a time when Hollywood was a different world, unlike the current day and age where everyone that has a mediocre voice and a webcam can become the next best thing. The Monroe area was one of legends and untouchables.

My week with Marilyn depicts that fame mayhem and tells the story of a young lad, Colin Clark, that is drawn to it. Barely 25 he plummets onto the film set of The Prince and the Showgirl. Starting out as the directors third he soon becomes a confidant of Marilyn. Insecurity regarding her abilities and a continuous fear of being abandoned cause Marilyn delay and frustrations on set. Clark seems to have a positive effect on Marilyn’s state of mind and is asked to accompany her during her stay. This film is based on the true adventures of writer and filmmaker Colin Clark, which offers an inside peek into the life of a legend. Michelle plays the role of her life and gives us a stunningly accurate Marilyn.

Watch this film in Cineville’s The Movies and Cinecenter. Also in Pathe (City, Munt and Tuschinski).

The Inbetweeners

Ha! This one made me gasp for breath a good few times. The inbetweeners is a tv-series gone movie, which you might recognize from a late night Tuesday on Veronica. It is a true coming of age tale. I for one can very much identify with the teenage, drunk nights in Spain, endlessly searching for a good snog from Don Juan. These four lads from South England do just that. Disappointed with the female game back home they decide to go on ‘pussy patrol’ abroad. I know it sounds very cliché and a bit ‘been there done that’, but the inbetweeners is original and funny, and the thick southern accents of the boys makes it all the more entertaining!

Watch this film in Pathe Arena and Munt.

Le Havre

Le Havre tells the story of Marcel Marx. Fed up with his life as a writer he decides to become a shoe-polisher and live an easy existence with his caring wife Arletty. His content way of life is soon to be disturbed by a kid who is a refugee from Africa. Marcel decides to take the kid under his wing and protect him from the local authorities. This film is a demonstration on how to fight human indifference with a positive and optimistic attitude. One to watch!

Watch this film in Cineville’s Ketelhuis, Cinecenter and Rialto.

This month, he’ll be back in our city to rock the most important music temple we have: Paradiso. We got to ask the man some questions about this!

Max, all the best to you for this new year. How has 2011 treated you?
It was a great year, thanks, lots of awesome parties!

According to you, who is Max Cooper and what does he sound like?
I’m Max Cooper, and I sound like I don’t fit into any particular genre. At least that’s the plan, I prefer not being part of a well defined genre, it means I can do what I want creatively and hopefully my career won’t be so affected by what’s fashionable.

I prefer not being part of a well defined genre, it means I can do what I want creatively and hopefully my career won’t be so effected by what’s fashionable.

You’ve been to Amsterdam before, I’ve seen you play at Sugar Factory and Chicago Social Club for example, but playing Paradiso is probably a first for you right? Do you know the venue and are you looking forward to it?
I’ve heard of the venue yes, but I’ve never been there. It has some sort of legendary, and exclusive status from what I’ve heard. I guess it’s a venue that’s seen a lot of sights in its lifetime, hopefully we can add one more to the list.

Do you have any particular connection with Amsterdam by now?
Definitely. Yesterday someone asked me where my favourite club was, and all I could think to say was “anywhere in Amsterdam”. I love playing in, and visiting the city, the vibe sits with me well, and the parties always have a great atmosphere.

I noticed you produced an enormous amount of ‘intellectually crafted’ tracks over the past year (my personal favourite being your Tears of a Clown remix), yet you manage to perform a lot around the world too. Do you prefer to spend time in the studio or on tour?
Yeah it’s a bit of an ongoing struggle trying to keep up with production goals that I set myself, as well as increasingly demanding touring schedules. For 2012 I’m going to have to have a bit of a break from both so
as I can focus some more on quality – so less productions, but hopefully of higher quality. I’m never happy with my production quality!

What would you say has been your biggest accomplishment up to now?
It’s a hard question to answer because I don’t like talking myself up, I prefer to focus on my output and let people make their own minds up.

What was your latest genius discovery that you can share (artist or track)?
Vaetxh. It’s an artist I discovered last year, he’s only really just started releasing music, but everything he’s done has blown my mind; his production standard, musicality, sound design, originality and complexity are unbelievable!

Any colleague DJ/producers you can specifically appreciate or relate to?
John Tejada was another artist who made a big impact on me last year after I saw him live for the first time at the Kompakt party at ADE. It all clicked for me then and I’ve been obsessively listening to his stuff ever since.

What are your plans for 2012 and the near future? Where are you taking Max Cooper next?
I’ll be focusing on finally getting my long running album project finished, so less remixes and EPs for a while until that’s done. I’m also keen to push more into the electronica direction so I can keep things as fresh as possible creatively, but I’ll still try and hold on to a dance-floor compatibility of course. The party aspect is something I don’t want to lose. I guess it’s a matter of seeing how far I can push things and still keep the club audience engaged.

Lastly, for any aspiring electronic producers out there craving for a career like yours; what advice do you have for them if they want to make it in the ‘dance’ industry?
Play to your strengths and find what sort of music comes naturally for you. Some people are great at networking and being part of the party, others are stay at home studio geeks, either approach can work. And for productions, my experience was it took a lot of experimentation to find out what sort of music came most naturally for me, and when I found it, I was much better at making that sort of music than any others. I think the bottom line is you have to make music that really connects with you, there’s no point forcing a style you’re not totally in to just because you think that is what other people want.

Want to catch his live-show? Don’t miss him at NGHTDVSN on the 25th of February together with Ruede Hagelstein, Olivier Weiter, Terry Toner, Prunk, Some Chemistry and many more!

Perfect Darkness

The collection is named after a Fink song which described her feeling and collection perfectly. A strong desire or dream that you can only feel when you close your eyes. What you see, think, or feel in mind is limitless and therefore the only way to come close to perfection. The collection represents contradiction, stratification, embezzlement, eternal desire, and striving for perfection. Sounds pretty deep to me. I got the chance to sit down with Leonie (who sympathetically wore an outfit by the H&M because she could never design something for herself) and ask her for some clarification.

What was your inspiration for the collection?
“I’m very inspired by architecture but also shapes that I develop myself. Maybe this sounds weird, that I’m inspired by myself. I love the process of first starting flat; to fold shapes with paper. And then to transform to these to the round shapes of a body. I’m very inspired by the different researches that arise when I use different materials and shapes.”

What’s your favourite piece in the collection and why?
“My favourite piece is the second one on the left (in the picture above), I think. I did not plan my entire collection, it just grew while I was working at it. This was the final piece I made and everything came together, and made the collection a whole.” This collection is different from her earlier work, which is in the colours: “The colour is different, in my previous work I used lighter colours whereas in this collection black takes over. I’m not a big fan of colour anyway. I usually go for black, white, metallic or attenuated colours.”

Last week was fashion week, who was your favourite designer?
“To be honest, Fashion Week kind of passed me by. I was so busy with my own collection and preparations. I loved Winde Rienstra her shoes though! I’ll catch up next week.”

Who are the other contemporary designers that you love?
“I absolutely adore Iris van Herpen, where I took an internship. She’s great and I love her personality. I don’t really get involved with other designers and trends actually. I like to keep true to myself and my own style, I’m on this big cloud. This reduces a lot of stress. Honestly, I avoided fashion week this week.”

Why did you choose the Waag as your location for your presentation?
“I chose De Waag in collaboration with winterSALON/. Like I said I love architecture, and I just think the history of De Waag is great. My collection is pretty futuristic and the historic Waag gives it a nice contrast.”

Can you give our readers a tip to go to in Amsterdam?
“I just got the key to my new apartment, so I don’t actually live here yet. I’m originally from Enschede. I like De Magere Brug, because it’s run by people from the east. Me and my friends go there a lot. I think it’s hard to give a tip that nobody has ever heard of before. I’m going to live close to the Bijlmer, where Pand 14 is located.”

Her final advice to young starting designers “Stay true to yourself! And most of all be daring and innovative.”

Photography by Faye Lui.

Thursday: Bonobo DJ Set – Noodlanding @ Paradiso

Simon Green, also known by his stage name Bonobo, is a British trip-hop musician, producer and DJ. Bonobo uses a wide variety of samples in his music combined with heavy, often complex basslines. His music generally develops linearly, with new natural sounding elements coming in one after the other. Bonobo has proven to be an impressive live act with a full band but has also proven to be a fine DJ for the dancefloor the last couple of years. Go see him back in action at our one and only thinkable pop temple Paradiso.

Thursday: Cookieclub Invites Miguel Campbell @ AIR

The weekly Thursday night at AIR is starting to kick off in the right direction lately. This Thursday I believe they have a debut show for the fast growing Miguel Campbell. This man has released stuff on some of the hottest labels such as Hot Creations and Wolf + Lamb. Plus, get in before 00.00 and your ticket is free! Supporting him will be residents Rubix & Tettero with the second area hosted by Boel op Stelten.

Friday: Sub:stance @ Trouw

Berghain’s infamous bass night comes to Trouw with its protagonists Scuba, Kuedo, Sepalcure and Paul Spymania. If you’re into raw bass underground electronica you can’t go wrong. Scuba, the mastermind behind the incredibly well curated Hotflush label, has been enlisted to mix the latest episode in the DJ-Kicks series released a few months ago. Scuba and his mates form the perfect mix of the UK bass sounds and underground techno sounds from Berlin.

Friday: Bar27 @ Studio 80

The concept of Bar27 originated in an empty basement somewhere in Amsterdam. In the spring of 2006 a group of friends came to live together in what soon seemed to be a gateway for renowned tech-house DJs around this town. This time around they invited a Resident Advisor top 20 live act named Guti all the way from Argentina. The Desolat representative has been spreading his dynamic live set around the world the past year and this Friday he will do this together with Tom Ruijg, Erin & Eke Evi. Second area hosted by Slapfunk.

Friday: De Nachtdivisie – Invites Chris Carrier at Chicago Social Club

Every first Friday of the month the Chicago Social Club is taken over by De Nachtdivisie. A collective of up and coming DJ/producers from Amsterdam that represent the contemporary house grooves and deep sounds of our town. Of course, every edition has its own theme. This time it’s all about ‘la France’, that’s why house legend Chris Carrier will be shining behind the decks with his sexy and melodic sounds. Furthermore your usual heroes Prunk, SHMLSS, Arturro Frizzante, Mailman & Tijn Benedek, Rooiecol and Hellie Berry. Jusqu’alors!

Saturday: Circoloco Amsterdam with Tania Vulcano @ Westerunie

It’s been proven that Amsterdam is into Circoloco ever since the party concept from Ibiza took place at Woodstock 69 and last year’s ADE. On general request they finally succeeded in booking Miss Circoloco herself for this event; Tania Vulcano. Also, Tale Of Us’ Matteo Milleri and DJ Tennis will bring you an exclusive collaboration for this event named Life&Death. Finally, Labyrinth artists Tofke and Ugur Yurt make the evening complete. Westerunie, prepare yourself.

Saturday: HiFi @ Trouw

HiFi is Trouw’s indie club night. This Saturday they invited one of my favourite acts of the past year: Benoit & Sergio (live). This duo used to claim their live act involved kneepads, saxophone and headset mics. In the end they went with the classic dual laptop set-up, but that didn’t make them any less sensational; their flamboyant electronic pop gave nightclubs a much needed jolt that easily made them one of the most memorable acts of the year. Not many production duos get the crowd singing along, let alone about horse tranquilizers. Of course, this new clubnight will be hosted by residents Nuno dos Santos & Patrice Bäumel. Enjoy the hangover!

She loves a good cup of coffee, tasty and good looking food, nature, enjoys documentaries about world famous designers and melancholic music like Fleet Foxes and The XX. Would live in a painting by Georgia o’Keeffe because of the pretty, colourful, sensual floral shapes.

10.58am Wednesday, office/studio of Joline Jolink: moodboards, fabrics, designs, beautiful books, a huge working table and a welcoming modest smile meet me behind big green doors. She started her successful webshop five years ago and opened her first store last year in the heart of Amsterdam. “I’m living my dream. What’s left to wish for? A puppy-dog and opening new stores.”

Joline is achieving what remains a dream for many designers. “Every season I pick a muse to inspire me on which I base my entire collection, instead of on the current trend. Sometimes I look for her, sometimes she finds me; when I visit a museum, watch a movie or open a book. A woman with a certain style can appeal to me because of who she is, or in most cases who she was, what she achieved in life, what she stood for. When I do my research, I read biographies and pay special attention to anecdotes and details, this makes it very personal. When designing it is supposed to complement and enhance who she is, not do the talking for her.”

Becoming a designer was her childhood dream, growing up with a grandmother who set an example by making and designing clothes. In the process, Joline discovered that it wasn’t as romantic as she had envisioned; it wasn’t just champagne, parties and lavish dresses.

You simply can’t make long gowns with high splits all the time, it just isn’t practical.

Joline creates wearable high fashion using fabrics of extraordinary quality. “Most importantly, I discovered that being a designer is serious business. I spend a relatively small amount of time designing.” And adds with a smile: “Fortunately I enjoy the entrepreneurial mindset too.” Together with her partner in life, love and business, Peter, she tackles it all. Her personality, her store, her webshop, her studio, it all comes together as an authentic statement. She smiles and her eyes light up when telling me about the little things in life she loves. Her love for details clearly shows in her designs.

One of her favourite places in Amsterdam is the Westerpark. “It’s a place where I have my own time enjoying the silence and nature in the morning whilst jogging, and where I meet up with friends in the afternoon for a coffee and a chat.” She surprised me by choosing leather pants as a symbolic representation of Amsterdam in a piece of clothing. Then she laughs and explains: “In my opinion Amsterdam has a rawness to it and it can be a little dark in the positive sense. It’s a place where all parts of society are visible and it has a realness and creative edge to it as well.

I feel privileged to live in a city with so much history and soul.

To decide what to design for a woman there are a couple of things she wants to know. She asks me whether I ride a bicycle, where I live in the city, what time I wake up and what makes me happiest in life. Heading towards the end of our conversation I realize we haven’t heard the last of her yet, and I’m grateful for it. If Joline was the boss of Amsterdam she would invite everybody over to the store for a glass of champagne. Looking back on her life she would tell her younger self not to worry too much because everything will work out fine. We laugh: “Champagne and designing do go hand in hand after all.”

Photography by Mark Visbeek

Liquid silky elegance

Said Mahrouf studied fashion and design at the Rietveld academy. His collection consisted mainly out of white, green, and peach dresses and blouses that effortlessly drape over the body. Some dresses almost looked as if they were made out of flowing water. Even though the collection was beautiful, it wasn’t very innovative or memorable. I feel like I’ve seen clothes such as these before and they didn’t WOW me. Nevertheless, I did fall in love with one of his peach coloured blouses.

Power heels and leather

Dennis Diem however, did WOW me. His last collection, Fools Gold, was all about – big shocker – gold and featured corsets and ridiculously high heels. This all to empower and enhance the woman’s body. High heels can even change a woman’s aura, says Diem. This collection was black and white (except for three coloured pieces) and the extreme high heels were present yet again, as well as some corsets. Extreme shapes, a lot of skin, leather, different textures, translucent fabrics, and intense music took my breath away.

I can’t think of any occasion where I could actually wear Diem’s clothes, but I was so impressed with his collection that I just might create my own event so I could flaunt one of his pieces. Honestly, after seeing Diem’s show, I kind of forgot about Mahrouf’s. Except for that lovely blouse.

Photography by Manoah Biesheuvel

Groovy techno or funk with a drive is what you can expect when Levi Verspeek plays his music. This Amsterdam born and raised kid made his first techno track in 2010, Hurken, which was instantly picked up by the likes of techno legend Dave Clarke. He even played it in the best of 2010 edition of his radio show White Noise. In 2011 he became a TWSTd finalist which resulted in a Sugar Factory residency; the future is bright for Levi!

To tell you the truth; I hate recording mixtapes. Nonetheless, I did my best and the result is a deep and groovy tech set, with a disco present in the end!

Dear Mark,

While you were living it up in Paris, I was slaving away at Amsterdam Fashion Week. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I don’t like it..it’s just that..sometimes I can’t handle the fake anymore. I’ve probably kissed around 40 people on the cheeks in three days, some I didn’t even know. Nonetheless I play along; “Oh hi! How are you darling?! Your shoes are amazing, where are they from? ALEXANDER WANG? NO! OH MY GOD!” Some encounters I do enjoy, but some I fake enjoy. I have this down to an art, I must say.

Especially the extreme bitchy comments that go with it. Yesterday I was amazed by how it nestled in my being after just three days, when I kept commenting on clothing. I normally pride myself in being interested in literature, foreign affairs, human emotions, but this week I didn’t get a chance to do anything else than talk fashion. And I couldn’t help but wonder (I swear to god, only thought of this Sex and the City reference because of Fashion Week) why can’t fashion just be nice?

Nice ass girl, I think the Alps have smaller glaciers than that!

Why can’t we say “No I didn’t care for the show, but I think a lot of people will like it?” instead of “Ugh, horrible, did she learn to sew at H&M bootcamp in China or something?!” My mom taught me not to say anything if I didn’t have something nice to say. This philosophy is out of the window as soon as I set foot on that red carpet. When I see someone I’m not particularly fond of I’ll blurt out things like ‘Wow, she looks like she’s gained 10 pounds. Nice ass girl, I think the Alps have smaller glaciers than that!’ or ‘Her Celine is definitely fake. I bet she spends more time on iOffer than Facebook. She doesn’t have any friends to communicate with anyway’ or.. no, hold on, you get the picture. Every time I did this, I amazed myself with how ruthless I can be.

Thinking about a burqa
So, why does everything have to been mean in fashion? It shouldn’t have to be competitive, after all, there’s no accounting for tastes. But it’s like soccer with heels, elbows and screeching voices talking about your nail polish that is so summer 2009. This year I thought about going in a burqa. Not only because I didn’t have ‘anything’ to wear, but also to feel a bit shielded. Even the strongest personalities get a ferm hit. It’s constantly having to put up a show: with some people you have to be the bitch to get things done, then you have to be nice to people from whom you need something. It’s like a freaking one women circus for every attendee who’s working. And you know the worst part? When people who know what I’m talking about will read this, they’ll see something of themselves in this column, but never admit it. If I would guess, they’d say something like; ‘Well that’s rubbish, you can easily be yourself, maybe you’re just insecure’. Well, you know me and insecurity is not one of my flaws, arrogance is. In a way they’re right: you can be yourself, but you have no choice in adjusting that self to a certain standard. I love fashion as a way to express your personality, as a form of art, but not as a way of life.

Well, I’m off, to eat some Ben & Jerry’s and watch the Mentalist while wearing a sweater that’s three sizes too big and says ‘Je Moeder’ with my ugly Uggs on, just because they’re warm. Haters gonna hate.

Toodles honey boo-boo!

XOXO Gossi..Sabrina.