This weekend, a new exhibit by acclaimed American photographer Ryan McGinley will open at Galerie Gabriel Rolt in Amsterdam. This is McGinley's second exhibition in Scotch & Soda's hometown, the first one was at the FOAM museum in 2007.

Youth, liberation and the joy of losing yourself in the moment are elements that feature throughout Ryan McGinley's work, from his early roots in documenting the urban adventures of his downtown Manhattan friends to his subsequent cross-country travels in utopian environments throughout America to his most recent studio portraits.

'Somewhere Place', as this exhibit is called, shows a brand new series of photographs. If you're in or around Amsterdam, pop by Rolt's. It will be worth the effort.

Dutch Elle magazine recently published its first Stylebible: a 260 page shopping guide of all there is to want and love in this season's collections. Several items of the Maison Scotch Spring/Summer 2011 collection are quoted as the absolute must-haves! And well, who are we to disagree? If it is written in the Great Book, it shall be.

Leafing through this issue, confirms our suspicion that sunny spring is just around the corner. Think Maison bikinis, printed Maison printed dresses and light weight linen trousers with ethnical prints.

So you know what to do: either pick up a copy of the Stylebible for inspiration, or visit our web store to shop these breezy spring styles right away!

Maison Scotch is on this month's cover of Sportswear International! The model wears a Maison shirt with bow tie, from our Spring/Summer 2011 collection. Like it? This style is available in stores and online now! The bowtie comes with the shirt. 

Several more  Maison Scotch garments are featured in the cover shoot inside. Also, you can read all about our Amsterdams Blauw denim collection in a full page article. So be sure to pick up a copy of Sportswear at your local bookstore to get in the know!

We changed our website over the past few weeks! The campaign images of the new Spring/Summer 2011 collection are online now, and the items are available in the web store. New features make navigation fast and easier. 

One of the new features we love, is the new video channel. This features all our new campaign video's for Amsterdams Blauw, Barfly, men, women and kids of this season. Enjoy!

We have some great news for our German crowd! On 5 March, we opened the doors to a new store in Hamburg; our very first store in Germany. You can shop all the different Scotch collections here: men, women, kids and denim. 

The new store is located on the corner of Neuer Wall and Bleichenbrücke; Hamburg's upscale designer shopping area, most similar to London's Bond Street or Madison Avenue in NYC. We are particularly excited about the beautifully designed interior of the store, with sleek glass cabinetry, white and tiled floors and brick walls. We hope you enjoy it just as much, so please drop by our new Hamburg store sometime soon to see it yourself!

This month, Scotch & Soda's kids collections were featured in two editorial shoots in Kid's Wear magazine. The little models wore both the Scotch Shrunk (boys) and Scotch R'Belle (girls) collection.

Kid's Wear, established in 1995, is an international magazine for children's fashion, lifestyle and culture. The images were were styled by Catrin Hansmerten and photographed by Achim Lippoth.

Get ready for spring with these designer's favourites! The Maison Scotch spring jackets are designed to keep you warm on chilly days, but still fit like a second skin for the use of lovely light weight materials. What makes each garment extra special, is the great attention that is paid to the small details.

The blue jacket on top is a military inspired hooded style, with a leather cord wrapped around the waist, to give you that extra fitted shape. The linen jacket below is nicely detailed with shoulder buttons and a satin waist ribbon. Both styles are available in our web store. Hungry for more? Plenty more styles are yours to pick online and in our stores worldwide...

February 14th is just around the corner. Feeling uninspired about what to buy for Valentine? No worries, Scotch has everything you need to spoil your loved one with. To make things extra easy, all items are available in our webstore. Happy Valentine's day!

We have some good news for kids (or rather their parents) in and around Maastricht. On 15 February, a brand new kids store will open its doors on Muntstraat 1. Both the Scotch Shrunk and Scotch R'belle collection will be sold here!

Are you in the Netherlands, but not in Maastricht? You can also find the kids collections in the basement of the Scotch & Soda store in Breda: Houtmarkt 1, or in the beautiful kids store at Wolvenstraat 14 in Amsterdam. We hope to welcome you there soon! Scotch R'belle and Scotch Shrunk are also available in our webstore.

WAD (We Are Different) magazine published a nice feature on about the new Scotch & Soda Spring/Summer 2011 mens collection on their blog. We love their concise definition of the collection:

'The Scotch brand DNA, old school with a spicy twist and love for detailing, is recognizable in each garment. Influences from all over the world are taken to achieve a diverse look which is characteristic for their collections.'

Scotch & Soda just got back from Bread & Butter. Twice each year, this Berlin-based 'tradeshow for selected brands', is the place to be for fashion brands to present their new collections to buyers, traders and representatives from the textile industry press. It's been a fun and inspiring week! For this winter edition, our guests got a sneak peak of the new Fall/Winter 2011/2012 collections for Scotch & Soda, Maison Scotch and Amsterdams Blauw.

We would like to share the happy news that Scotch & Soda won the award for Best Fashion at the Sports- wear International Fashion Awards (SIFAs). We kindly use this opportunity to thank all the voters for nominating us, and the jury for granting us the award.

Some of the winners in the other categories were Vivienne Westwood for Lee in Best Denim, Adidas Originals vs. Burton in Best Sport/Street and Nike in Best Sneaker. A jury of 18 internationally renowned retailers and buyers voted for Scotch & Soda Best Fashion "for its vision, design, brand strength and potential". The photo above is our winning image.

This months favorite press clipping is a lovely feature on Maison Scotch, published in the Dutch edition of ELLE magazine. ELLE dedicated a page of their January issue to the style and story of our women's collection. Maison Scotch is greatly described as classic with an edge, and authentic with an artistic French touch. Head of Design Marieke:

'The Dandelion-seeds of our logo are carried away by the wind and travel like tiny parachutes. Like the journey of the seeds, creating a collection feels like making a road trip...'

Make sure to pick up a copy at your local bookstore.

It's been freezing for weeks now, and the winter has only just begun. We can think of only two good reasons to withstand the cold: to travel to a warmer place, or to buy some proper winter goods to keep you warm. Too bad more people had that idea, and the shop racks for gloves and scarves are all emptied out.

Here's an idea. Stay inside, light the fireplace, make yourself some hot chocolate and get cuddly on the couch with your laptop. We have plenty of lovely winter accessories in stock in for men, women and kids, and we deliver all the goods right to your doorstep.

This is the season to get comfortable.

Enter December, month of unavoidable decreases in temperature and light, and on the up side, all the snug celebrations to go with that. At Scotch & Soda we are not with the 'I hate Christmas' army so we welcome the season with open arms.

In the Netherlands, we start on the 5^th of December with the birthday of Sinterklaas: Amsterdam's patron saint and a children's favourite for giving presents on his birthday in exchange for good-natured behaviour, some original DIY creativity and fun rhymes.

To fill the void between Sinterklaas and Santa, we then start attending as much 'try-out-your-Christmas-outfit' get-togethers as possible. Every date that involves great company, great food and drinks in some nice decorum, is a reason to dress our individual best. So here's an idea; put our best December party styles on Sint's or Santa's wish lists quick before it's all gone. Scotch just wants you to feel great at looking awesome.

After successfully launching the Maison Scotch women's collection last year, we couldn't resist the temptation to design a girl's collection, too. No sooner said than done, Scotch R'belle was born.

We're exited to announce that the first spring/summer collection will be in stores worldwide, from the beginning of 2011. R'belle will be an extensive Scotch-feel girls collection, with touches of rock, pirates, sailors and a romantic hippy vibe. So keep an eye on your local Scotch & Soda store this January! R'belle will also be sold online.

At the end of each month we will post our 'press clipping of the month' and our favourite for November is JFK. We're proud that 'Barfly', our debut into the world of fragrance, got such a grand review in JFK's Greatest Man 2010 issue. This successful Dutch men's glossie heralds real life males not only for their sense of style but for their individuality, creativity, personality, sense of humour and over all cool factor. Our feel exactly. 

Photographer Annemarieke van Drimmelen, who has been shooting absolutely enthralling mood and collection images for Scotch & Soda for several seasons, and artist Anouk Griffioen, known for her wall covering photorealistic illustrations, engaged in an exciting art project called 'Sophie'. Annemarieke and Anouk collaborated on a series of portraits of model Sophie Vlaming for about a year, perfectly merging and questioning both their disciplines; can we capture reality in imagery? The final result, an impressive series of giant yet intimate and fragmented portraits of Sophie is showcased in Magazijn 153� on November 27 and 28 only, open between noon and 5PM.

After this brief debut, the project will start travelling with its first stop in Stedelijk Museum Zwolle in 2011.

Ready for the 23rd International Documentary Festival Amsterdam? From 17 to 28 November the very best of reality caught on film will be screened in Amsterdam's most stylish cinema Tuschinski, as well as around the corner Pathe de Munt and, surprisingly, at Amsterdam's main library. The rubbing of shoulders with the international documentary jet set will take place at De Brakke Grond. Making your must see pick from the exhaustive program, blocking the timeslots in your agenda and then getting the desired tickets is a higher art in itself but getting a MyIDFA account helps.

Our recommendations? Wear your easiest and most comfy outfit and try to go see:

• All we ever wanted (Dutch)
• Another Side of David Bailey (English)
• Position of the stars (English)
• Waste Land (English)

The temperature is dropping and the leaves are falling. Guess what, autumn just arrived! Bundle up with a long woolen coat from Maison Scotch's collection pair it with a mohair scarf, take a stroll through the city and be mesmerised by the glow of illuminated bridges. It makes you realise what a beautiful city Amsterdam actually is.

Autumn also marks the return of the cultural season in Amsterdam,�with amazing events like Museumnight, also known as n8. The 11th edition of this cultural night is held in 40 museums around Amsterdam on the 6th of November from� 07.00 pm-2.00 am. All locations offer something extra, like music, film� or� performance art on top of their regular exhibitions.

Not in the mood for a night out? Just stay home and make it like the Dutch say 'gezellig'� a typical Dutch word that best describes a cosy atmosphere, have friends around, eat nice food and watch a movie in the comfort of your own home.

Last month Eindhoven hosted the Dutch Design week. The event started nine years ago and is well known internationally.

A high light of the event was The Ducth Design Awards, this was not only a competition, but also an exhibition which shows off the work of the finalists and winners of the awards.

Besides that all the graduates of The Design Academy get their first acquaintance with the public in a graduate exhibition.

Eindhoven is renowned for fashion and design, so make sure you visit the Scotch & Soda store, just a month old but full of the AW 2010 collection.

And if you didn't manage to attend The Dutch Design week then be sure to pick up the Dutch Design Yearbook 2010 which is available in stores now.

Scotch & Soda is opening stores all around the world with NYC, Toronto, Madrid and Budapest being the most recent.

Over the last few months not only was the Scotch & Soda webstore relaunched but almost 6 retail stores have opened in Holland these being Rotterdam, Eindhoven, Groningen, Arnhem and Maastricht and we haven't finished yet! More are to follow in 2011 keep your eyes open in your home town!

Just around the corner of the Scotch & Soda head office, the legendary Club Mazzo reopened its doors last week. The former club is now a restaurant.

The restaurant has a living room aesthetic, a relaxed space where you can have an expresso & paper in the morning wearing your favorite sweater or have a casual dinner at night with friends to enjoy the Mazzo's Italian flavour.

The interior was designed by Concrete. they brought back the industrial elements of the old club and added new flavour of the 'Jordaan'. The restaurant has an open view to the kitchen, a separate room for private diners and a bar.

Amsterdam Dance event, one of the biggest music conferences and dance events of Europe starts its 15th edition today. ADE provides the international electronic music industry with an extensive platform where they can share their knowledge, spot trends and absorb new techniques. The festival is also for new talent, who have the opportunity to shine in front of a large audience.

The festival is starting today and will continue for the next 4 days. The majority of nightclubs in Amsterdam will be participating which means 165 events and 44 different locations. In 1996 this event started small but has grown into a large event where, in 2009, 90,000 people visited.

This month our design team travelled to Tokyo for an inspiration trip. Japan is a country where a rich history meets the new hectic digital era.

Preferring to experience the real Tokyo, to see new things and collect original new ideas we also travelled to the outskirts of the city to discover new areas we have not explored before.

Our trip was only short but left us full of inspiration and fantastic ideas.

Check out some of our top tips below.

To Eat : Cafe Liberty and Bombay Bazar

To See : Tsukiji fish market ( make sure you are early !)

To Shop : Head to Oriental Bazaar one of the biggest sourvenior shops in Harajuku.

Barfly, the new fragrance of Scotch & Soda will hit the stores in December just in time for the festive season, a perfect gift for Christmas.

After a lot interest in the new fragrance, we currently have testers in stores for you to try. Much like Scotch clothing, the scent is intense and full of details. The first reviews are in and reactions have been very positive.

Curious? Go over to one of the Dutch stores and test it out for yourself!�

At the Scotch & Soda headquarters its a busy time for the design team, they are working towards the deadline for the Autumn / Winter 2011 collection.

Unfortunately today they are suffering a little with plaid overload !

It's going to be a busy few months leading up to "buying season" but all worth it when we've got an amazing collection sat in our showroom.

Stay tuned!

Did you know we have a kids store in Amsterdam ?

Scotch & Soda recently opened a Scotch Shrunk store in the Wolvenstraat Amterdam. To generate more awareness around the opening of our kids store , we rented an old Italian ice cart and gave kids around the area complimentary ice cream. If the kids had a winning star on the bottom of their ice cup they could go with their parents to the store and choose a free T-shirt or baseball cap.

More pictures available at our Facebook fan page.

Don't forget to join us on Facebook.

Like us on Facebook and become a fan. You will stay up to date on the latest news about Scotch & Soda which includes: new stores, new collections, sales, events and much more.

Besides that, we like to hear your opinions, and to receive your pictures.

Hope to see you there !

Our designers favorite of the week: Maison Scotch wool blazer

Favorite because: the blazer has been a key item in every girls wardrobe ever since the idea of masculine chic was invented. Everything looks good with a classic blazer thrown over it, even if you are just wearing jeans and a tee.

The blazer is a slim fit, made from soft wool fabric with brown suede elbow patches also accessorised with a silk pochette. The all over star print lining is the finishing touch to this special jacket.

The Cut, NYmag online, paid visit to our store in NYC and made their selection of key items, the blazer was their no.1 item, check out the rest of their top picks here.

GLAMOUR celebrates its 5th birthday with their biggest issue ever!

Besides their regular fashion shoots and shopping pages, there is a Glamour lookbook which features upcoming Dutch models, interviews with (inter)national celebrities, the latest trends in fashion & beauty, glamour living, lifestyle and traveling.

The travel section for the birthday issue features its hometown Amsterdam with an array of great suggestions for shopping, (cultural) entertainment, food and places to stay. It's a great reference for any trip to Amsterdam. Lastly if you happen to be having lunch in Buffet van Odette then you're already in the renowned shopping zone known as the Nine Streets. Don't forget to pass by the Scotch & Soda stores located within this area!

Glamour #10 is available in stores now.

Scotch & Soda has arrived in New York! The first USA flagship store opened its doors last week. The store is located at 273 Lafayette Street, which is in the popular Nolita area, home to many other popular brands.

Much like our flagship stores in Amsterdam, this boutique boasts a unique interior combining warm wood tones with clear glass and clever lighting. Both our women's line, Maison Scotch and Men's line Scotch are available in this store. Some first impressions at Racked NY.

Summer's drawing to a close, so it's that time of year again: the season for back-to-school shopping and where better to start than at Scotch Shrunk.

The Winter 2010 Scotch Shrunk Collection is all about travelling, places, times and galaxies, so gear up and start your adventures today. Here are some of the highlights from the collection:

Be the king of your castle, sophisticated and smooth, just like a dandy. We love bow ties and tailored jackets.

Find rough denims and mix them up with light pastels.

Be rebellious, be an anti hero, find action graphics and photo prints on tees and pulls.

Get the perfect match with checked cowboy shirts and chunky knits.

If you happen to be in Amsterdam why not visit our new Scotch Shrunk store.

The last weekend of August is tradionally 'Uitmarkt' in Amsterdam. The Uitmarkt is the national opening of the cultural season and the largest cultural festival in the Netherlands. Over the years, the Uitmarkt has evolved into a festival attracting 500,000 visitors and featuring around 1,600 performers at more than 30 venues. And it's all free.

The program gives visitors a sneakpeak into the coming cultural season. The types of shows range from classical Ballet to hiphop and drama to jazz. Famous Dutch and international artists like Waylon, De Staat, Candy Dulfer, Monks Avenue and Fernando Lameirinhas will be performing this weekend. Different shows, different styles, dress casual but smart!

Visit the Uitmarkt website for more information.

Thank you all for voting! Scotch & Soda is proud to inform you that we've been nominated for this year's SIFA (Sports International Fashion Award).

SIFA is a prestigious annual award for fashion brands. Scotch & Soda is nominated in the category 'Best Fashion', which could be described as: 'The most impressive, salable, exciting and fashionable collection that is not primarily jeans-based'.

Besides Best fashion, there are 5 other categories, Best Denim, Best Sneakers, Best Footwear, Best Sport/Street and Best Newcomer. The winners will be chosen by a premier panel of judges representing international retailers, we hope the jury is just as excited about the brand as you are! SI magazine will announce the winners in each in category in their 'Who's Who' edition, which will be available in stores November 2010.

In the past few weeks Amsterdam, and the most of Europe have been completely covered in rain. How is this possible for the end of this lovely summer?

Our hopes are high that the weather for this weekend will be bright & sunny, not only for visitors of Lowlands (the music festival in Biddinghuizen NL), but also for the visitors of SAIL, a big nautical event held in Amsterdam once every five years.

In addition to the renowned tall ships, a unique collection of about 500 ships from the Dutch sailing heritage fleet, naval ships, various replicas and modern ships will be moored in and around the IJ river. Other nautical highlights will include the Ceremonial Salute, the Naval Review, a safety and rescue demonstrations, the Crew Parade through the city centre and much more. Find out more about the event and its program on Sail2010.nl

For all you people out and about this weekend, make sure to bring a rain coat just in case. If you have a sunny mindset and are going to SAIL or Lowlands, make sure you rock it in style and check glamour.nl for tips.

At this year's Bread & Butter trade fair we presented a first glimpse at Amsterdams Blauw, the new Scotch & Soda denim line. To celebrate the occasion, CODE magazine made a short movie with Alex Jaspers (Brand Manager) who proudly presents the Spring 2011 collection.

Alex explains the background behind the brand, which draws inspiration from Amsterdam, the denim capital of the world. He shows us some of the collection pieces and highlights their finest details. Amsterdams Blauw will be available in stores Spring 2011.

Production/Camera: Maxi Meissner
Editing: Bjoern Vollbrecht

Attention music lovers! Everybody here in Holland is warming up for yet another edition of "A Flight to Lowlands Paradise". We are blessed with some of the best festivals in the world. But Lowlands is undoubtedly a league of its own.

It's one of those rare events that sell out long before the line-up is announced, with visitors attracted by what they commonly refer to as "the Lowlands feeling." As the biggest 3 day music festival in the Netherlands, with about 60.000 visitors and over 200 acts Lowlands is the place to get your kicks. If you're going to Lowlands this year (and managed to get a ticket), make sure you rock it in style!

Glamour magazine is featuring weekly Lowlands shopping ideas to make you fashionable and festival-proof during the 3 days of music madness! Their current look is à la Isabel Marant: with lots of colors, prints, fringe, and accessories like belts and bracelets. Head over to Glamour.nl and check out the latest Lowlands shopping tips!

A Flight to Lowlands Paradise is held 20, 21 and 22nd of August, more info at www.lowlands.nl

Scotch & Soda continues to grow season after season. Next year we will add a new collection to our kids line and launch R'Belle specially for girls.

Scotch Shrunk for boys has already been a huge success, so it was a natural step to launch a girl's collection.

The collection is designed for girls between 4-14 years old. It is delicate and cool at the same time, just like her adult sister Maison Scotch. Influences from all around the globe are used to define the characteristics of Scotch R'Belle, giving extra attention to the little details that make each garment special.

The R'Belle collection is set to be a huge success when it hits the stores January 2011.

After several years of building and expanding their brand, the creative team at Scotch & Soda have realised a long lived dream and proudly present their first men's fragrance entitled BARFLY.

Terms like intense but simple, young and transparent had to be translated into a scent.

Much like our clothing, the perfume has its own character and is full of details. The creative team had a strong idea about how Barfly should smell and the feeling it had to evoke. Terms like intense but simple, young and transparent had to be translated into a scent.

Barfly will be in stores December 2010.

Bread and Butter is one of the most important fashion trade fairs in Europe. After making Barcelona its home for several years, it now moves back to its roots in Berlin.

The old 'Tempelhof Flughafen' was the perfect setting for the summer trade show with the theme 'Premier League', which of course had a slight reference to the World Championship Football held at the same time.

For us, it was an edition of new lines. We were not only present with Maison Scotch and Scotch & Soda, but we also introduced our new denim line, Amsterdams Blauw and our new scent, Barfly. Check out the video to give you some behind the scenes impressions.

Video credits: daumenkino.com Sound: "God Don't Pay" by Jesey Budd (Snowhite)

Amsterdams Blauw is our ambitious young denim project that draws inspiration from American denim aesthetics. Furthermore, we focus on details from Japanese workmanship which gives us that tongue in cheek appeal in our collection.

Nevertheless, we are Dutch and we are in the denim capital of the world, Amsterdam. We are constantly inspired by our great city which allows us to be more free in our approach of things. We want to play the maverick card and be the new and fresh alternative for the Denim establishment. We are going to portray the Scotch & Soda Amsterdams Blauw collection as THE CHALLENGER brand.

The collection of Amsterdams Blauw will be available in stores fall 2010.

A new design season, a fresh new start. To get inspired our design team flies all over the world to seek inspiration for the new collection. This month it was New York City.

During a research trip not only do we explore museums, galleries and book stores but we love to explore the city, finding its hidden treasures. We prefer to experience the real New York, meet new people, see new things and collect original new ideas.

Throughout this trip we have been visiting lots of spots from Manhattan to Brooklyn. Our trip was only short but left us eager to return in the near future.

We love NYC !

Since we love the city we would like to share with you our special experiences. Check out our short visual overview of the trip.

The following list shows our: must sees, must taste, must look, must stay and must visit:

Look at
FAILE
Jonathan Levine Gallery
Wooster Collective
Museum of Natural History
The Guggenheim
The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Eat at
Fette Sau
Taco Chulo
Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs
Katz's Deli
Butter
Juliet Supper Club

Drink at
Hotel Delmano

Stay at
Ace Hotel NYC

Visit
Coney Island

In the Dutch Elle of April 2010, our head designer of Maison Scotch, Marieke Meulendijks was interviewed. Marieke is the head designer of Maison Scotch and fanatic collector. Both of her passions find expression in her studio in an old canal house in Amsterdam, designed by architect Diederik Dam.

One of her collector's items is an illustration of Dalí with a dandelion. "This flower has something evanescent. Seeds that fly into the world to bloom somewhere else; it's like making a collection." After restyling the flower, the logo of Maison Scotch was born. "I have always had an idea of what my collection should look like: though, self-confident, cool, with humor.

"Maison Scotch is a mix of me and Scotch & Soda. 'La femme selon Marie', the underline of Scotch & Soda, means 'the woman considering the eyes of Marie' - that's how my friends call me." Marieke describes her style as 'somewhat soft and somewhat rough.' I am very constant. I like timelessness; trends are hard for me to hold on to." Her favorite garment is a boyfriend jeans of Abercrombie & Fitch, which she bought six years ago in New York. "I hope it works the same for Maison Scotch, in that "people buy our collection and will wear it for years."

"Classic with an edge and that typical French subtleness."

The decoration of her house is a mixed style of old and new. "I have got many old pillows, paintings and kelims, handmade carpets from the Middle East. But all these old objects are combined with a set couch and a lot of black and white."Her biggest pride is a shirt with a printed picture of her parents as a young couple in love. Marieke: "It is a honoring. My parents have always supported me in everything. I am very happy with the success of Maison Scotch; as it has really found it's own way!"

Read here the full article of Marieke in Elle.