Issue1 TasteBound compressed - Flipbook - Page 13
Across the Netherlands,
a pattern emerges:
coastal communities are
rich in colour, the traditional
dress shaped by centuries of
maritime trade and vivid fabrics
from Asia. Further inland,
communities more isolated
from trade – and often more
religiously conservative
– are marked by sober tones,
reflecting a lifestyle shaped by
restraint, not abundance.
Zeeland, in the southwest of the Netherlands,
is home to the richest
klederdracht [traditional dress].
Each former island and
peninsula developed its own
distinct sartorial code, with
particularly elaborate bonnets
featuring hundreds — up to
800 — finely pressed pleats.
At the heart of it all lies ritual:
the ritual of dressing, of
community and of gathering
to sew and iron these garments
into being, again and again.
On Marken, the
community lives fully
in the modern world
– people have mobile phones
and many commute to
Amsterdam. Wearing traditional
dress here isn’t the equivalent of
being Amish. There are clothes
for city life, and then, when you
return to the island, you’re from
Marken again. This image was
taken during IJsbruiloft, an
autumnal, folkloric celebration
unique to this place. Outsiders
are rarely invited, but I’ve been
semi-adopted by the
community. On this occasion, I
was introduced to three sisters
who are triplets. I photographed
them in one of the traditional
houses on the harbour. It wasn’t
spontaneous; it came from
trust, conversation and time.
TA S T E B O U N D
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