Since June this year we have opened our very first Hul le Kes Store, right in the city center of our hometown Arnhem. Physical stores give you the serendipity and personal contact and storytelling we love so much. Next to experiencing the collection to its fullest, people can enjoy our building and its history.
In a narrow alley, parallel to the main street, you will find the entrance leading you through a long hallway, towards a beautiful industrial space on the first floor. It’s an old warehouse, built for a company handling old rags and irons. Besides falling in love, with the building, itself, we decided to honor its legacy and turn it into a place where old and deadstock fabrics are upcycled into new fashion garments and accessories in our collection.
All Hul le Kes Design garments are handmade and often hand dyed. Some are made from centuries old linen, some with fabrics found at antique markets and some with leftover fabrics or deadstock. Each item tells a story. To continue that story, all Hul le Kes garments have a registration number and will be delivered with its own passport. At Hul le Kes we embrace the mission that a garment’s journey doesn’t need to end after its first owner.
Our production is almost completely done in-house in our Manufacturing Studio and Recovery Studio, all limited editions and without an ideal body or gender in mind. Hul le Kes is for everyone. Then again it will not be possible for everyone to visit us in Arnhem. Therefore, we invite everyone to visit our online store to be inspired by our collection items, their fabrics, and stories.
Stein Dress – In the picture you can see our Stein dress made from upcycled GOTS certificated cotton bedding from Yumeko a perfect dress for a casual day but as good for a day at work or special occasion
Interieur – As Hul le Kes we use old fabrics and cloths (post-consumer textile waste) to turn them into clothes or give them a natural dye bath so they can be used as tablecloths. These tablecloths are soon available again online but are already available at our store.
Sjaak and Sebastiaan are inspired by the work, live and clothing off a diver’s pallet of famous painters, writers, and sculptors such as Monet, Kahlo and Matisse. Therefore, each garment comes with a short artistic narrative about the famous artist it is named after. Therefore, each garment comes with a short artistic narrative about the famous artist it is named after.
The Hul le Kes collection is all about being inspired. Celebrate precious moments, paths to an inclusive and sustainable industry, and join our quest for ways to find the perfect balance between aesthetics, impact, empathy, design, transience, and raw materials.
-Jean Cocteau
In the eyes of Sjaak and Sebastiaan there was no person that was so involved in the avant-garde movement in Paris like Jean Cocteau (1889 – 1963). Because of that reason these item are named after him. Cocteau was an openly gay artist, widely known for his erotic drawings and writings. He was friends with many artists of his time and a true all-round artist.
Baker Dress – Upon request of many of you we have been adding more dresses to the Hul le Kes collection. Like this Baker Dress which is now available in two types of deadstock fabric in a very limited series. This jersey dress is both elegant and comfortable and can be worn by people with several body types.
Monet Jacket – The Monet Jacket can be ordered online and is a made to order style. Meaning you choose your favorite blanket on our website, select your size and our Manufacturing Studio makes it especially for you. Within a couple of weeks, you will have your personal Monet Jacket delivered at home.
When using deadstock materials, we only make as much as can be made from the final meters of existing fabric. That way it is unlikely you will meet another person wearing this same garment and we made sure to clean up fabric waste from the industry.
At Hul le Kes we are now working hard on international expansion with a growing group of stores who sell our collection. Growth is necessary to achieve our social and sustainable goals. We have no illusion that we can single handedly change the whole system. We can however aim to form a community together with likeminded customers and organizations. A community that serves a better system, one we all belong to. We like to hand out an invitation to embrace the beauty that lies in imperfection, to slow down and take a look at the narratives of ourselves and our surroundings. Doing this requires a fashion brand to do things differently and that is what Hul le Kes is: different, with an eye for imperfection. It is also the reason why Hul le Kes is a social enterprise, wanting to make future-proof, sustainable, and inclusive impact instead of being an egocentric and money driven company.
Visit us
We invite you to visit the Hul le Kes flagship Store. Wezenstraat 5, Arnhem. Open Thursday until Saturday.
Be connected
Interested to follow how we do this? Subscribe to our newsletter, in which we inform you twice a month about Hul le Kes activities and new products.
Be connected to our social mission and activities at Hul le Kes Recovery Studio and Hul le Kes Manufacturing Studio. Do subscribe yourself! (please note this newsletter will be in Dutch)
Models and Photography: Boy @brooksmodelingagency and Emilia Brys @elite_amsterdam.
Photographer Scott van Kampen Wieling
