The Exchange in Amsterdam is based around a new hotel initiative combining fashion and architecture by Otto Nan and Suzanne Oxenaar. Eight students from the Amsterdam Fashion Institute (AMFI) were selected to work on the rooms at the hotel; each based their designs for a room on a fashion metaphor.
The concept applied to The Exchange is similar to previous projects by Otto Nan and Suzanne Oxenaar, including the Lloyd Hotel & Cultural Embassy, and the Llove Hotel in Tokyo. The idea is to dress the rooms in the same way a designer would dress their models.
The Pleats Room, by Paul Hanraets, was inspired by the creases created in a simple white T-shirt when worn. The walls and surfaces of this room are draped in eco cotton pleats and folds.
The Crinoline Cage Room by Sofie Sleumer references nineteenth century undergarments, with a giant crinoline cage made from wooden beams in the small attic room that surround the bed.
Juanita Koerts has created the Mestiza Room, taking inspiration from Frida Kahlo. Made to look like an evening gown, the room is covered in a chestnut crepe fabric, using traditional textile methods to gather and ruche the fabric. The ceiling is covered in the crepe fabric and decorated in sequins, jewels and beads.
