STYLE FILE
SHOPPING IN
ROTTERDAM HOLLAND’S SECOND-LARGEST CITY TEMPERS ITS GRITTY CORNERS WITH FORWARD-THINKING BOUTIQUES AND SHARP HANGOUTS FOR HOMEGROWN TALENT. BY CHRIS SCHALKX
Clockwise from this picture: messenger bags at Susan Bijl; Dearhunter vintage store; Tom Coffee + Paper Goods exterior; Dearhunter display; Hotel Ame’s boutique; cookies at Studio Unfolded; outdoor seating at Hotel Ame April 2022 Condé Nast Traveller 45
Clockwise from above: furniture at Weber & van Rijn; coffee break at Studio Unfolded; pouches at Susan Bijl; ’S Zomers interior; Studio Soleil; vintage items at Dearhunter; vases and frames at Studio Unfolded; Rotterdam street scene; Tom Coffee + Paper Goods
STYLE FILE CERAMICS AND MORE The tree-shaded backyard of Studio Unfolded is a lovely pitstop for an oat-milk latte and a slice of homemade banana bread. In this small café/concept store, photographer Sophia van den Hoek has curated a range of homeware and gifts that encapsulate her trademark muted style. Standouts include ceramic cups and crockery speckled like quail eggs, as well as framed prints from Van den Hoek’s travels around the world. There’s also artisanal food: local Tomasu soy sauce from Europe’s only soy-sauce microbrewery and bottles of syrup flavoured with bay leaf and kaffir lime from Rotterdam deli Regina. studiounfolded.com
INTERIORS INSPIRATION Stepping inside bohemian Studio Soleil feels like going on a trip to Bali by way of India, Ibiza and Morocco. Owner Claire Silva sources furniture and home accessories from around the globe to recreate the feeling of a holiday at home, from beachy wickerwork pendant lights to hand-woven rugs and curvy terracotta vases. Across the street, Weber & van Rijn specialises in mid-century-modern furniture from cooler climes. In the showroom, which is open on Saturdays or by appointment, you’ll find Seventies Danish sideboards and antique chairs by Swiss designer Bruno Rey. The shelves of Pantoufle, a white-walled store in the north of town, are stocked with, in owner Esther Blankers’ words, ‘slow design for daily life’. Highlights include ginghamprinted aprons by French textile brand Linge Particulier, brass and silver pieces by studio Lappalainen from Germany and copper crockery hand made in Japan. studiosoleil.nl, weberxvanrijn.com, pantoufle-design.nl
VINTAGE FINDS Rotterdam has no shortage of vintage stores, but Dearhunter, taking over a canal-side corner building near Eendrachtsplein Square, is a favourite among clued-in stylists and fashionistas. Don’t come here for deals on big-name labels though – this is the place to rootle through racks of faux-fur coats, one-ofa-kind varsity jackets and funky leather heels straight out of the Eighties club kid scene. Best of all, the prices are very reasonable. dearhunter.fresh.li
FASHION FOR ALL ‘Ageless, Timeless, Genderless’ reads a sign on the window of Nen Xavier, where the eponymous fashion stylist curates a brilliant
selection of deadstock, pre-loved and new garb for men, women and everyone else. The ever-changing collection ranges from high-end brands to indie designers: Henrik Vibskov knits hang beside vintage Dior cocktail dresses. A few doors over, Objet Trouvé is stocked with French-meets-Scandi womenswear by brands such as Hope, Joseph and Rue Blanche. Keep an eye out for the playful gold jewellery made in collaboration with local goldsmith Martine Viergever. For something a bit edgier, head to Margreeth Olsthoorn on the Wilhelminakade dock. This gallery-like clothing store, set in a mid-20th-century warehouse, sells fresh ready-to-wear lines by avant-garde labels including Comme des . newxarchive.com, objet-trouve.nl, margreetholsthoorn.nl
ECO-FRIENDLY BAGS The eye-catching, duotone totes by designer Susan Bijl are ubiquitous around the city. Made from sustainably produced ripstop nylon (the fabric used for parachutes), they’re durable yet lightweight, making them popular as carry-alls or reusable shoppers. The bags
BREW TIME LOCAL CRAFT BEER HOTSPOTS The notes of kumquat mango and kiwi in Stadshaven Brouwerij’s bottled beers are no coincidence the easy-drinking tipples are inspired by the brewery’s setting in an old fruit warehouse in the rapidly gentrifying M H district It’s well worth the schlep as the space doubles as a gastropub stadshavenbrouwerij nl A stalwart on the Dutch craft-beer scene since Kaapse Brouwers focuses on classic brewing styles from Germany the Czech Republic and the UK Visit its taproom in warehouseturned-hipster-market the Fenix Food Factory or its atmospheric Kaapse Maria bistro near Eendrachtsplein Square kaapsebrouwers nl Set in a disused swimming pool along the Maas river Vet & Lazy aims to keep its carbon footprint as light as possible Grains come from a sustainable farm and waste heat is reused The pilsners and IPAs feature experimental mix-ins such as crickets and hibiscus lazy vet
are sold all over town, including at the Susan Bijl flagship on Mauritsweg Street, but the store adjoining the brand’s office in the Kralingen area stocks the biggest selection. The latter is also a great spot to pick up interior goods curated by Bijl herself, such as glass and metal vases by Dutch designer Chris Kabel and sculptural food trays by Belgian duo Muller Van Severen. susanbijl.nl
FLORAL SCENTS ’S Zomers is often billed as a florist, but this whimsical shop, tucked under the arches of a defunct railway viaduct near Centraal Station, is much more than that. Between its kaleidoscopic floral arrangements, owners Michael Swier and René Jongeneel stock everything from Cire Trudon candles and perfumes to tongue-in-cheek glassware by Jonathan Adler. Particularly handsome are the vases made from recycled plastic by Dutch designer Dirk van der Kooij, who created colourways exclusively for the store. zomersbloemen.nl
CAFFEINE FIX Locals in the on-the-up Zwaanshals quarter stop for coffee and a chat at the stamp-sized Tom Coffee + Paper Goods café, where eversmiling Serbian sneakerhead Tomislav Pra talo, a Rotterdamer since the early 2000s, doles out strong espressos and house-made cinnamon rolls. Among the goods for sale are notepads and calendars by designer Marjolein Delhaas and indie zines by local illustrators. Look out for the events line-up too – the space doubles as a concept store and pop-up exhibition space for the city’s creative folk. instagr.am/tom_coffeepapergoods
WHERE TO STAY Until not so long ago, overnighting in Rotterdam meant booking a room at one of the ho-hum business hotels in the city centre. That changed over the past few years, when a slew of boutique boltholes opened around town, with newcomer Hotel Ame among the smartest of the bunch. Run by husband and wife Angel Cheung-Kwok and Manfung Cheung, this Japandi-style spot in a monumental building opposite Eendrachtsplein Square retains many of its Art Nouveau details, including beautiful stained-glass windows. The 14 bedrooms range from snug attic spaces to high-ceilinged suites with stand-alone bathtubs. The concept store downstairs sells plates and bowls by CheungKwok, who is also a ceramicist. Doubles from about £115; hotelame.com April 2022 Condé Nast Traveller 47