Dresses and Boobies.....

Instead of selling sex, Amsterdam is trying to sell sexy. Although i'm not sure those ladies need any advice on how they should Bring Sexy Back.

The city unveiled its "Red Light Fashion" project on Saturday, having converted 16 'buildings' (or "lady windows") that used to house prostitutes in the city's ancient red light district into studios for young fashion designers. And rather lovely some of the ladies (the models, rather than the working women) looked too:

The idea was born out of the government's desire to crack down on crime in the area. But many neighbors are displeased with the high-class newcomers in an area that thrives on its seedy reputation; and lets be honest, people head to the red light district in Amsterdam to buy ladies that will take off their dresses, not a new dress for a lady.

Although the 10 up and coming designers are being rented their new studio homes for free for the first year, they say they're are taking a risk. Having said that, I like the quirky mix of sex and sexy clothes. And, has Becky has lamented in previous posts, there's alot we can learn, fashion wise, from those women that walk the street.

Those Dutch really know how to bring new meaning to the phrase 'window shopping' don't they?

The clothes on sale in these new boutiques though, are considerably more expensive than the women. A lot of the stores only offer a "made-to-measure" service and the semi-established designers are creating haute couture in their new homes. But the key question isn't how much the clothes cost or whether they're made in a brothel or not. The key question is whether we like them! Well the answer is I do! In this business your only as good as your last collection dahhling, and the most prominent of the designers, Edwin Oudshoorn's last collection was very interesting indeed!

I am slightly biased, but 6 months in China means i'm a sucker for Oriental styling. I also love Oudshoorn's use of constrasting textures and the way the use of almost cliched textures seemed fresh and interesting. I also think the prom style dress is infinitely wearable.

Although you wouldn't see Julia Roberts wearing any of these dresses in Pretty Woman, I can see why a Dutch set of Pretty (and rich) women would brave a stroll through the red light district for one of Oudshoorn's designs. I only hope that this new initiative doesn't drive many of the women living and working from the safety of their regulated wndows in the red light district and back onto the streets.