Sharp-edged, witty and functional. The twins Truus and Riet Spijkers have been designing fashion with a recognisable and popular style since the label was launched in 2000. Rebelling against stereotypical ideas about what constitutes the feminine, Spijkers en Spijkers focus their attention on the self-confident, modern women who is eager to revise the rules pertaining to her sex. The twosome’s designs have a graphic lineation that is tailored to the female body, with a resulting image that is paradoxical: a woman who is strong and independent as well as elegant. The sisters are inseparable and complement each other perfectly: Truus is ‘the painter’. She thinks in style and colour. Riet, ‘the sculptor’, translates their common ideas into three-dimensional forms. With Elsa Schiaparelli and Madeleine Vionnet as their fashion heroes, they create their own common vision. They like to work with clear, geometric forms, emphasising the female body in a strong and independent way. The mix of supple fabrics and sharp lines is borne of a fascination with the 1920s. There is always some style reference to that period in their collections. The twins have a fondness for this period that is marked by great changes in art, fashion, dance, politics and social relations. It was that era in which their muses were born; strong, self-assured women with their own opinions and style. Muses that have already served as sources of inspiration for Spijkers en Spijkers collections are mostly cultural icons such as Dorothy Parker, Dora Maar, Claude Cahun and Nancy Cunard. With these inspirational role models, Spijkers en Spijkers fulfil the role of ‘modern suffragettes’ and give women the self-confidence to be who they want to be. The twins’ authentic and innovative style is characterised by graphic details and by their exceptional use of colour. ‘We hope our designs and ideas serve as a reflection on form, time and emotion, and that this gives them their identity. We want are designs to be innovative as well as timeless.’