Company clothing presented in Amare
25 November 2021, news
Amare’s personnel were treated to a very special present this month: the new company clothing, designed by well-known fashion designer Michael Barnaart, a local of The Hague! Behind the ticket desks, in the restaurant and on the public floor, there is a recognisable colour and style for every part of the building. Check out the photographs below.
“It was wonderful to see the uniforms come to life in Amare for the first time,” says Barnaart. “And exciting, too, for when I started on the design, Amare didn’t yet look the way it does now. I had to base the colours and the concept on artist’s impressions. It’s great to see it all come together now, and to see that it works.”
Barnaart’s idea was that the uniforms should emanate a sense of calm while forming a clear and strong visual image. “I definitely did not want white collar shirts, since many visitors wear such shirts as well and Amare already offers so much to see. That’s why I chose an approach based on clearly recognisable colour blocks. Even when the theatre hall is full, the staff should form a small oasis of calm that your eye will automatically pick out.” It also suits the height of the building, Barnaart says. “A bit like priests in a cathedral of culture,” he adds with a smile.
Elements of colour
Amare’s team had prepared an extensive briefing for Barnaart. “I let it sink in for a while, and at a certain point it all came together like a jigsaw puzzle. The colours in Amare’s style book were a very clear statement, and I took this as my starting point. I modified some of the colours somewhat, to make them suitable for clothing. I also based the material analysis on Amare. For example, the hosts wear a cognac-copper colour, which is in between the gold and wood elements of the building. It also adds a warm atmosphere at Amare’s front side.”
The Hague-based fashion designer Michael Barnaart settled on stylish and sustainable company clothing with clearly recognisable solid colours. The collection is also ‘gender neutral’, meaning that everyone wears the same uniform, visually. The actual uniforms were made by Annet Kroll and SUIT UP. They were presented in the Amare building for the first time earlier this month.
Swipe right to see all the photographs >
Barnaart found inspiration for the other colours in various aspects of Amare. “I felt that the clothing for the pop music department should be black, so a bit rugged. I combined this with a camel-gold colour. The uniform for the Amare Brasserie is emerald green, with a bit of a nod to art nouveau and the old metro entrance gates in Paris. I thought the colour would go well with the plants hanging from the ceiling. At that point I didn’t know that the Brasserie would opt for a plant-based concept, so it’s a very good fit in terms of content!”
The brooch was also a lot of fun to design, Barnaart continues. “I was asked to design a recognisable accessory. What immediately came to mind was the ‘a’, which is so strong and positive. And it’s funny to see now how the ‘a’ also features in the Amare house style and socials. And that you can see the lines of the facades reflected in the furniture, just like in the brooch. Apparently, we were all thinking the same!”
Timeless concept
It has been very special to contribute to Amare in this way, says Barnaart. “I sensed that everyone was somehow on the same page. There are several disciplines out there that need to come together to create ‘Amare’ as a concept. I really enjoyed playing my part in this process, and that I could do so completely up to my own taste. And it’s great to see now how it all clicks together perfectly. It feels like I solved a complex mathematical puzzle. I hope it proves to be a timeless concept. So if you visit Amare in five or ten years from now, that everything still really clicks together.”
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