MEET THE STORE #11: CKX Studio in Amsterdam
Today the 11th episode of the topic Meet the Store. This topic Meet the Store shows you the best (denim) stores. The stores you need to know to find the right pair of jeans, the most durable boots, an outstanding jacket or your new favorite denim item.
This new edition of Meet the Store is with CKX Studio which is located in Amsterdam, NL. A great store filled the most beautiful brands and indigo stuff!. Thanks for sharing your story Harmony!
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Harmony Hendrickx
- Name: Harmony Hendrickx.
- Living in village & country: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Age: 29 years.
- Instagram ID of the store: @ckxstudio.
- Number of Instagram followers of the store: 1.629 followers.
- Website: www.ckxstudio.com
- Daily work: Shopkeeper & maker, artist, photographer and designer.
Can you introduce yourself (who are you and what are you doing):
Hi! My name is Harmony, and I started CKX Studio in 2017. I’m a photographer by trade, vintage enthusiast and a passionate workwear collector. I started photography at age 13, when I got my dad’s old analog camera. Ever since then, I’ve loved photography and especially analog and alternative processes. Cyanotype (or blueprint), a 19th century photographic process, is one of them.
Another personal appreciation, is vintage style. I’ve always loved vintage clothing, interior design and collectibles. I love the faded blues of old workwear, and all it’s repairs, holes and stains. The life that shows through a garment. Almost the same relic properties a photograph has I guess.
The two combined, photography & workwear, are really the cornerstones of CKX Studio.
The studio is a product of my own personal fascination for these blues. In the studio I work with several techniques, Cyanotype, indigo dyeing, upcycling vintage & antique fabrics into new items, handpainting denim jackets, and I also teach workshops. Other than that there’s the day to day business of the store, like shooting product pictures, updating the website, buying & vintage picking, visual merchandise, accounting, but of course physically being in the store as well.
Running a one-woman-show is not always easy, and sometimes you feel like there’s never enough time to do all the things you want, but I love doing this. This is what I live for.
What kind of store is CKX Studio:
CKX Studio is a concept store where you can find all things blue. Sustainable blue goods. Located in the ‘Blaauwlakenblok’ (blue cloth block), in the oldest part of Amsterdam, where traditionally the dyers where located, working with woad and indigo. CKX Studio offers a carefully selected collection of sustainable clothing, artwork & home accessories. Timeless and iconic pieces that cut through gender and time. We offer lots of denim, indigo handcraft, blueprint artwork, alongside other blue streasures. Vintage, antique, reworked and upcycled items, as well as handcrafted local goods and contemporary designs focusing on a organic fabrics and natural dyes. Unique items with a story, based on a love for craftsmanship and the blues.
It really is an eclectic mix of old and new. Bigger brands, as well as small batch companies and local makers. Craftsmanship and natural materials really are the blue thread that links them all. Every item in the store comes with a story, and people can search for that one blue treasure that matches their own. Like our slogan says: Something old, something new, something fair, something blue.
Shots of the CKX Studio in Amsterdam.
Can you tell a little bit about the history of CKX Studio:
I’m an artist at heart. I’ve always had the passion to make things. So there was never any doubt for me, that this is what I wanted to do. I didn’t think it would be in this form though, as in curating a store too.
It’s funny though, because when I was younger I always used to say that it would be nice to own a store/gallery later, selling vintage clothing, next to artwork, with a small coffee corner, all blending in perfectly together. I forgot about this over the years, but it’s basically what I’ve been doing with CKX Studio. Curating a concept, that stands for quality, sustainability and uniqueness.
I’ve always had a personal interest for vintage clothing. But I also knew that there wasn’t that many places around that offered quality vintage. I always used to shop online/overseas myself. So that’s why I specialize in finding those unique sought after pieces.
I started off with vintage clothing, home accessories and my own blueprints. Now, the store has organically grown into a wide array of goods, including contemporary brands, books & magazines, as well as other local makers.
Cyanotype by CKX Studio.
What are the core/most popular products at CKX Studio:
I’d have to go with rare vintage items. A lot of customers check in regularly to see which new olds we’ve got in stock. I handpick every vintage item in the store, and each one is unique. There’s only one, which makes it desired.
CKX products usually are one-of-a-kind too, which makes them really popular as well. It’s also nice to be able to tell the customer the story behind an item, coming directly from the maker.
Hand made pillows by CKX Studio.
Are there new brands added to the CKX collection:
We just got Story MFG in this week, which I’m super excited about. And we’ll also be stocking some handprinted tees by small batch company Formes.
Wrangler’s newest sustainable denim collection ‘Indigood’ is gonna launch instore later this year.
What’s the most iconic item available at CKX Studio:
Iconic & unique for me are the vintage Japanese workwear jackets. The Wabi-Sabi aesthetic of these traditional garments, often refined and rough at the same time, instantly give you an air of simplicity. Even with all it’s imperfections.
Authentic Japanese workwear jackets.
What’s your personal favorite denim brand(s):
I love vintage cuts and style, so Levi’s Vintage Clothing is a big favorite. I really like the early 1900’s pieces, that give that real American workwear feeling.
Handpainted Levi’s jacket by CKX Studio.
Where is your inspiration coming from as owner/buyer of CKX Studio:
I believe the focus on a more sustainable approach in fashion is a necessity.
As Vivienne Westwood put it, ‘Buy less, choose well, make it last’, really fits with our concept, and can also be found directly in items we sell like antique Boro pieces as well as for instance upcycled items made by us, or carefully handcrafted goods. Consumers are getting more and more aware of the evironmental and social effects of the fashion industry, which is a great transformation.
I really love collaborating with small batch companies that produce pieces made to last, and/or work with traditional crafts. I also try to avoid gender and seasons in store. So when buying my focus is on style and substance over fashion. I look for quality materials, with a timeless cut & fit.
What’s your personal favorite denim brand and fit:
I’m quite loyal to the 501. I tend to wear the early 1900’s fits most, and if I’d really have to pick one era, it would probably be 1930’s.
What’s your favorite denim city:
Amsterdam of course. I really love my city, and also the denim community we have going here. Lots of big names in the industry are located here, great denim stores, and we’ve got a couple big annual events, which always comes with cool meetups and parties throughout the city. I’ve met some amazing people through denim.
You can drink special indigo look coffee at CKX Studio.
Can you show the most crazy faded jeans from the CKX Studio hall of fades:
This is a Levi’s 702xx, from my personal collection, with an amazing green cast.
Levi’s Vintage Clothing 702xx jeans.
What can we expect in the future of CKX Studio:
This year we’re focusing on bringing lots of new additions to our own CKX collection. Ranging from limited edition blueprint designs, handcrafted indigo goods, but also a one-off line of clothing and accessories that I would love to tell you more about once it’s here!
Hand made Buddy Lee patches by CKX Studio.
Read also the previous editions of Meet the Store;
Oeben’s Mercantile in Utrecht (NL): here.
Concrete Matter in Amsterdam (NL): here.
Red Wing Shoes in Amsterdam (NL): here.
Black & Blue in Nijmegen (NL): here.
Denoism in Rotterdam (NL): here.
Arborator in Maastricht (NL): here.
Tenue de Nîmes in Amsterdam (NL): here.
Kings & Queens in Antwerp (BE): here.
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