THE coolest, quirkiest Dutch designs, fashion, art and architecture will be presented in Shanghai during Dutch Days under the thematic umbrella of “Creating Together”from May 26 to 30.

An annual series of public and semi-public events initiated by the Consulate General of the Netherlands in Shanghai in 2012, Dutch Days presents the best of what the Netherlands can offer. In the coming days the focus will be on the Dutch staple of concept and process driven innovation.

A public exhibition showcases a mix of designer products from 36 Dutch companies in a museum-style environment, revolving around a ring of video screens, which correspond to the products on display.

Some of the products to be shown are already available in the local market such as the famous Bugaboo stroller. The others will be presented for the first time in Shanghai.

“We have a very strong creative sector in the Netherlands and we see a lot of possibilities toward professional interaction and knowledge exchange within the local creative community, so that’s the very reason this month we highlight Dutch design,?said Anneke Adema, Dutch consul general in Shanghai.

“What is special about Dutch design is that when designing we focus very much on the process and on working together. This is also the reason why the slogan for Dutch Days is ‘Creating Together.’Aside from the process-driven approach, Dutch design merges high-distinctive forms with functionality and a sense of humor.”

Dutch design is gaining popularity around the world and has become synonymous with quirky, out-of-the-box thinking, the application of new technologies, highly distinctive forms and far-reaching involvement with the experience of end users.

The collaborative approach has helped set Dutch design apart, nurturing nifty solutions essential in order to succeed in a radically different market. Therefore, for this year’s Dutch Days, the emphasis will shift away from static representations to reveal the inner-workings of a product and the thought process behind each design.

Working from mega to micro, the week will start with the question of urban identity, followed by the planning of urban space and its architecture, then the interiors and products that surround us, and finally personal expression through fashion.

The series of salon-style events will make Dutch Days an engaging experience.

The consul general said Dutch designers are serious about sustainability. Within the fashion industry, designers are using everything from biodegradable bamboo thread to upcycled synthetics, which are made from waste broken down into a fine particulate, melted, and extruded into fiber. The result is designers are leading the way in breaking down borders between fashion, industrial design and technology.

“In the exhibition you will discover clothes made by 100 percent post-consumer plastic bottles, which has set the new standard for good business practices in the textile industry,”Adema said. “And this is widely accepted in the Dutch fashion industry. Again it reflects a very Dutch design spirit — functional with a sense of humor.

“During Dutch Days, one salon event topic will be themed ‘Innovation on the Frontiers of Fashion.?Fashion design students from Donghua University will participate and design clothing items using environmentally friendly material provided by the Netherlands. Meanwhile, students will design patterns that are applied on stretch fabric for leisure and sports wear by high-tech printing technology (Pactics),”Adema said. “On the day of the workshop, all participating students will showcase their design and share their design concept as well as the experience of using innovative and sustainable textiles.”

Sustainability is one of the key topics to be explored under the “Why Smart City?”salon event. Dutch and Chinese experts will exchange ideas on the issue.

The Netherlands is home to some 57,600 designers, of which, almost three quarters work in the commercial services industry. There are some 1,300 fashion designers in the Netherlands.

Some of the most well-known Dutch designers include Florentijn Hofman, who is known for playful urban installations such as the Rubber Duck; iconic designer Marcel Wanders, who recently presented collectible designs for Christofle, Baccarat and Personal Editions at Design Shanghai 2015; Ronald A. Westerhuis, whose sculpture “New Life”was unveiled in Shanghai Sculpture Park; and Daan Roosegaarde, who has opened the “Van Gogh —Roosegaarde Cycle Path”comprising thousands of solar powered stones arranged in swirling compositions likened to the painter’s renowned “Starry Night.”It unites cultural heritage and contemporary design in an installation for public use.

The designer has also developed the Smog Free project that creates cleaner urban skies via a Smog Free Park and Smog Rings. Roosegaarde and the city of Beijing are in close dialogue to realize the first Smog Free Park, the Smog Solution exhibition and the Smog Rings as a true example of a smart city.

There are more than 2,500 Dutch people living in Shanghai.

There are roughly 500 Dutch enterprises in Shanghai and the surrounding area, including 70 Dutch companies in the free trade zone. Among them, 50 companies are in the creative sector, including 10 architecture firms.

The Netherlands is the third biggest investor from the European Union in Shanghai and surrounding region.
China is definitely an interesting market for Dutch companies, and the consulate hopes to help Dutch designers make their work more visible in China with the Dutch Days.

Adema would like to see more small-to-medium sized businesses coming to Shanghai. Seven weeks ago, the consulate organized a meeting with the Dutch prime minister and selected 10 young start-ups for communication and exchange of ideas .

“Meanwhile, the Netherlands is a very competitive destination to invest in for Chinese enterprises due to our prime location with good facilities and open attitude toward foreign companies,”Adema said.

Originally from Rotterdam, Adema has been living in Shanghai for eight months.

“The two have a sister city relationship and Shanghai has already been in my heart. I’ve sensed that Chinese and Dutch people have something in common. We love to do trade. We both have a trade mentality.”

The consul general constantly receives trade missions and delegations from different provinces from the Netherlands.

“Yet I never can be too busy. I hope we will have even more delegations and visitors coming and many Chinese tourists will visit our country,Adema said.

Adema expects more trips to the Netherlands will be organized, for instance, design trips, to show what the country can offer.