In Amsterdam-West, the Molen van West sets the stage for Patience Studio. The site centres on Molen De Otter, a working sawmill from 1631 and the oldest of its kind still in use, still operated by a female miller today. Once home to forty mills, the area now feels like an oasis of stillness in the middle of the city. A perfect venue to slow down the daily pace.
The spacious rooms around the mill are divided with dark fabric panels made by the collective. They look handwoven, with beautiful irregular stitching and an Amsterdam postcode woven in. This forms the starting point of the new sustainable initiative, co-founded by Borre Akkersdijk, Esmée van den Boom and Menno Drontmann. The studio organises its launch around the senses. Taste, sound, scent and touch follow in sequence, each showing how attention changes experience.
Go through the senses
At the tea bar, Lateef hosts a ceremony with a Chinese tea sommelier. He explains that all tea comes from the same tree, Camellia sinensis. The differences between white, green and black lie in the degree of fermentation. Da Hong Pao, a rare oolong also known as rock tea, is poured with care. The leaves are first rinsed with hot, but not boiling, water to awaken the flavour. Then, tea is served in a small cup, tasted on its own, and later again with a piece of chocolate. The shift in flavour is striking, a reminder that patience reveals new layers.
Sound is hosted by Ojas, the audio practice of Devon Turnbull. A minimal set-up fills the room: an Audioscript amplifier, a Luxman PD-151 turntable, and acoustic panels created with La Bolleur. Before the music starts, I can only think of Depeche Mode, Enjoy the Silence. Then Turnbull plays a record by Keith Jarrett and the crackle of the needle becomes part of the experience. The sound is warm and precise. So clear it feels almost physical, shaped by the custom-built walls. It is a privilege to sit and just listen. No phone, no talk, only sound.
Scent is guided by Barnabé Fillion, the perfumer behind several creations for Aēsop and a long-time friend of Borre Akkersdijk. The fragrance installation includes artwork by Tomek Dersu Aaron. Cushions in the same print, shaped in a variety of soft rounded forms, carry aromas of sage leaves, palo santo, fleur d’oranger du Maroc and hinoki wood. Visitors are invited to touch, hold and smell. The aromas sit inside the objects rather than floating in the air. My favourite? Palo santo, as always.
Touch is ever present throughout the presentation. Seating is considered with care: Crisis Stools by Piet Hein Eek, Chubby bar stools by Dirk van der Kooij and Richard Hutten’s No Sign of Design chairs for Lensvelt appear across the different settings. Together with the soft cushions, they remind visitors that touch is not only comfort but also part of design in dialogue with the senses.
Alongside the sensory installations, the collective also shows a small clothing line. The pieces are unisex and take inspiration from Japanese shapes. A coat, a bag, a larger wallet and soft slippers extend the language of the studio into garments. Simple, functional and tactile, they echo the same focus on process.
The programme also includes a panel talk with three female leaders in the industry. Sadira Furlow, Chief Marketing Officer at Tony’s Chocolonely, joins Mijke van Ballegooijen, Chief Executive Officer of byBorre, and Trix van der Vleuten, Chief Marketing Officer at The Social Hub. Together they discuss how to rethink systems of making and responsibility in fashion and design. It places the studio not only as an aesthetic practice but also as a platform for dialogue.
The message is clear, flow with care. Every sense is engaged to show that slowing down can spark new ways of creating and living as well. From fabric panels and tea to sound, scent, touch and clothing, what takes time, lasts.
All images taken by author during Amsterdam Fashion Week, courtesy of Patience Studio
Discover: www.patience.studio
Also open to the public: www.molenvanwest.nl
