Tina Travels: Seeing My Dress on Display at Museum Volkenkunde - Cool Japan Exhibition in Leiden, Netherlands | Of Leather and Lace

Never in my life would I ever have thought I’d have a dress on display in a museum exhibition in Europe. This is exactly what happened and I decided to visit the Cool Japan exhibition in person at Museum Volkenkunde in Leiden, Netherlands.


MUSEUM VOLKENKUNDE – COOL JAPAN EXHIBITION

Seeing My Dress On Display in Leiden, Netherlands

 

HOW IT HAPPENED

Just 2-3 months into starting my blog late last year, I received an e-mail from Museum Volkenkunde. They had found my blog post 5 Things to Do in Asakusa online and wanted to see if I could lend them the Alena Akhmadullina dress for an upcoming exhibition. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Once I confirmed that this was a real email from a real museum, I quickly responded and agreed.

I found this dress on sale last year in June when I was traveling in Moscow. I had been eyeing this collection for a while so I snatched the dress up right away. Several designs from this resort collection by Alena Akhmadullina were inspired by Hokusai’s famous work “Great Wave Off Kanagawa”. This correlated perfectly with the upcoming Cool Japan Exhibition at Museum Volkenkunde, which aims to showcase Japanese culture and its influences on European designers. There are many categories in this exhibition and my dress falls under the ‘Fashion’ section. Check out this excerpt on fashion and the essence of Japanese style here with a section about my dress! (You may need to use google translate) Also, check out the Cool Japan exhibition website for all the other items on display.

 

THE VISIT

It certainly is a once-in-a-lifetime experience to have your clothing displayed in a museum, so naturally I had to visit in person. I organized my month-long travel plans so that Amsterdam would be the last leg of the trip. We took a train from Amsterdam Central Station and got to Leiden Station within 40 minutes and walked 5 minutes to Museum Volkenkunde. Upon arrival we were greeted by my coordinator Fiona and the curator, Rik Herder, who took us on a tour around the exhibition. I was amazed at the attention to detail of the entire space and how authentic all the display items were. It felt as though I was in Japan.

When I grew up in Australia, Japanese was a compulsory subject in middle school. I loved the language and the culture, so I continued to study the language and went on multiple student exchanges in Tokyo. My longest stay in Japan was 3 months where I studied Japanese at a language school. So visiting this exhibition was like reliving my childhood memories! I was recently informed that this exhibition was so well received that its exhibition dates have been extended to October 29th. So if you happen to be near Leiden, or visiting Amsterdam before then, make sure to check out the exhibition and my dress!!

 

– COOL JAPAN EXHIBITION DETAILS –

Hours: 10am-5pm (Until October 29th)

Tickets: €14 for adults, €6 for students

Website: http://cooljapan.volkenkunde.nl/

Location: Steenstraat 1, 2312 BS Leiden, Netherlands


5 Things To Do in Asakusa | Of Leather and Lace
This photo is from the original blog post

Tina Travels: Seeing My Dress on Display at Museum Volkenkunde - Cool Japan Exhibition in Leiden, Netherlands | Of Leather and Lace Tina Travels: Seeing My Dress on Display at Museum Volkenkunde - Cool Japan Exhibition in Leiden, Netherlands | Of Leather and Lace Tina Travels: Seeing My Dress on Display at Museum Volkenkunde - Cool Japan Exhibition in Leiden, Netherlands | Of Leather and Lace Tina Travels: Seeing My Dress on Display at Museum Volkenkunde - Cool Japan Exhibition in Leiden, Netherlands | Of Leather and LaceTina Travels: Seeing My Dress on Display at Museum Volkenkunde - Cool Japan Exhibition in Leiden, Netherlands | Of Leather and Lace Tina Travels: Seeing My Dress on Display at Museum Volkenkunde - Cool Japan Exhibition in Leiden, Netherlands | Of Leather and Lace Tina Travels: Seeing My Dress on Display at Museum Volkenkunde - Cool Japan Exhibition in Leiden, Netherlands | Of Leather and Lace

– OUTFIT DETAILS –

Two-piece Shirt Dress from Storets

Otaboo Boots by Christian Louboutin

Sasha Structured Bag by X Nihilo

Needing Fame Aviator Sunglasses from Quay Australia

Classic Black Belt by Dolce & Gabbana

Hat from H&M (Similar here)

Collier de Chien Bracelet by Hermes

– SHOP THIS POST –

Amsterdam Central Station | Of Leather and Lace Amsterdam Central Station | Of Leather and Lace Traveling to Leiden from Amsterdam | Of Leather and Lace Visiting Amsterdam | Of Leather and Lace Aviator sunglasses, X Nihilo Bag, H&M hat and Storets two-piece set | Of Leather and Lace Aviator sunglasses, H&M hat and Storets two-piece set | Of Leather and Lace Aviator sunglasses, H&M hat and Storets two-piece set | Of Leather and Lace Aviator sunglasses, X Nihilo Bag, H&M hat and Storets two-piece set | Of Leather and Lace Aviator sunglasses, X Nihilo Bag, H&M hat and Storets two-piece set | Of Leather and Lace Dolce & Gabbana belt, Christian Louboutin Boots, Hermes Cuff, X Nihilo Bag, H&M hat and Storets two-piece set | Of Leather and Lace Dolce & Gabbana belt, Hermes Cuff, X Nihilo Bag, H&M hat and Storets two-piece set | Of Leather and Lace X Nihilo Sasha Bag | Of Leather and Lace Aviator sunglasses, X Nihilo Bag, H&M hat and Storets two-piece set | Of Leather and Lace

| Photography by Austin Donohue |


Visiting Amsterdam and looking for the most unique and authentic experience? How about staying on a houseboat!

Tina Travels: Where to Stay in Amsterdam - 5 Best Amsterdam Houseboats | Of Leather and Lace