After a quick and secretive sneak peek which we were allowed to see a week before the show, we couldn't wait to see the new collection of ILJA for Fall Winter 2012 2013. We had to learn to be patient... but it was worth the wait!

It's been an amazing three months for The Hidden World. We can confirm that time flies if you have fun. We're proud that we could launch the platform with Dutch fashion designer Ilja Visser. And now the time has come to say goodbye to her world of beautiful fashion.

But before we enter another hidden world, we look back.....with gratitude!

It's a process you have to go through to see your design come of the paper.

Currently we're sketching for the next collection of ILJA. The concept is clear and we're full of inspiration to draw the new designs. I'll show you some sketches from Hyperborea this week. So you'll see the before & afters...

After checking the hidden world of Ilja Visser online, maybe it's time for you to learn the skills off-line....

The fashion house Ilja Visser Group is looking for a design intern. Are you aspiring a career as a designer? Are you ready for a challenge? Check out the details here.

The Hidden World noticed that the office of a fashion designer is somewhat different. You don't always sit behind a computer...

you don't always use a pen,

and you write on different types of 'paper'.

And we met with other colleagues ;-)

The title seems a contradiction in itself. Why can’t you wear couture? However, Ilja Visser just started a collaboration with Azzurro Due, a high end fashion concept store in the P.C. Hooftstraat in Amsterdam. For this  she and Anette made a number of pieces of the ILJA Hyperborea collection more wearable. Why and what it really means? Check out here

The Hidden World has the pleasure to often visit the office & studio of Ilja Visser. Everytime we do, we stop by Anette – the creative designer - to get a quick glance on what she’s working on at that moment. After a few short visits, we were allowed to hang out for a whole day with her to get the ins & outs of her work. An offer we couldn’t refuse! We have so many stories to tell but let us first introduce Anette and tell you why she loves her job so much…

The Hidden World has been on set for a few times for the campaigns of ILJA and Ready to fish_. We’ve mistaken her for a model first but soon Ilja corrected us to say that Nina was her Brand manager. After observing her on the job we invited Nina for an interview during lunch hours (she’s busy busy busy). Read more on this ambitious and fashionable woman with a love for beautiful images and food….

The Hidden World met with photographer Reinier van der Aart (RVDA) for a tête-à-tête and found out he was one of the exclusive diner guests at the Rijksmuseum where Ilja showed an earlier couture collection. Ilja tweeted us some pictures of that evening to give us a sneak (pre-)view of this exclusive invitation-only diner.

Reinier van der Aart was so kind to let us share some of his photo's of the Tableaux Vivants by Ilja Visser. Check the pics here. If you want to see more of his work, please visit his website or Facebookpage.

The Hidden World sat down with Agatha and Danijela of Ilja’s  design team. Both got back from a trip to Munich and Paris looking for fabrics. Hidden World wanted to know everything from this trip and found out that choosing a fabric is something of a love affair….

While Ilja and her sales team are setting up the Ready to fish_ stand for the Tranoi fashion trade show in the trendy part of Paris, Le Marais ...

they are not only working on the next collections for ILJA & Ready to fish_ @ the office in Amsterdam,

but also finalising an ILJA piece in the studio.

And on top of that The Hidden World saw the publication of ILJA in magazine L'Officiel NL. Congrats!!!

Picture by Team Peter Stigter

Very exciting! Today eight pieces of my couture collection Craft are shown by models as living statues during a diner at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The diner with 500 guests is to celebrate the expected re-opening of the museum in 2013;  it’s been closed for several years now for renovation work.

The Hidden World got this little booklet which has all the letters Ilja wrote to Pierre Cuypers (1827 – 1921) who designed the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Why writing letters to a deceased person?

Nice one, don’t you think…? She seems to wander through Hyperborea with ease. However, there is a whole lot you don’t see. Let me tell you how we managed to take this picture.

Here you see our model Pearl striding her way through Hyperborea in a couture dress and coat with backpack. The coat is made as if she is making her way through the wind. To get that feeling across in the picture we simulated a windy Hyperborea. So for Alljan to take the shot,...

Here they are! Ilja already told you about the concept, the look and she even showed us some behind the scenes pics. And now you can check out the campaign photos of the 2012 SS collection of ILJA at her website www.ilja.nl

Now that the exhibition is behind us we're working hard on the campaign photo's of Hyperborea but in the mean time I can show you some behind the scenes pics of the shoot

Here you see Nina looking for the two holes to get the wind blowing in our 'Hyperborea'

The Hidden World was invited to come and check out the exhibition of Hyperborea and Wanderlust on the opening day. Our friends from ABSOLUT Vodka were there as well to help celebrate all the hard work of Ilja and her team.

Naturally, The Hidden World also went the day before.... Here are some photo's to give you a feeling of what it means to get everything ready ;-)

We always decide the look of the models for the shoot together with our hair & make-up artists, Hester & Flavio. For the campaign shoot of Hyperborea we wanted to transform the model  in a strong, sophisticated woman with a northern, pale look; extraordinary tall with deep black hair.