November 15, 2020

The Location

For the lookbook of the FW20 collection ‘Cube Monkey’, we wanted to make sure to shoot at an inspiring venue which suits the concept. A venue that visualizes the idea behind the collection and enhances its message.

"The Van Nelle Factory was once the most modern factory in the Netherlands. The first daylight factory in Europe. Designed to energize. Paragon of functionalism. Not bricks, but concrete. No supporting walls, but columns. A facade of steel and glass. A sea of daylight in the workplace. The building is designed to provide energy. The building was renovated in 2002 and therefore sustainable down to the last detail. Since 2014, the national monument in Rotterdam has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The time for coffee, tea and tobacco is over. But the Van Nelle Factory, as a place to work and to organize events, is still characterized by activity and modernity."

The Van Nelle Factory was also at the forefront in terms of attention to the welfare of the workers. There were sports fields for relaxation, a factory garden for lunch breaks and modern sanitary facilities for hygiene. From washing at home in a basin once a week to taking a daily shower at work: unprecedented luxury.

Rolánn Cube Monkey Van Nelle

On the other hand, through all the glass walls, the workers were also very visible to their superiors, which meant no privacy. And at Van Nelle that went very far: the toilets initially did not have any doors, so it was possible to keep an eye on whether the staff was slacking or not. As a worker you could therefore do little unseen.

Long story short, The Van Nelle Factory here fore perfectly describes the work environment of a Cube Monkey back in the 1900's.