New Amsterdam Surf Association is unveiling its women's collection, inspired by the community of surfers that ride in Wijk aan Zee, a coastal village along the North Sea of the Netherlands. Contrary to California's glassy blue waters and beaches dotted with palms, the terrain here is rough and lined with industrial buildings. The waves are brown, murky, and cold, but still the die-hard community of female surfers comes from the city to catch the barrels of waves and hopefully not wipe out in the break.
Among this unflinching climate, surfers don bright-yellow long sleeves under T-shirts for safety, or cover their swimsuits with waxed denim jackets and charcoal gray sweats. In a sports culture that values the technicality of their garments, these pieces introduce the effortlessly cool fashion synonymous with Amsterdam into the mix. A group of individuals brought together by the surf, their camaraderie in the face of thrashing waters reveals a collective strength.
