A collection exploring identity under pressure, where control and individuality collide
The Fall Winter 2013-2014 collection, Deserted Eagle, explores the tension between imposed structure and personal identity. Inspired by the film La Femme Nikita, the collection reflects a character navigating between control and freedom — shaped by a system, yet resisting it from within.
It is a study of transformation, not as a clean transition, but as something layered, complex and ongoing.
The narrative of La Femme Nikita forms the conceptual backbone of the collection. A woman placed within a rigid framework, trained, reshaped and controlled — yet continuously searching for ways to maintain her own identity.
This tension is translated into clothing that moves between contrasting worlds. Refined and composed on one side, raw and expressive on the other. The garments do not resolve this contradiction, but rather hold it.
The Kurt Cobain quote — “I’m not afraid of dying. Total peace after death, becoming someone else is the best hope I’ve got.” — reinforces this idea of transformation and loss of self, while also hinting at the possibility of reinvention.
The collection combines structured materials with softer, more fluid elements. Tweed, wool and denim form a grounded base, while leather is used to introduce sharpness and intensity throughout the collection.
Silk is used in eveningwear, often with a matte sheen, creating contrast against the more rigid materials. Some garments incorporate lamb leather with brushed metallic finishes, adding depth and a subtle sense of armour to the pieces.
Construction plays an important role in expressing duality. Clean tailoring is interrupted by oversized outerwear, while fitted garments are layered with pieces that alter the silhouette entirely. The result is a collection that continuously shifts between control and release.
For women, the collection moves between classic tailoring and more expressive layering. Tweed suits and leopard-print denim are combined with oversized wool coats and large leather bomber jackets, creating a tension between refinement and attitude.
Dresses are often styled with masculine outerwear, disrupting their original form and adding a sense of protection or distance. A standout piece is the red lamb leather suit, worn with minimal layering, revealing a more direct and unapologetic side of the JANBOELO woman.
Evening dresses are executed in fine silks, sometimes combined with leather details or embroidery, balancing elegance with a certain edge.
For men, the collection blends tailoring with rock-inspired elements. Suits in wool and leather are detailed with zippers and buttons, adding subtle disruption to otherwise formal pieces.
Shirts are elongated and designed to be knotted, while fitted jersey tops are worn wrapped around the body. Combined with leather trousers or leggings, these pieces create a silhouette that feels both controlled and undone.
The collection was presented on the Undercurrent in Amsterdam, a floating venue that reinforced the sense of movement and transition within the work. The setting created a contained yet shifting environment — isolated from the city, yet still connected to it. Surrounded by water, with the dark skyline of Amsterdam in the distance, the show unfolded in a space that felt both removed and deeply anchored at the same time.
The presentation was accompanied by a live acoustic set by the Amsterdam-based band Moke, together with Sharon den Adel of Within Temptation. Songs such as The Drugs Don’t Work and Where the Wild Roses Grow were performed in a stripped-down arrangement, adding a quiet intensity to the atmosphere.
Rather than directing attention, the music deepened what was already present. In combination with the setting, it created a layered experience in which the garments, the sound and the environment became inseparable.
Deserted Eagle sharpens the exploration of identity within JANBOELO. It moves beyond expression into something more internal — a question of how much of oneself remains when shaped by external forces.
