We mourn the loss and celebrate the life of our friend and collaborator, Koos van den Akker, who passed away Tuesday at the age of 75. Koos was a generous and enthusiastic champion of hand craftsmanship. Much of his couture was inspired by his love for fabrics, pattern, color, and design. He told the museum in 2013, “I’m a craftsman. I’m a seamstress. I really sit in front of my sewing machine every day from six in the morning until four o’clock in the afternoon and I make clothes.” Koos created a gown inspired by works of art from the museum’s collection for the 2014 exhibition Folk Couture: Fashion and Folk Art. He generously donated the gown to the museum, and it is now part of the permanent collection.

Click here to explore Koos’s creative process for Folk Couture and to learn more about the designer.

Image: Koos van den Akker. Photo by Mete Ozeren.