Ode to Hester van Eeghen | Internationally renowned designer

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Hester van Eeghen (1958-2021) was a striking Amsterdammer. Because of her sunny personality, she was known and loved by many Amsterdamers, partly because of her great affinity for craft and the diversity of the city's people.

Hester was also an internationally renowned designer. She pioneered the use of vibrant colors in her designs for bags and shoes. Her iconic creations were internationally acclaimed and are included in the collections of several museums. Since the 1980s, her bags and shoes have been an integral part of the Dutch design tradition.

During her career of more than forty years, Hester van Eeghen created a thousand designs under her own name, collaborated with other renowned brands, and created numerous unique pieces for charitable purposes. Her work is characterized by geometric patterns, vibrant colors, a sense of humor and a preference for versatility in use. Her “frills” - as she herself sometimes called them - have been sold in many countries, in museum stores from New York to Seoul, to galleries, stores and especially to enthusiasts.

Her designs are included in several museums, including the collections of the Royal Antiquities Society at the Rijksmuseum and those of the Amsterdam Museum. In 2018, at a lavish party at the Compagnietheater characteristic of Hester, she presented Femke Halsema with a set of Mayor's bags with three red crosses. Amsterdam's oldest document from 1275 is displayed each year in a case designed by Hester,

In 2024, publisher nai010 published a tribute with an overview of all her work: Hester van Eeghen - a World of Bags. This large book offers a unique insight into her artistic design process, her sources of inspiration ranging from classical music to origami, her expertise in materials, her influence on the design world and her infectious zest for life.

She died suddenly in 2021, from the effects of the extremely rare Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Among others, the Parool, NRC, at5 and fd gave her extensive coverage: “She has her stores not for sales, but to get inspiration from all the people who come in.” Her studios and stores have been located on Hartenstraat for 30 years.