Red Light Fashion

(This is a model, opening the door at a fashion studio that was formerly a brothel).

One of the more interesting days I've had at work lately. I don't have much more to add to the AP story, but I wanted to paint the scene a little more.

There were dozens of camera teams out and wandering around in the Red Light, which is pretty much unheard of _ normally filming there is a good way to get yourself a black eye. I sneaked some photos, but it's unethical for me to publish them _ the "working women" are too easy to recognize. I'll just be keeping them in my *cough* private collection for the time being.

There was something very surreal about having fashion models, tour guides (with big white balloons) and the usual "who knows who they are" people that get attached to these kind of events running around amid the junkies and tourists; the streets in this part of town are extremely narrow and if just one person stops walking you get a mini traffic jam.

Plus it was raining the whole time so everybody had umbrellas. Anyhow here are some interesting tidbits from me:



This was formerly the inside of a prostitutes' sex chamber. The women I'm talking to are assistants of the designer who's taken it over. He was standing outside talking to reporters. You can see all his fabric stacked above the table; I believe the silky bench thing is original. It's hard for me to say, but I just bet it's not really the designer's taste.

Then again, I am "the rock against which the waves of fashion break."

Somebody said that about my father once, and I've been wanting to assume the mantle for some time now. Bij deze.

And here's the politician who's driving (or at least in charge of) the crackdown, Lodewijk Asscher:


Some insider junk about the Red Light after the "more"...


I love this photo. The Casa Rosso is one of the sex clubs now slated to be shut down, but the police and doorman still certainly have cordial relations: the cop stops to get a light for his cigarette.

Finally, a sex-room, still with authentic lighting (?). The mannequins are a nice touch.