THE ICE CRYSTAL PRINCESS VOL. II
- Sustainable Cultural Heritage

The fashion designer Jørgen Simonsen’s Greenland-inspired collection.

Exhibition 8 December 2018 - 17 February 2019
Opening 7 December 4.00 to 6.00 pm

In 1998, the Danish haute couture designer Jørgen Simonsen was headhunted for the job as new chief designer of the Versace fashion house after the tragic death of its founder, Gianni Versace.

During the initial job interview, Jørgen presented the Ice Crystal Princess collection, which he had created on the basis of cross-inspiration from Greenland’s Inuit culture. This marked the start of Atelier Versace’s first haute couture collection following the demise of its founder. The reaction from the international fashion press was extremely positive.

At the time, Jørgen Simonsen had never been to Greenland. Consequently, in association with Kittat, the National Museum of Greenland, the National Costume College in Sismiut and Great Greenland, the Nordic Institute in Greenland decided to send him an invitation. And Greenland did what Greenland almost always does: blew the designer away with its breathtaking nature and its strong cultural roots. Jørgen Simonsen was so enthralled, inspired and excited that he created a new collection entitled The Ice Crystal Princess vol. II - Sustainable Cultural Heritage.

The Ice Crystal Princess vol. II is an attempt to understand what goes on when a fashion designer is inspired? How does it effect the culture he is inspired by, and how is this inspiration expressed in the final creation?

The exhibition features drawings, photos and finished creations and is presented in association with the Nordic Institute in Greenland, NAPA.

Jørgen Simonsen (b. 1972) has a past as head designer for Versace and has worked for Valentino, Karl Lagerfeld, Alexander McQueen and John Galliano, and designed dresses for celebrities like Madonna, Jennifer Lopez and Nicole Kidman.