Just now, after a week off, I was walking to the studio and noticed Amsterdam is preparing for "Pride" week.
See the image I took.
I'm proud of Amsterdam, because In Amsterdam, everyone is free to be.
For ages different people seek and find freedom and tolerance.
This made Amsterdam a place of diversity and inclusion.
And sometimes we need to celebrate that.
Some question why we still need LGBTQ+ pride celebrations.
But its important to raise awareness about issues effecting this community.
We can talk about it for a long time, but you bet its a big, colourful and happy party over here!
Ines was not raised in an open-minded setting.
Maybe it was of this that she, as I recall, always has been attracted to Amsterdam.
And it was her wish to go back to Amsterdam again.
Because of my fathers work as a pediatrician we have been living in different areas in the Netherlands.
Once in a while Ines would say to me and my brothers:
"Lets go to Amsterdam, find a nice terrace and enjoy all the diverse people passing by."
She called it "Aapjes kijken".
That would be translated into something like: "Going to the zoo".
I think these visits were very important to her.
And she wanted to raise her kids to be free to be.
She knew what it was to grow up in a restricted manner full of traditions and etiquette.
She also wanted to break free and just be.
So at some point 30 years ago we moved into the house where she started her gloves adventure, and now still is my inspiring office and studio, right in the middle of the most historical part of the city centre really close to the red light area and the famous canals.
Think this is one of the reasons why she was so quirky and recalcitrant also about gloves etiquette.
Like Ines said:
"What is the right occasion to wear leather gloves?
Always, always wear gloves."
Be you with Ines.
Bob, son of Ines
Dress the way you want to be - Leather gloves are inclusive
