Oliver Peoples Amsterdam — A New Boutique Chimes with the City’s Alluring Buzz

Oliver Peoples’ newest boutique, situated smack center of P.C. Hooftstraat, Amsterdam’s golden mile of luxury shopping, adds to the city’s new allure. Occupying 120 sqm. (approx. 1,291 sq.ft.) across two floors, the interior design is a marriage between Oliver Peoples’ signature Mid-Century Modern retail design codes and Nordic minimalism, but also includes a nod to Dutch interiors through volumes, materials, and hues. At the center of the boutique, a wooden swing can be found, referencing the fact that being playful feels good at any age, and perhaps especially in a city like Amsterdam.

The boutique offers an unprecedented collection of finely crafted eyewear for men and women to local and international shoppers alike. The inauguration of the retail space comes with a special release of ten custom pieces of the Coleridge Sun, an understated frame with clean lines for a classic, vintage-inspired look exclusive to the Amsterdam boutique. The sunglasses are captured in an exclusive colorway and feature Silver and Shale gradient lenses, complementing the store’s interior design.

To celebrate the opening of the new retail space, Oliver Peoples sat down with Erik van Ginkel, managing director of the world-renowned Rijksmuseum and one of Amsterdam’s leading cultural protagonists. The inspiring Dutchman gave us a low-down of some of his favorite places, allowing us an insight of his beloved hometown with both its quirky dynamic and increased sophistication. Van Ginkel is infectiously passionate about his work at Rijksmuseum, emphasizing the obvious cultural significance of its treasures, but he also sees museums as important knowledge centers, and, as such, custodians of human civilization. On a smaller scale, his employer is known to engage with the public through an ongoing rotation of exhibitions, but Van Ginkel also points out its successful gastronomic outreach.
The restaurant, called Rijks, opened just a few years ago and has been his passion project, symbolizing Rijksmuseum’s effort to give back to the city and enhance it spatially along the way. Unsurprisingly, Van Ginkel is an avid aficionado of good restaurants and rejoices in the fact that his options in Amsterdam have grown leaps and bounds in recent years. Needless to say, it’s not only the food scene that has made him a content capital city dweller. “Amsterdam has everything,” he says. “There’s simply no other place where I’d like to settle. Since moving here to study in the mid-1980s, the city’s offerings, whether it’s shopping, restaurants or services, have expanded tremendously, increasing the city’s appeal along the way.”

The recent opening of Oliver Peoples’ newest boutique, situated just a stone’s throw away from his office, ties in with Amsterdam’s newly minted allure. In fact, it is now on the cusp of shifting to another league, becoming a destination to indulge in the finer things in life. It is the kind of urban context that seamlessly aligns with Oliver Peoples’ brand values. As a man who is appreciative of well-made, beautiful products, Van Ginkel has managed to condense his list of necessities to only a few items and brands, and Oliver Peoples eyewear is always included. “I remember I was first introduced to Oliver Peoples by a good friend of mine twenty years ago,” he says. “The frame, in classic style, looked truly amazing on him. I didn’t need glasses myself at the time, but when I did years later, I wanted to buy my own Oliver Peoples glasses.” Van Ginkel suddenly rises, walks back to his desk and returns smiling as if holding a trophy. “I’ve just bought a new pair, but it’s always the same style. If you take a closer look, you see so many details and how well-made it is. Funnily enough, it just feels very much like a part of me. Yes, this brand is a bit of an addiction!”

Van Ginkel himself has contributed to the city’s new alluring appeal with fine dining restaurant Rijks. It is situated at the back of the building, overlooking the expansive, treelined Museumplein. Helmed by a young Dutch chef, who is very much part of a culinary revolution known as New Dutch Cuisine, the establishment is one of a select few which has allowed Amsterdam to become a new and exciting gourmet destination. “I believe it has added something special to the city,” Van Ginkel says. “We set out to create an exceptional dining experience in terms of food and decor. As you probably know, Rijks now has a Michelin star, but that wasn’t really our goal.”

It is not the only sophisticated dining venue Van Ginkel has helped birth. Situated in the city’s scenic Canal District, on the ground floor of a monumental 19th-century building, sits the newly opened Felix. Featuring a whimsically surreal backdrop of pink clouds and classic molded paneling, the historic setting is subtly paired with modern tweaks, creating Amsterdam’s most exciting dining venue of late. “I’m very much a restaurant person and obviously love well-prepared food,” Van Ginkel remarks. “The current restaurant scene is quite exciting and sees plenty of young chefs at the helm of striking new establishments that also add to the city’s appeal and quality of life.”

As a true Amsterdammer, Van Ginkel commutes to Rijksmuseum on a bicycle, and each weekday he crosses Utrechtsestraat, a busy downtown artery lined with a good mix of shops and eateries. “For me, this street actually has it all,” he confesses. “A few of my favorite places are huddled together here. So, I prefer to buy all my reading material, whether it’s magazines or books, at this little bookstore called Zwart op Wit. You know, they stock a good selection of titles and the service has an authentic, personal touch which I really, really like. Athenaeum is another favorite bookshop. It’s much bigger, but it has the same friendly atmosphere.
Mendo, of course, should not be left unmentioned. The collection of books is simply amazing! Oh, and also situated on Utrechtsestraat is Café Oosterling. You must know, I’m not into bars or cafés at all. I don’t drink, you know, but this watering hole somehow ticks all of my boxes. It’s a small brown café, I’d say about the size of my workroom, and it has this very quirky living room vibe. You sit on small stools around a fireplace and you’ll simply have to move over if some of the patrons suddenly decide to play a game of chess. The place seems to have its own customs and rules,” he chuckles.

Small businesses with authentic products or a unique atmosphere easily win Van Ginkel over, and Holtkamp, a pastry shop whose exquisite creations have even earned it a royal seal of approval, is also on his shortlist. “For quite a few years now,” he says, “I order a few hundred Tompouce pastries for my colleagues and staff on my birthday. I love the fact that it’s still a family-run business. Did you know that the founder, he’s now retired, actually lives over the tiny shop?”
As for clothing, Van Ginkel’s preferences are equally specific. He usually shops his favorite Italian brand where it’s actually made and only puts Church’s shoes on his feet. However, he confesses frequent shopping at The English Hatter, a small men’s boutique in the Canal District, packed to the guilds with timeless knitwear, ties and other gentlemen’s accessories.
The Dutchman’s keen eye for detail and aesthetics covers quite a few areas, and living in a country where flowers are abundant, it is hardly a surprise he has a preferred florist. “I’ve always been mesmerized by Menno Kroon’s shop near Vondel Park,” he says. “The collection of flowers is simply dazzling, and you’ll come across the most unexpected flower arrangements. It’s hard not to leave without buying some!”
The Oliver Peoples boutique at P.C. Hooftstraat 55 resonates well with Amsterdam’s total package—its historic legacy, cultural vibrancy, and, last but not least, the increased awareness and appreciation of its dwellers for the finer things in life. The store opening will also add to the Dutch capital’s growing luxury infrastructure, offering the most extensive collection of Oliver Peoples eyewear in town.