during the exhibition “design & dynasty” extra attention was drawn to the 18th century fulda porcelain. the historic top collection is presented in combination with contemporary porcelain by simone doesburg. both client and visitors of the exhibition spoke so highly of this setup, that the city of fulda has decided to acquire the entire collection! the display will remain at the location, precisely as is.

the contemporary set consists of various dishes and bowls, with glazing made especially for this exhibition, matching the fulda porcelain. a true asset for the city.

the 7th edition of masterly – the dutch in milano will take place from april 18-25, 2023. after six years of palazzo francesco turati it’s time for a fresh upgrade to a fantastic new location. now even closer to the duomo in the center of milan. the palazzo giureconsulti, known as the palazzo with the tower, forms a new décor for the collections of more than a hundred dutch designers and companies. five hundred years of history create an invaluable dept hand added value to the spaces.

also participate? see for more information www.masterly.nu or send an email to nicole@uniquole.nl.

from the article:

_I make sure that when something has dozed off a little, may it be a brand or a high street, it gets spiced up again.
_this is her specialisation: combine old with new. in 2012 she shook up the german oranienbaum palace by placing dutch design next to pieces from the royal archives.
_that everyone in the dutch design world knows her, is undoubtedly due to her carefully cultivated image.
_for the sixth time this year nicole uniquole curates the dutch design pavilion for the most important furniture fair in the world.
_her house at the hague bezuidenhout, dating from 1904, is decorated like a sample card of dutch design.

during the upcoming world expo in dubai the dutch pavilion presents sustainable innovations in the area of water, energy and food systems. the spectacular architecture of the pavilion, shaped like a biotope with a circular climate system, is designed by v8 architects from rotterdam. the architecture applied embodies our country’s innovations in sustainable energy, water management, agriculture and circularity.

commissioned by the ministry of foreign affairs uniquole is responsible for the cultural image of the pavilion (the aesthetics, the architecture and the arts) and all communication. monique ruhe has been appointed as artistic director of the pavilion and has selected artists, including amongst others joep van lieshout, berndnaut smilde, jurgen bey and theo jansen.

drawing: v8 architects
for information regarding the architecture, art and design of the pavilion please contact info@uniquole.nl.

uniquole works in close collaboration with the netherlands entreprise agency and the ministry of foreign affairs. participants of masterly (the dutch pavilion during the salone del mobile in milan) can make use of starters international business vouchers. with vouchers in coaching, mission and knowledge, participants are given the opportunity to present themselves internationally more firmly. nea supports masterly participants with expertise in international business, expanding the international network and positioning the business abroad. over 100 businesses and designers have successfully used this arrangement. the dutch pavilion generates efficacy through innovative collaboration between participants and a substantial program for press and professionals. the courtyard of the pavilion centres on entrepreneurship, networking and finding new markets. through the synergy with the supporting programs of the ministry of foreign affairs and nea this can be consolidated even more.

splendid grandeur! baroque palatial rooms with giant chandeliers, stories about kings and queens, princes and princesses, royal tableware, regal jewellery, it all speaks to the imagination. in the german city of fulda this all is on show during the summer of 2022 in a spectacular summer exhibition revolving around our own orange-nassau dynasty.

occasion is the 250^th anniversary of king william I frederick (1777-1843). it is not widely known, but before becoming our first king, from 1802 to 1806 he ruled over the principality of orange-nassau in germany. for the first king of the netherlands, it all started in fulda!

www.fulda2022.de

photo christian tech

masterly is supported by a renowned committee of recommendation:

• w (willem) van ee (dutch ambassador in italy)
• m. (mascha) baak (consul general in milan)
• giulio cappellini (designer)
• drs. w.j. (willem jan) hoogsteder (specialist dutch and flemish painting and the old Masters)
• cristina morozzi (journalist, critic and brand ambassador instituto marangoni)
• fedrico Ppompignoli (senior architect at OMA and project leader for the fondazione prada)
• fred schoorl (director dutch association of architects)
• emanuele tessarolo (founder and director 5vie art + design district)

photo: giulio cappellini and nicole uniquole

the mondilab is a knowledge and textile development centre, specialized in the processing of textiles. it is an innovative lab for makers, designers, and experts in textile craft. it is the place to be where the professional maker translates their design to fabric. the lab focuses on quality, sustainability, creativity, and craftsmanship. uniquole designed mondilab’s brand identity presentation for the salone del mobile 2022 in collaboration with marten spruyt and opera design. an eye catcher, instantly putting mondilab on the map internationally.

in 2022 the association of dutch designers, together with the dutch design foundation and abn amro, again organises an event according to the “dragons’ den” formula.

“dragon” nicole uniquole, as permanent team member, interviews and evaluates the selected participants on their entrepreneurship, design qualities and future vision.

‘thinking of nicole uniquole brings back the best memories. she developed what was undoubtedly the most exciting and successful exhibition for the kulturstiftung dessau-wörlitz: “dutch design,” huis van oranje – excellent handcraft at the court “. her fascinating concept was based on the previously rich interior design of the palace built by princess henriette catharina van oranje -nassau. high-end, contemporary craft by leading dutch designers was on show in all the rooms of the largely unrestored palace. historic objects from the royal collections were exhibited as high-class counterparts. the richly illustrated, beautifully designed catalogue documents the appeal and beauty of the exhibition. each component was absolutely done justice, in the reliable and capable hands of nicole uniquole.  amongst prominent guests were her majesty beatrix, queen of the netherlands and the german president joachim gauck. they had the honour of opening the exhibition.’

thanks to the telegraph

announcement for the major summer exhibition in fulda: design & dynasty.

about the 250th birthday of King William I.

www.fulda2022.de

for the first time in history the palace deviated from the permanent design of the royal halls. the ropes were removed and through an ingenious exhibition design developed by uniquole, the public was granted access to the heart of the palace. with this new layout and the addition of fashion, porcelain and objects nicole uniquole has engaged in a thought provoking dialogue between the royal taste of before and design now. the theme “look different” was further elaborated on in the eponymous catalogue, which invited the audience to truly look at the ceilings, walls and the extraordinary collection through different eyes. following the success of royal showpieces I the exhibition royal showpieces II could be admired at palace het loo in apeldoorn.

de ‘royal showpieces’ exhibitions at palace het loo were built under the direction of Gerrit Labberton.

summer 2014

for the sixt year the dutch design pavilion arises during the salone del mobile in milan. uniquole is the initiator, curator and organiser and works in close collaboration with the dutch embassy, consulate general and the milan chamber of commerce. the initiative is included in the agenda of the network international business of the netherlands entreprise agency. titled masterly – the dutch in milano dutch designers, artisan self-producing businesses and design agencies present in the centre of milan. at the fascinating palazzo francesco turati the dutch pavillion arises with the best design and artisan craftsmanship the Netherlands has to offer. excellent dutch design, fashion and photography with a soul and individual identity. the salone takes place 7 – 12 june 2022.

for more information and / or registration view website www.masterly.nu

couturier frans hoogendoorn has been an icon in the netherlands for over 40 years. inextricably connected with the hague, the city, the royal court, nobility and diplomacy, and through this also with the international world of fashion. since the seventies this master of crafts creates elegant designs that are clearly influenced by parisian chic in fashion. His timeless creations with international allure are worn by grand dames, amongst which several members of the royal family. The exhibition at the gemeentemuseum, curated by nicole uniquole and designed by maarten spruyt, is a celebration of the hague couturier and shows fashion illustrations alongside film and many highlights from his oeuvre.

text from the article: ‘what do you do when what makes you happy is bringing people together, show the world the most beautiful things, but a worldwide pandemic is holding you back? nicole uniquole, founder of masterly – the dutch in milano,

the dutch pavilion during the salone del mobile accepted it, stood tall and put her focus on what she does best: connect.

a go-getter, someone with a clear vision, are words often used to describe nicole and she is proving it now once again. the day after de decision to postpone the salone del mobile her house is filled with exquisite flowers, she is given chocolates and encouraging messages from “her” designers who were supposed to accompany her to milan. it immediately brings her back to reality: keep your eye on the prize.

With her own motto she searches for what is possible. Her drive is to unite the group, with the conviction that this exactly when they strengthen each other. That must be tangible, to the visitor, the media, the client, the curation and the producer visiting masterly.’

text sharon roest

text from the article: ‘milan, moscow, berlin, budapest: curator and exhibition creator nicole uniquole roams the whole of europe for her work. with her company uniquole she leaves behind a trail of wonder and admiration: with each city as a unique décor, she knows how to put dutch design on the map. her specialism? contemporary art and art from the golden age. nicole uniquole’s list of projects is equally impressive. she is the founder and curator of ‘masterly – the dutch pavilion’ that is featured annually during the salone del mobile in milan. as you can read: nicole uniquole is a master in the world of art fairs and exhibitions, and because of that this week she is bazaars woman of the week.’

nicole uniquole won the harper’s bazaar public vote!

photo milan gino

at the request of het mauritshuis nicole uniquole selected from the museum collection based on the theme “ode to the dutch landscape”. with her own “masterly” eye she reviewed seven paintings from a completely new perspective and discovered green details revealing hidden stories. with, amongst others, a cheerful crowd in the park, an imaginary forest landscape and saint barbara, uniquole creates a bridge to the present.

with a ticket to masterly the hague 2021 visitors were granted free access to the museum. a great collaboration! “nicole’s choice at het mauritshuis” was accompanied by a handout. the graphic design and production of the handout was also provided by uniquole.

thanks to boris de munnick

text by geraldina metselaar

interview about the role of artists and designers for the innovations during the world exhibition in dubai.

in collaboration with monique ruhe, artistic programmer of the art programme.

magazine color and style

written by natasha admiraal

long before sustainability became a notion in the (design) world masterly made the use of cardboard popular again. in collaboration with maarten spruyt and tsur reshef a remarkable chain of cardboard workspaces was created. it provided unity in diversity in a calm and coherent setting. opting for material, style and sustainability at masterly this was also translated into the execution concept by using recyclable exhibition material. annually over 85% of the cardboard pallets, boxes and boards was reused.

in the permanent setup of paleis het loo all rooms were “roped off”. to allow visitors to the “royal showpieces” exhibitions to wander around freely, a matter of high importance to uniquole, it was necessary to remove this protection. however, to protect the historic wooden floors it was decided by nicole uniquole in collaboration with maarten spruit and tsur reshef to lay down carpets in all rooms. and not just any carpet! in all the spaces the carpet is a copy of the ceiling. based on the many photographs of the historic spaces the design was created. in close collaboration with desso the final print was executed in wool. a sight to behold.

lighting armatures ‘flying candles’: ingo maurer
photo menno mulder

at nicole uniquole’s request, florian seyd and ueli signer of the wunderkammer, in collaboration with the florists of paleis het loo, built a large-scale flower installation matching the historic portraits and the stucco. it resulted in a striking, colourful floral piece in the overall white room.

photo marjon hoogervorst

the cultural foundation dessau-worlitz has asked uniquole to develop a major summer exhibition. 53 palace rooms are furnished… more than 1250 m2 of exhibition space.

with the exhibition ‘dutch design – house of orange’ for six months the baroque palace oranienbaum revolves around contemporary dutch design and fashion, combined with historical objects from the royal house archives. uniquole is responsible for curating, organizing and producing this grand summer exhibition. the history of the palace and the inspiring story of princess henriette catharina are exceptionally suited for a unique confrontation between old and new. the beautifully restored spaces offer room to the top of the dutch design and fashion world. executed at the request of  kulturstiftung dessauworlitz and in close collaboration with the dutch embassy in berlin and the royal hosue archives.

recommendation palace oranienbaum

nicole uniquole is the driving force behind uniquole. she has made a name for herself in recent years as curator and international independent exhibition creator. as art director she also stands on the cutting edge of historic and contemporary dutch design.

uniquole turns cities, businesses and museums into brands that connect with their true audience.

she is the initiator and organiser of masterly the dutch design pavilion in milan and masterly the hague. with an extensive, international network uniquole merges the worlds of design and business and in doing so opens up new possibilities for both.

photo frieda mellema | styling selina martin | hair: gould kappers den haag

> instagram: nicole_uniquole_miss_masterly

masterly milan curator and 10 corso como’s carla sozzani find each other in their mutual pursuit of identifying the vision of our zeitgeist. with an eye for the contemporary they each curate collections that reflect new ideas of beauty, design and meaning.

10 corso como is a multifunctional space, a meeting place, a union of culture and commerce. while wandering from the art and photography gallery to the bookshop, from the design and fashion space to the restaurant, from café to the courtyard garden or to the terrace, you will find a carefully curated mix of fashion, food, art and design. in addition to the palazzo francesco turati, 10 corso como is the ideal location for the selected designers to celebrate pioneering design, meet people, and show and sell their work in the world’s first concept store.

during the salone del mobile nicole uniquole is guest curator for 10 corso como with an exclusive presentation of dutch design.

the province of south-holland asked uniquole to bring a number of stunning country seats to the attention of a broad audience, in a surprising and playful manner. collaborations were set up with villa maarheeze and the caldic collection. work by florentijn hofman floated on the raadhuis de paauw pond in wassenaar all summer long. an inspiring and informative publication guided bikers and hikers to the locations via beautiful routes.  

the hague aspires to build a stronger profile based on the royal character of the city. with the presence of the royal family the city has substantial potential to attract international visitors.

in 2013 uniquole carries out a feasibility study to explore the possibility of a dutch royal palace. the central proposition is: how can a royal palace of national importance take shape, in order to attract a broad audience and become a tasteful icon for the city of the hague. The feasibility study offers insights into the execution concept, international benchmarks and trends, the location possibilities, required funding, exploitation and governing organisation

an entrepeneuring dutch princess built palace oranienbaum during the golden age. she was the one who made the region blossom in terms of craftsmanship and economy. in addition she collected high quality ceramics. her husband, the ruler of anhalt dessau, collected excellent glassworks. 

based on the richly detailes orange-nassau portraits from the collection of the kulturstiftung dessauworlitz the story of princess henriette catharina and her love of craftsmanship is told. 

this daughter of amalia of solms and prince frederik hendrik speaks to the imagination. both the portraits and the original use of the over 50 palatial rooms act as the red thread throughout this grand summer exhibition.

three times, the windows of the bijenkorf in the hague have featured the festival masterly the hague. designers selected by curator nicole uniquole were presented at the most inspired department store in the netherlands following the festival.

photo: painting by wilhelmina van pruisen, collection hoogsteder museum foundation. objects: royal delft. lighting: japth / design richard hutten.

quote: ‘average is not good enough’

as art director of royal delft uniquole has curated a collection of characteristic delft blue objects for a presentation at the departures terminal of schiphol. in an impressive delft blue setting the international travellers are surprised by the enlarged table showcasing various centre pieces from the collection of delft blue. commissioned by airport schiphol.

‘nicole uniquole, i met her as president of via milano. she was the inspiring project leader, who brought the dutch designers who excelled at this exhibition to the amsterdam rai. back then i was already impressed by her discernment, her vision, her strive for perfection and her organisational talent. through the years i have followed her with increasing admiration. not only from a distance: several times i opened events she organised like the masterly fair. annually, i would discuss all her upcoming projects or those she hoped to realise soon. i witnessed how inexhaustible her creativity is, how her talent evolves as does the scope of her work; from design, to art to craftsmanship. her abilities as manager are complemented by curating exhibitions that seamlessly connect past and present. what binds us is most likely the value of beauty, and to endeavour connecting people with this. in order to achieve the latter, nicole also has great social skills; she always surrounds herself with exactly the right people. i have also deepened my own discernment, as i learned to look through nicole’s eyes at the essence of her passion.’

‘nicole uniquole plays a unique role in the internationalisation of designers from the netherlands. in 2019, immediately on arrival in italy, i had the pleasure of meeting nicole in milan. this was in relation to masterly, the exhibition and design presentation where dozens of designers, creators and artists are given a place during the most important international design week, under nicole’s expert guidance. masterly draws thousands of visitors and her selection comes highly recommended by all trade publications.

nicole uniquole represents a talent for organisation, passion for quality and an eye for detail. not to mention resilience and persistence, as i have been able to experience during the recent covid-pandemic. forza nicole!’

‘for me as a historian it is always a true pleasure to be working with nicole uniquole. she immediately senses how (historic) ideas and depictions can be translated into an exciting and surprising exhibition concept.

she again and again manages – thanks to her vast network, her great zeal and fast paced work method – to lead people with her proposals and manifest large-scale projects.

we collaborated on, amongst other projects, the remarkable exhibition at schloss oranienbaum (2012) and the and the german edition of “das haus oranien Nassau biografien und bilder aus 600 jahren (text von mir, bild von ihr), aschendorff verlag, münster 2016.”.’

www.reinildis.nl

‘i know nicole to be a creative spirit with a mission. she loves collaboration, she is not soloist. nicole knows the design world well and she enthuses designers, artists, and architects to show the best of themselves.

the exhibition she created for us, ‘the women of soestdijk’ at the soestdijk palace, is a great example of this.

the way she approaches space for her exhibitions is unique. she is cost aware and through her curated exhibitions she strives to achieve the best financial results for her clients.

‘a few years ago, we got the opportunity to exhibit at masterly, the dutch pavilion in milan. after the first meeting with nicole, i was immediately enthusiastic about a long term cooperation with uniquole. nicole’s entrepreneurship, her enthusiasm, her passionate eye for beautiful things are all equally infectious.

and more importantly, not without results. we have made great new contacts. spontaneously, but also with the help of nicole as a connector pur sang. not only during the exhibitions but throughout the year.

as a brand, we are also very happy with the opportunity to exhibit at masterly in milan. a beautiful atmosphere, with nicole as a great ambassador.’

‘nicole uniquole has been the art director of royal delft. she focussed on the strategy and the image building. the royal delft group has always enjoyed a good and professional working relationship with nicole. her passion for craftsmanship and design have offered us direction right from the start of our collaboration and given us a wake-up call from our daily practice.

the effective formulation of our core values is something we benefit from still today. with the masterly network nicole brings creation, production and distribution together. all the key elements for successful entrepreneurship.’

from june 7th to 12th 2022 the salone del mobile celebrates its 60-year anniversary. businesses and designers are eagerly anticipating this international platform to present themselves. milan is after all the place to meet! not in april, but in june this year, so milan is able to welcome more international visitors.

the sixth edition of masterly – the dutch in milano presents dutch design at a prime location right in the centre of milan. connect and become part of this international network.

the architect’s breakfast is an initiative by masterly. Every year prestigious speakers are invited to express their vision of the world. 

keynote speaker 2022: trend forecaster li edelkoort.

invitaion only.

photo: ruud van der peijl

at the initiative of mascha baak, consul-general in milan, on the first day of the salone del mobile a grand breakfast was hosted for her colleagues, international consul-generals. the objective was to establish concrete leads in various countries for masterly participants.

consul-generals and their economic and commercial attachés who were present came from, amongst others: the united states, japan, scandinavian countries, germany, england, france, zwitserland, india, and canada.

the breakfast was a great success and will continue for years to come.

a fusion of economics and culture, that’s masterly. masterly annually showcases a complete and varied design field with relevant work by architects, furniture, textile, construction and accessories companies, designers, artists, artisans, galleries and vocational colleges in design and interiors. over 100 participants make the joint presentation a must see during the salone del mobile.

photo: solo presentation by bibi smit / glass

nicole uniquole and conny bakker (professor tu delft, faculty of industrial design engineering) have been appointed honorary members of the bno | professional association of dutch designers.

these hall of fame include benno premsela, lidewij edelkoort, timo de rijk, gert dumbar, anthon beeke, dick bruna, wim crouwel, friso kramer, kho liang ie and wim rietveld.

bno honorary members: people who are appointed honorary members because of their great merits for the profession and / or the association. this pays tribute to everything, and the honorary members act as icons and ambassadors for the design profession

article: the architect

nicole uniquole and the owner of the world-famous trend store corso como have a good relationship. in 2021 corso como opened her first pop-up store in milan. for this first edition, the new owner of corso como asked nicole uniquole to select work from masterly milan participants.

uniquole invited studio stefan scholten to design the interior.

the pop-up store presents work by, amongst others, anton corbijn, nynke koster, stefan scholten, elise luttik, bibi smit, margot van huykelom, corine van voorbergen, and bert timmermans. especially for this occasion work was featured from the new massimo colombo collection.

the architects’ breakfast is an initiative by masterly. annually prestigious speakers are invited to express their vision of the world.

keynote speaker 2021: francine houben | mecanoo.

invitation only.

the architects’ breakfast is an initiative by masterly. annually prestigious speakers are invited to express their vision of the world.

keynote speaker 2018: laurens van den acker.

invitation only.

unlike similar royal locations in other countries, paleis noordeinde and paleis huis ten bosch are not open to the public. commissioned by the hague council uniquole developed concrete plans based on the conclusions drawn from the feasibility study.

under the working title ‘orange court the hague’ a corporate story was created, along with a visual brand identity for both the basic layout of the location and the design of high-quality exhibitions. the orange court realises narrative exhibitions on the orange-nassau dynasty and the monarchy using works on loan. spectacular historic craftsmanship from the international royal collections is combined with exciting contemporary design and fashion from dutch designers. contacts with (inter)national lenders, amongst which the royal collection trust, have been consolidated.