ROTTERDAM, 9 April 2026 – Fashion curator and retailer Margreeth Olsthoorn has received Stadspenning de Rotterdammert, one of Rotterdam’s civic honours, in recognition of her long-standing contribution to the city’s creative life. The award was presented by alderman Said Kasmi on the opening day of her exhibition Still Margreeth.
Olsthoorn, creative director of the fashion store that bears her name, was honoured for her role as a fashion ambassador for Rotterdam. The city credits her with helping position Rotterdam as a place for conceptual design, while connecting local makers with national and international designers and supporting new creative collaborations.
That makes this more than a fashion story. In Rotterdam terms, it is also about the way one independent figure can help shape the city’s wider cultural identity over time, especially by creating links between fashion, art and public life.
A familiar force in Rotterdam fashion
According to the municipality, Olsthoorn has reached a broad audience through her work and has consistently created room for exchange between disciplines. That includes not just showcasing designers, but helping collaborations take root across the city’s cultural network.
Alderman Kasmi put it this way: “With fashion store Margreeth Olsthoorn, you entered into diverse collaborations, allowing the synergy between fashion, art and culture to fully flourish. Thanks to your inspiring vision, connecting ability and artistic eye. It makes you a true ambassador of Rotterdam’s creative landscape and cultural network.”
Do you run a business? RotterdamStyle is looking for a main sponsor. Get exclusive visibility across our website for a fixed fee. Interested? Contact us 🤝
Rotterdam Art Week helped build her profile
One of the clearest examples of that role has been Rotterdam Art Week. Over multiple editions, Olsthoorn has used the moment to share her vision with the public through pop-ups, exhibitions and fashion shows.
In doing so, she has brought together high-end fashion, art and culture with other artists and brands across different locations in Rotterdam. That recurring presence has helped make her not just a retailer with a strong identity, but a visible organiser within the city’s broader creative calendar.
From Witte de Withstraat to Kop van Zuid
Olsthoorn opened her specialist clothing store in 2005 on Witte de Withstraat, focusing on high-end fashion and avant-garde design. A few years later, the shop moved to a larger space and expanded to include both women’s and men’s collections.
Since 2014, she has also worked with NL=US Art, a collaboration that led to a permanent art space inside the store. She has also initiated programmes and networking events together with OBJECT Rotterdam and BIG Art, reinforcing her position at the intersection of fashion, exhibition-making and cultural exchange.
Do you run a business? RotterdamStyle is looking for a main sponsor. Get exclusive visibility across our website for a fixed fee. Interested? Contact us 🤝
Supporting new designers in the city
Since 2020, Margreeth Olsthoorn has been based on Kop van Zuid. There, she has continued to create a platform for designers and artists, with a particular focus on giving women makers space for exhibitions and introductions.
She has also supported recent graduates from Zadkine and Erasmus University, helping them show their work to a wider public. That mentoring role is part of why this honour fits so well. Rotterdam is not just recognising a shop, but someone who has kept opening doors for newer talent in the city.
