MAASTRICHT .- From 9 March until 16 June 2019, Museum at the Vrijthof in Maastricht (Holland) will be fully devoted to Haute Couture by Ronald Kolk and High Jewellery by Margareth Stalman. Dutch couturier Ronald Kolk shows a colorful selection of over fifty dresses from his extensive oeuvre. Goldsmith, designer and enameller Margareth Stalman presents an impressive collection of jewels. The exhibition 'The Girl, The Dress and The Pearl' takes place during and around the international art fair TEFAF Maastricht.

The ten characteristic cabinets and period rooms of the monumental museum form an ideal setting for the exhibition. Each room has its own theme. There is a red room, a treasure room, a Japanese room, a hanging garden of glass objects and a cocktail room. In one special room, two workshops are realized where visitors can see and feel the creative process. Video clips of fashion shows are also shown.

Ronald Kolk (The Hague, 1950) started his career in New York dressing Grace Jones and Bette Midler. Back in the Netherlands he learned about the fashion industry working with fashion designers Max Heymans and Frank Govers. In 1998 he started his own couture house. His designs contribute to the self-confidence of women and bring out the girl in the woman. "Fashion should delight". The couturier’s style is flamboyant and theatrical, with a great fondness for special fabrics and materials.

Margareth Stalman (Heerlen, 1959) has been designing exclusive jewellery since 1983. The golden creations are difficult to define. On the one hand they look exuberant and asymmetrical. On the other hand, they are very refined with an elegant use of color. Because of the innovative use of pearls and the method of enamel application, her work has received international acclaim, including an Award of Excellence from the Japan Enamelling Artist Association.

Ronald Kolk and Margareth Stalman share a passion for traditional craftsmanship and make their creations themselves. Particularly due to the mutual respect for each other's craftsmanship, they have often collaborated over the past years at the annual fashion shows that Kolk organized until 2018. With this exhibition, and with presentations, lectures and masterclasses, they want to transfer that love for craftsmanship to young new designers.