Dutch design couple Carolien Vlieger and Hein van Dam started their accessory label in 2002 with a series of faux-hairdo hats called Hairwear, and a collection of bags called Guardian Angel. Their respective disciplines, Carolien studied graphic design at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, and Hein studied 3D design from the Academy of Visual Arts and Design in Enschede, meet in perfect symbiosis applied to their highly original fashion accessories. Everything from global socio-political issues to extreme fashion fads is subject to their innovative yet classic design vocabulary.

Guardian Angel, a Vlieger & Vandam classic

The Guardian Angel bags narrate of the increasing violence and crime in the media, objectifying our addiction to fear. The first series of Guardian Angel bags were made of second-hand handbags and wool felt embossed with distinct silhouettes of handguns and kitchen knives reminiscing of Hitchcock’s iconographic thriller Psycho. They were an instant hit in the media and in 2005 the MoMA Museum of Modern Art in New York included a Guardian Angel bag in their exhibition ‘Safe, Design Takes On Risk’. In 2006 MoMA added a Guardian Angel bag to its permanent collection. Vlieger & Vandam rolled out the Guardian Angel concept releasing new color combinations and materials each season.
For the AW 10/11 collection Vlieger & Vandam introduced three new Guardian Angel bags: a sturdy unisex Guardian Angel Tote, Guardian Angel Clutch, and Guardian Angel Soft, all made of vegetable tanned leather.

Autumn-Winter 10/11

Graphic design and illustrations play an important role in every Vlieger & Vandam collection. Besides embossed illustrations of guns and diamonds, inlaid suede portraits and silkscreen printed dachshunds in previous collections, a sturdy hand painted pattern of splashes on leather is introduced in 2010. For previous seasons the American painter Alex Katz was their inspiration for the inlaid suede portraits series called Camee. This season a part of the collection is inspired by Jackson Pollock. The result is a fresh collection with a nostalgic touch. The splashed leather, the moustache- and lip-shaped metal studs and the embossed illustrations form an interesting contrast to the classical shapes and colors of the bags and small leather goods.
Vlieger & Vandam is currently sold in over 70 stores around the world including Fortnum & Mason in London, Vitrines-Parisiennes in Paris, Lazzari in Treviso, Clinic in Antwerp, SPRMRKT in Amsterdam, Coming Soon in Arnhem, Bonnie & Clyde's in Chicago and Beams and Land Of Tomorrow in Tokyo.
Four times a year Vlieger & Vandam present their collection at Premiere Classe in Paris.