Amsterdam’s Canal Catwalk to honour enslaved people as a ‘living monument’

Amsterdam’s Canal Catwalk will be presented as a “living monument” dedicated to enslaved people at its next edition on 21 December, the event’s organisers have announced. The annual floating fashion show is marking its 15th anniversary this year.

The organisers said research into the history of Amsterdam’s canals prompted the change. They say enslaved people in the colonial period helped build and dig the canal district by hand. A spokesperson told ANP the organisers hope history books will recognise that contribution, including the work of enslaved people brought from former colonies.

The monument will take the form of the show itself, with designers and artists from the Netherlands and abroad taking part, according to the organisers. The event’s theme is inspired by *De Indische Waterlelies*, a fairy tale from the Efteling theme park.

The Canal Catwalk has been held on Amsterdam’s canals annually since 2012. Actress Paula Majoor is its honorary chair and ambassador, succeeding actor Paul van Gorcum, who died in November last year.