(Martin Margiela SS1991 © Ronald Stoops)
MAD Brussels and BOZAR have joined forces to organise a one-of-a-kind exhibition on Belgian fashion. From a couture house in the early 1920s to the famous Antwerp Six in the 1980s, from the fashion schools to the rising stars of today, “The Belgians. An Unexpected Fashion Story” will immerse you in the wonderful world of Belgian fashion.
Raf Simons, Diane von Furstenberg, Martin Margiela, and Olivier Theyskens are all leading names in today’s whirling fashion world. They’re also all Belgian and part of the impressive list of nearly one hundred designers featured throughout the exhibition at Bozar. “We didn’t want ‘The Belgians’ to be a historical or retrospective show,” says curator, MAD fashion consultant, and La Cambre teacher Didier Vervaeren. “Belgian fashion is a state of mind. It springs from a country with its own particular character. We do things our own way, unlike other people. This sense of our own style is a leading theme throughout the exhibition.” To set the tone and get visitors in the right mood, the first room of the exhibition is dedicated to Belgian heritage. “We put the first shoes designed by Martin Margiela and the deer cape by Christophe Coppens next to a carnival outfit from Binche. It’s a bit surrealistic, just like Belgium,” Vervaeren says.
The Belgians: dressed for success
(Natan Couture © Laetitia Van Hagendoren)
The idea for the exhibition was born back in 2006, when Vervaeren put together a Brussels fashion expo for the Brussels thematic year focusing on fashion and design. “I felt the need for something similar, but on a national level,” Vervaeren explains. “Bozar is the ideal location as I believe it to be a neutral space for Belgian culture. Artistic director Paul Dujardin was interested in the project too, and that’s how everything started.” The exhibition was meant to coincide with the inauguration of the MAD centre on Oude Graanmarkt/rue du Vieux Marché aux Grains, but the curator felt the timing for the show was just right. “With Raf Simons leading the prestigious French couture house Dior and designer John Galliano recently appointed as creative director for Maison Margiela, it feels like Belgian fashion is doing really well,” Vervaeren explains. “We’ve reached a stage of maturity. The future will be different from the past.”
Together but not the same
What is so special about Belgian fashion, what defines it? “Unlike France or Italy, Belgium doesn’t have a history of established luxurious couture houses that make up our fashion DNA,” Vervaeren explains. “It’s very liberating for our creativity and one of the reasons why Belgian fashion is so diverse and contrasted.” From Walter Van Beirendonck to Christian Wijnants or Christophe Coppens to Peter Pilotto, their work couldn’t be more different. There is one thing, however, that many of the designers in the exhibition have in common. “Most of them went to an art school and have a very aesthetic approach to what they do. They focus on the artistic side first, business comes later,” Vervaeren says. “It’s this kind of independence, the sense that you can do whatever you want to, that has ensured that so many people have had such long careers. That’s also why, on an international level, Belgian fashion is perceived and described as consistent and timeless. But that obviously doesn’t mean all Belgian designers are the same.”
The idea for the exhibition was born back in 2006, when Vervaeren put together a Brussels fashion expo for the Brussels thematic year focusing on fashion and design. “I felt the need for something similar, but on a national level,” Vervaeren explains. “Bozar is the ideal location as I believe it to be a neutral space for Belgian culture. Artistic director Paul Dujardin was interested in the project too, and that’s how everything started.” The exhibition was meant to coincide with the inauguration of the MAD centre on Oude Graanmarkt/rue du Vieux Marché aux Grains, but the curator felt the timing for the show was just right. “With Raf Simons leading the prestigious French couture house Dior and designer John Galliano recently appointed as creative director for Maison Margiela, it feels like Belgian fashion is doing really well,” Vervaeren explains. “We’ve reached a stage of maturity. The future will be different from the past.”
Together but not the same
What is so special about Belgian fashion, what defines it? “Unlike France or Italy, Belgium doesn’t have a history of established luxurious couture houses that make up our fashion DNA,” Vervaeren explains. “It’s very liberating for our creativity and one of the reasons why Belgian fashion is so diverse and contrasted.” From Walter Van Beirendonck to Christian Wijnants or Christophe Coppens to Peter Pilotto, their work couldn’t be more different. There is one thing, however, that many of the designers in the exhibition have in common. “Most of them went to an art school and have a very aesthetic approach to what they do. They focus on the artistic side first, business comes later,” Vervaeren says. “It’s this kind of independence, the sense that you can do whatever you want to, that has ensured that so many people have had such long careers. That’s also why, on an international level, Belgian fashion is perceived and described as consistent and timeless. But that obviously doesn’t mean all Belgian designers are the same.”
(A.F. Vandevorst / Dirk Van Saene / Walter Van Beirendonck © Ronald Stoops)
The exhibition gives plenty of examples of how divergent yet timeless Belgian fashion is. Take the felt and saddle outfit of A.F. Vandevorst’s first collection, for instance. It dates back to 1998 and embodies the main source of inspiration for designers An Vandevorst and Filip Arickx. “Leather, uniforms, and hospitals are recurrent themes in all our designs,” says Filip Arickx. “That along with the works of German artist Joseph Beuys.” The designer duo met at the Antwerp Academy in 1987 and built up experience working for Dries Van Noten and Dirk Bikkembergs. Since 1997, their women’s collection has become a complete line, including shoes and accessories. And all with their signature red cross stitching. “We follow our own ideas, but continuity is very important,” Arickx explains. “It’s our biggest challenge to evolve and to develop what we started with. There’s no greater compliment than when customers tell us they really understand what our collection is about.” Also on display are A.F. Vandevorst’s diamond-encrusted boots, made in collaboration with the Antwerp World Diamond Centre and labelled the world’s most expensive pair of boots, and a costume they designed for the opera Le duc d’Albe in 2012.
Fashion pioneers
The Antwerp Academy, the first Belgian fashion school, was founded in 1963. Long before that in the 1920s, Honorine Deschrijver was considered to be the first Belgian designer. “Together with her husband, she ran Maison Norine in Brussels. She made all the patterns for her couture clothing herself, instead of getting them from Paris like her peers did. She also had an influential circle of friends, including artists René Magritte and Max Ernst,” Vervaeren says. The oldest item in the exhibition is an early Maison Norine dress from the 1920s. The activities of the couture house faded after the Second World War, but Deschrijver continued working until the 1950s. Twenty years later, pioneer designers such as Ann Salens in Antwerp and Nina Meert in Brussels gave Belgian fashion a new boost. “They designed creative prêt-à-porter, and without them it would be impossible to understand later developments,” Vervaeren says. International fame came with the Antwerp six in the 1980s: Ann Demeulemeester, Dirk Bikkembergs, Dirk Van Saene, Dries Van Noten, Marina Yee, and Walter Van Beirendonck. “The Antwerp Six, and later Martin Margiela too, graduated from the Academy around the same time. All seven were incredibly talented and made their name. The fact that such a large group of designers broke through at the same time is rare and hasn’t been repeated since,” Vervaeren explains. The early 1980s were a fertile time for creative designers. “In 1981, the federal government launched their ‘Textile Plan’ and invested quite a lot of money in the textile sector,” Vervaeren says. “The fashion scene was still dominated by leading countries such as France and Italy but it was time for something else. The different styles of the Antwerp designers were more than welcome.”
The exhibition gives plenty of examples of how divergent yet timeless Belgian fashion is. Take the felt and saddle outfit of A.F. Vandevorst’s first collection, for instance. It dates back to 1998 and embodies the main source of inspiration for designers An Vandevorst and Filip Arickx. “Leather, uniforms, and hospitals are recurrent themes in all our designs,” says Filip Arickx. “That along with the works of German artist Joseph Beuys.” The designer duo met at the Antwerp Academy in 1987 and built up experience working for Dries Van Noten and Dirk Bikkembergs. Since 1997, their women’s collection has become a complete line, including shoes and accessories. And all with their signature red cross stitching. “We follow our own ideas, but continuity is very important,” Arickx explains. “It’s our biggest challenge to evolve and to develop what we started with. There’s no greater compliment than when customers tell us they really understand what our collection is about.” Also on display are A.F. Vandevorst’s diamond-encrusted boots, made in collaboration with the Antwerp World Diamond Centre and labelled the world’s most expensive pair of boots, and a costume they designed for the opera Le duc d’Albe in 2012.
Fashion pioneers
The Antwerp Academy, the first Belgian fashion school, was founded in 1963. Long before that in the 1920s, Honorine Deschrijver was considered to be the first Belgian designer. “Together with her husband, she ran Maison Norine in Brussels. She made all the patterns for her couture clothing herself, instead of getting them from Paris like her peers did. She also had an influential circle of friends, including artists René Magritte and Max Ernst,” Vervaeren says. The oldest item in the exhibition is an early Maison Norine dress from the 1920s. The activities of the couture house faded after the Second World War, but Deschrijver continued working until the 1950s. Twenty years later, pioneer designers such as Ann Salens in Antwerp and Nina Meert in Brussels gave Belgian fashion a new boost. “They designed creative prêt-à-porter, and without them it would be impossible to understand later developments,” Vervaeren says. International fame came with the Antwerp six in the 1980s: Ann Demeulemeester, Dirk Bikkembergs, Dirk Van Saene, Dries Van Noten, Marina Yee, and Walter Van Beirendonck. “The Antwerp Six, and later Martin Margiela too, graduated from the Academy around the same time. All seven were incredibly talented and made their name. The fact that such a large group of designers broke through at the same time is rare and hasn’t been repeated since,” Vervaeren explains. The early 1980s were a fertile time for creative designers. “In 1981, the federal government launched their ‘Textile Plan’ and invested quite a lot of money in the textile sector,” Vervaeren says. “The fashion scene was still dominated by leading countries such as France and Italy but it was time for something else. The different styles of the Antwerp designers were more than welcome.”
(The Antwerp Six © Karel Fonteyne, 1986)
The exhibition focuses on the past, the highlights, and the DNA of Belgian fashion, but it also paints a picture of the future. And while many voices – including Olivier Theyskens at the beginning of this year – murmur that the fashion scene is saturated, its future doesn’t have to be all that gloomy. “There’s so much of everything these days, but fashion is not suddenly just going to fade out. It will change or reinvent itself, everything is possible,” Vervaeren says. “Think of designers such as Bruno Pieters for instance, who’s Honest collection focuses on sustainability. There is a lot to do in that area.” As a teacher, Vervaeren has noticed a different attitude among students as well. “In the past three or four years we have had some students design gender-neutral collections, with pieces that can be worn by both men and women,” Vervaeren says. “And in England, department store Selfridges recently experimented with a gender-neutral department. Visions like these are shaping the future too.”
The exhibition focuses on the past, the highlights, and the DNA of Belgian fashion, but it also paints a picture of the future. And while many voices – including Olivier Theyskens at the beginning of this year – murmur that the fashion scene is saturated, its future doesn’t have to be all that gloomy. “There’s so much of everything these days, but fashion is not suddenly just going to fade out. It will change or reinvent itself, everything is possible,” Vervaeren says. “Think of designers such as Bruno Pieters for instance, who’s Honest collection focuses on sustainability. There is a lot to do in that area.” As a teacher, Vervaeren has noticed a different attitude among students as well. “In the past three or four years we have had some students design gender-neutral collections, with pieces that can be worn by both men and women,” Vervaeren says. “And in England, department store Selfridges recently experimented with a gender-neutral department. Visions like these are shaping the future too.”
(Damien Ravn © Lea Nielsen / Véronique Leroy © Cici Olsson)
One of the rooms in the exhibition focuses on a new wave of designers, where colour and statement noticeably stand out. “Fashion is a way to show who you are,” the self-taught designer from Liège Jean-Paul Lespagnard says. “I have always known that I wanted to be a fashion designer.” He lives and works in Brussels, won prestigious awards at the fashion festival in Hyères in 2008, received praise from renowned fashion critic Suzy Menkes after his shows on the Paris runway, and was appointed artistic partner for Mons 2015, European Capital of Culture. “I draw inspiration from popular culture and folklore, ethnic clothing as well as street style,” Lespagnard says. His collections are sold in Belgian shops and abroad. “And I hope to sell even more on an international level in the future,” Lespagnard adds.
Giving body to fashion
Among the new group of Belgian designers, Vervaeren discerns an entirely new movement: “It’s a rather glamorous and sexy approach to clothing, which is perhaps a bit unexpected for Belgian fashion. Label Filles à Papa is a great example, or designer Anthony Vaccarello.” The latter is now creative director for Versus, Italian label Versace’s diffusion line. Also part of that glam selection is Gioia Seghers, the youngest designer in the entire exhibition. She graduated from La Cambre in 2012. “Knitting scarves with my Italian grandmother sparked my interest to become a designer, and after visiting the open days at La Cambre I was even more certain,” she says. “I knew the entrance exam was hard, so I took a year off to prepare myself for it.” Her final year collection landed her several awards, including from Dior and Weekend Fashion. In 2013, she launched her eponymous line focusing on high-end women’s fashion. How difficult is it to get started in today’s competitive landscape? “It’s up to us, young designers to make people understand the value of clothing,” she says. “I believe in a focused and direct approach without too many intermediaries.” Seghers’s style is marked by the use of the colour red, lace, embroidery, and ribbons. “It’s all about femininity, elegance and comfort.” The look chosen for the exhibition is part of her upcoming fall-winter collection named The Tightened Straps of the Gozen.”
One of the rooms in the exhibition focuses on a new wave of designers, where colour and statement noticeably stand out. “Fashion is a way to show who you are,” the self-taught designer from Liège Jean-Paul Lespagnard says. “I have always known that I wanted to be a fashion designer.” He lives and works in Brussels, won prestigious awards at the fashion festival in Hyères in 2008, received praise from renowned fashion critic Suzy Menkes after his shows on the Paris runway, and was appointed artistic partner for Mons 2015, European Capital of Culture. “I draw inspiration from popular culture and folklore, ethnic clothing as well as street style,” Lespagnard says. His collections are sold in Belgian shops and abroad. “And I hope to sell even more on an international level in the future,” Lespagnard adds.
Giving body to fashion
Among the new group of Belgian designers, Vervaeren discerns an entirely new movement: “It’s a rather glamorous and sexy approach to clothing, which is perhaps a bit unexpected for Belgian fashion. Label Filles à Papa is a great example, or designer Anthony Vaccarello.” The latter is now creative director for Versus, Italian label Versace’s diffusion line. Also part of that glam selection is Gioia Seghers, the youngest designer in the entire exhibition. She graduated from La Cambre in 2012. “Knitting scarves with my Italian grandmother sparked my interest to become a designer, and after visiting the open days at La Cambre I was even more certain,” she says. “I knew the entrance exam was hard, so I took a year off to prepare myself for it.” Her final year collection landed her several awards, including from Dior and Weekend Fashion. In 2013, she launched her eponymous line focusing on high-end women’s fashion. How difficult is it to get started in today’s competitive landscape? “It’s up to us, young designers to make people understand the value of clothing,” she says. “I believe in a focused and direct approach without too many intermediaries.” Seghers’s style is marked by the use of the colour red, lace, embroidery, and ribbons. “It’s all about femininity, elegance and comfort.” The look chosen for the exhibition is part of her upcoming fall-winter collection named The Tightened Straps of the Gozen.”
(Gioia Seghers / Dries Van Noten © Etienne Tordoir / Christophe Coppens © Marc Tops)
From a couture dress designed in the 1920s to a room full of new talent, Belgian fashion is hardly a century old and still has plenty of tricks up its sleeve. “Who would have thought all this was possible from such a small country, without a deep-rooted fashion culture,” Vervaeren says with a laugh. “With the exhibition I want to give a bit more body to fashion and show that designers are a lot more than just people who make clothes. And if along the way, visitors pick up something about the Belgian spirit, that would be great too.”
SUMMER OF FASHION
The exhibition “The Belgians” runs until mid-September and comes with plenty of side activities. From movies to lectures, exhibitions to workshops.
Summer walk
Fashion Now! is a walk that will take you to some of the city’s finest shops. Marvel at special installations in the windows of Stijl and Hatshoe on rue Dansaertstraat, stop by Dépendance Gallery on Varkensmarkt/rue du Marché aux Porcs where part of Maison Margiela’s archive will be on display, walk up to Christa Reniers at the Zavel/Sablon, and end up at fashion school La Cambre on Louizalaan/avenue Louise. Grab a fashion walk map at Bozar or download it from www.summeroffashion.be
Summer dress
Diane von Furstenberg was born in Brussels and is most famous for her wrap dress. Especially for the exhibition “The Belgians”, she designed a limited edition with a Jackson Pollock-inspired splatter paint print. The 200 dresses are on sale as of 5 June, exclusively at the DvF boutiques in Brussels, Antwerp and Knokke.
“Bellissima. The Story of five dresses” is a small exhibition from 5 June to 6 September on the history of Italian haute couture from the 1950s and ’60s. First shown at the MAXXI museum in Rome in 2014, the show was adapted especially for Bozar and provides insight into what inspired fashion designers after the Second World War.
Summer cape
Jean-Paul Lespagnard developed a creative workshop for cool kids who love fashion. Bozar’s Horta Hall is the place to be from 1 to 12 July and from 15 tot 30 August, between 2 and 5 pm. Visit the expo and use your inspiration to make the coolest summer cape.
Summer literature
Muntpunt will put its best fashion books in their display window throughout the month of June. The library has hundreds of fashion-related books on the shelves, from DIY and pattern guides to historic reviews and international exhibition catalogues.
The expo at Bozar comes with a beautifully edited book published by Lannoo on Belgian fashion. It includes articles written by the likes of journalist Veerle Windels and historian Florence Muller and contains lots of previously unpublished pictures.
www.summeroffashion.be
THE BELGIANS. AN UNEXPECTED FASHION STORY
5/6 > 13/9, Bozar, www.bozar.be, www.madbrussels.be
From a couture dress designed in the 1920s to a room full of new talent, Belgian fashion is hardly a century old and still has plenty of tricks up its sleeve. “Who would have thought all this was possible from such a small country, without a deep-rooted fashion culture,” Vervaeren says with a laugh. “With the exhibition I want to give a bit more body to fashion and show that designers are a lot more than just people who make clothes. And if along the way, visitors pick up something about the Belgian spirit, that would be great too.”
SUMMER OF FASHION
The exhibition “The Belgians” runs until mid-September and comes with plenty of side activities. From movies to lectures, exhibitions to workshops.
Summer walk
Fashion Now! is a walk that will take you to some of the city’s finest shops. Marvel at special installations in the windows of Stijl and Hatshoe on rue Dansaertstraat, stop by Dépendance Gallery on Varkensmarkt/rue du Marché aux Porcs where part of Maison Margiela’s archive will be on display, walk up to Christa Reniers at the Zavel/Sablon, and end up at fashion school La Cambre on Louizalaan/avenue Louise. Grab a fashion walk map at Bozar or download it from www.summeroffashion.be
Summer dress
Diane von Furstenberg was born in Brussels and is most famous for her wrap dress. Especially for the exhibition “The Belgians”, she designed a limited edition with a Jackson Pollock-inspired splatter paint print. The 200 dresses are on sale as of 5 June, exclusively at the DvF boutiques in Brussels, Antwerp and Knokke.
“Bellissima. The Story of five dresses” is a small exhibition from 5 June to 6 September on the history of Italian haute couture from the 1950s and ’60s. First shown at the MAXXI museum in Rome in 2014, the show was adapted especially for Bozar and provides insight into what inspired fashion designers after the Second World War.
Summer cape
Jean-Paul Lespagnard developed a creative workshop for cool kids who love fashion. Bozar’s Horta Hall is the place to be from 1 to 12 July and from 15 tot 30 August, between 2 and 5 pm. Visit the expo and use your inspiration to make the coolest summer cape.
Summer literature
Muntpunt will put its best fashion books in their display window throughout the month of June. The library has hundreds of fashion-related books on the shelves, from DIY and pattern guides to historic reviews and international exhibition catalogues.
The expo at Bozar comes with a beautifully edited book published by Lannoo on Belgian fashion. It includes articles written by the likes of journalist Veerle Windels and historian Florence Muller and contains lots of previously unpublished pictures.
www.summeroffashion.be
THE BELGIANS. AN UNEXPECTED FASHION STORY
5/6 > 13/9, Bozar, www.bozar.be, www.madbrussels.be
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