Textile designer Julie Menuge: a unique patchwork of styles

Textile designer Julie Menuge stitches together different cultures and eras with serious playfulness. She started with upcycling long before it became fashionable.

Julie Menuge arrived in Brussels from northern France in 2002 to study at La Cambre. She first worked in haute couture for grand names like Jean Paul Gaultier and in theatre. Artists such as Marie Daulne (Zap Mama) and Rokia Bamba are familiar faces in her boutique near Vossenplein/Place du Jeu de Balle in the Marolles. Menuge's creations have a multicultural character and often come with a nod to pop culture figures. She dabbles in upcycling, with patchwork taking centre stage. Her bomber jackets sell the best.

You integrate materials and traditions from around the world into your designs. Have you been inspired by your travels?
More than anything I am inspired by the diversity in Brussels. I quickly made friends from many communities here. These days, I also work with partners abroad, including in Mali, and participate in events like the Thai Silk Festival in Bangkok. I enjoy immersing myself in other cultures, studying their techniques, materials, and motifs. I also combine different periods, for example by merging a fabric made with old craft techniques with a sheet from the Smurfs. I write stories with my scissors about encounters across borders, letting you travel through time and through many worlds.

Whence your choice of upcycling?
It's in my DNA. My mother and grandmother reworked their fabrics out of necessity; they were too precious to throw away. They passed the knowledge of and respect for materials on to me. I don't throw anything away, sorting even the smallest pieces into boxes for later use. I detest wasting resources, that creates an ecological catastrophe.

Upcycling is now becoming mainstream.
When I started a decade ago, I was often dismissed as a “hippie”, but now everyone is upcycling, so to speak, including the big brands with shops on Gulden-Vlieslaan/Avenue de la Toison d'Or. I am rather critical about that. Just because you do upcycling does not mean you stop waste or prevent clothes from going in the bin after a while. My work is playful, but I also take it very seriously. It is sturdy and finished to perfection.

More info: juliemenuge.com & Instagram: @julie_menuge