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WELCOME TO
OUR BEAUTIFUL
CHAOS
Essentiel Antwerp stands for refreshing, offbeat & luxurious fashion, renowned for its graphic or floral prints and trendy mixes of color. The rich and unique collections are designed to provoke an emotional response.
STEP INTO OUR WORLD WHERE IMAGINATION AND BEAUTY REIGN, WHERE LACK OF ORDER CREATES A SPACE FOR SURPRISE.
The Antwerp-based brand is influenced by the numerous life experiences of its founders Esfan Eghtessadi and Inge Onsea. Esfan, the son of Nicole Cadine, grew up in a world of textiles, sketches and fashion collections. Inge had a vintage loving mother, was a fashion model and spent five years in India, where she fell in love with colors, prints and unexpected combinations.
WE WANT
TO BE YOUR
PINK PILL
In 1999 Esfan and Inge took a chance and launched a T-shirt collection. Four styles, twenty different colors: their response to the monochrome fashion landscape. After a year, the first store opened in Antwerp. Four seasons later, knitwear, jackets, dresses, shirts, and trousers in trendy colors, new materials, and an entire range of accessories were added. Essentiel Antwerp grew into a global brand with a powerful message of love, fun, and colorful surprises. A universal message that translates anywhere and everywhere in the world.
WE WANT
TO BATTLE
BOREDOM
WE CONSIDER OUR ACCESSORIES AS THE CHILLI PEPPERS IN OUR ALREADY TASTY DISH.
LIFE LOOKS BETTER IN COLOR: STAY CURIOUS AND ORIGINAL TO KEEP THINGS SURPRISING AND CELEBRATE LIFE.
Arenbergstraat 21 Antwerpen 2000 Belgium
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About us
For the past three decades, we have been best friends and share many passions in various areas: sports, games, adventures, movies and music, interesting conversations, food and drink, etc. Our interests have of course evolved since we were teenagers, but one element has always remained at the forefront: conviviality.
A warm and convivial atmosphere can be found in many activities, but when you boil it down to its essence, you often arrive at the following basic elements: sharing food and drink, having fun conversations, and fire.
It is therefore no coincidence that barbecues are so popular around the world.
Conviviality
Enjoying life to the fullest, but always respecting the world that surrounds us. And since the beginning of our friendship, we agreed that the best way to have fun is to share the best moments with others. Not only do you reinforce the intensity of the moment, but you can relive it many times afterwards, based on the stories you keep bringing up. So we are friends with a nice bag of shared memories and stories. And the icing on the cake is that these stories were often shared with numerous other wonderful friends. Memories are the very last important treasures that can be taken from a person. Therefore, build that wealth as best and as long as possible.
Finding the balance
Consumption seems to have become an addiction among an increasing number of people. We want more and it has to be cheaper. Quality and durability have for many years been neglected characteristics of many commodities. Ecological and ethical problems have too often become the consequence of the search for lower prices.
Fortunately, more and more people have begun to realize that things cannot go on like this. Opposed to over-consumption is the concept of minimalism. As ‘bon-vivants’, we wanted to find a balance between the two. We believe that it should still be possible to enjoy ‘well-considered’ purchases.
That’s why we want to offer you products made of durable, quality materials. We choose timeless designs that you won’t easily tire of. And we look for partners who can guarantee us that they produce in an ecological and ethical way (through different certification labels and ISO standards).
Wachthuisdreef 105 Edingen 7850 Belgium
River Woods
River WoodsMore Info
River Woods is an international and authentic lifestyle brand for the whole family, reflecting strong values as friendship, family values and the sheer joy of living!
River Woods’ origins lie in a bygone era, the North-Eastern American lifestyle served as a source of inspiration for the creation of the brand. Translated into a commercial and contemporary collection, River Woods since then evolved into a brand offering casual and city collections for the whole family. Men, women, boys, girls and even babies and newborns, the whole family can dress in River Woods.
The key factors of the growth and succes of the brand are a strict adherance to quality and a keen and exclusive distribution strategy. Through high-level multibrand stores and the well-known River Woods Company Stores, River Woods has put itself on the map.
The origins: An inspiring era
The wind blows through the lush crowns of the majestic oak trees of North Eastern America. This is the era of true friendship and strong values. This is the era of the origins of River Woods: authentic sportswear which embraces family, solidarity and the shear joy of living, and reflects the spirit of the true North-Eastern American lifestyle.
The beginning: Birth of River Woods
It was the 6th of December 1995 when four friends signed for the realisation of a mutual dream: their own fashion brand. By combining their years of experience and knowledge in the fashion sector, River Woods was born.
From Belgium to…: First menswear collection
On the 6th of January 1996 the trading began with the introduction of a Menswear Collection. Thanks to its strict adherence to quality and the perfect translation of the authentic American sportswear to the European market, it was an immediate hit. In fact, the brand began with an exponential growth in Belgium, The Netherlands and France.
New launches: Introduction of Women’s and Kids collections
The success of the Menswear Collection quickly lead to the introduction of a complete range of clothing for Women and Kids. River Woods became a brand for the whole family.
First Flagship store: Creation of River Woods Baby
Following the successful debut of the Women & Kids collections, in 2000 the River Woods Baby subdivision was created. This year the first River Woods Flagship store opened in Wijnegem Shopping Center, near Antwerp. River Woods continues its expansion through new partnerships throughout Europe …
Manufacturers & Distributors: The story of our success
As of 2001 a rapid expansion of the brand throughout Europe is established with a keen distribution policy. Focusing on high-end multilabel stores and the by now well known exclusive River Woods Company Stores has proven to be a recipe for succes.
New agreements: Footwear and River Woods stationary collection
In 2005 the license agreements for a River Woods Footwear collection and a River Woods school stationary collection are made.
Global Expansion: River Woods’ network
By now, River Woods has established a solid distribution network throughout Europe, and is ever strengthening its worldwide position by expanding its network outside Europe. It is now present in 22 Countries in the World : Austria, Belgium, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mauritius, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, The Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and USA.
First RW Kids Store: New Opening
On the 23rd of January 2011, River Woods opens its first dedicated RW Kids store, at Wijnegem Shopping Center near Antwerp.
RW Casual Chic: New Opening
On the 29th of July 2011, a second River Woods Casual Chic store opens its doors in Knokke, Belgium. It offers exclusively the contemporary River Woods Ladies’ collection, and is an immediate hit.
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Back to essentials
PURE MATERIALS
The more durable pieces are the ones we treasure. ‘They grow on you’. Natural materials absorb the traces of our life and leave a personal patina. They will look better the more you wear them.
Every piece will be unique with it’s natural marks. This is a sign of quality.
UNIQUE
There are as many unique DCEMBER bags, as there are unique women. Just like the interior of your house, you start from a base and accessorise according to your mood or season.
Beloved objects become icons for what we stand for.
CONSCIOUS
The way we consume makes us aware how we love and treat life. All our bags are handcrafted in Italy by local artisans and all materials are treated naturally.
With DCEMBER you choose for a transparent production process which is kind to people and environment.
“A DCEMBER bag is a lifetime piece with endless possibilities day by day, all over again.”
Who we are
DCEMBER is an Antwerp (Belgium) based design label founded by designer Florien Pénard and her husband Olivier.
HOW DID IT ALL BEGIN?
My inspiration stems from my walk of life. Born in the magic month of December, the love for pure materials was passed on to me from a very young age. Like the scent of wooden art objects carved by my father. Or the soft touch of the leather handbag my grandmother made herself.
WHEN DID YOU START DESIGNING?
Graduating from the academy of fine arts in the Netherlands, I pursued my passion for design at Kenzo in Paris and later on as lead designer at Dirk Bikkembergs in Italy.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO CREATE THIS COLLECTION?
When my kids, Zoé and Louie, started personalizing their saddle leather schoolbags, I started thinking … “I want that too!”
A companion, that is an extension of my personality and adapts to every season and occasion.
DCEMBER was born…
Florien Pénard
Atelier Feryn
Atelier FerynMore Info
Yanne, Mira en Lize Feryn hebben al van kinds af aan een liefde voor schoonheid, creativiteit, eerlijkheid en elkaar. De drie zussen werden van thuis uit gestimuleerd om te doen wat ze graag doen, en toevallig was dat heel veel. Muziek, dans, theater, beeldende kunst, mode … Kortom, alles waar een beetje creativiteit voor vereist is. Toen bleek dat de zusjes elkaar aanvulden waar de ene tekort schoot en elkaar vooruit trokken waar de andere wat achter bleef, verwonderde het niemand dat ze de handen in elkaar sloegen om samen veel te bereiken.
Na het ontwerpen en maken van prachtige kostuums voor verschillende musicalproducties, smeten de meisjes zich op lederbewerking. Hierin kunnen ze hun passie voor ambacht en creatie kwijt.
Desselgemstraat 75 Deerlijk 8540 Belgium
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About Us
Our story is one about great things. About handy things. About beautiful things.
But above all, about friendship. About four childhood friends who found each other in an unbridled passion for quality and craftsmanship. At Comme Quatre there are therefore few restrictions. We just make what feels true to us. No extravagant fuss, but unarticulated simplicity. With the feeling of being a bit special.
We like to design everyday objects such as a stylish handbag, spectacle box, key ring, wallet, wallet or handkerchief with a few striking features such as the graceful cowhides. A creative trait that we like to mix with our insatiable hunger for adventure, variety and entrepreneurship. Talent is present as well. Each in his or her own way. And love. Lots of love. For each other and for the products we create, and that’s a fact.
Our Story
exquisite & honestly handmade
Not only a brand, Comme Quatre is a creative, playful and human project. All our products are handmade by traditional craftsmen whom we admire for their knowhow, entrepreneurship and courage. Together we create a sustainable product.
#nowaste
A Comme Quatre handbag, just like a pair of glasses, key ring, wallet, wallet or pouch is a nice example of upcycling. Say again? Upcycling goes just a little further than recycling: transforming old and allegedly unusable materials into something valuable and often more beautiful than before. In this way, our cowhides are upcycled from meat waste into a sustainable material that lasts for years and can be broken down by nature after use. The hides are also tanned plant-based, i.e. without the addition of harmful substances.
timeless class
Six collections a year? Not for us. By designing our cowhide accessories to look beyond the latest trends, they are wearable every season. Slow fashion it is. Quality leather products are handmade by traditional craftsmen. For example, a handbag, spectacle case, key ring, wallet or pouch by Comme Quatre is not only fashionable, but also durable.
unique
Each accessory guarantees 100% supple leather and natural cowhide. Each with their own unique print and ditto character. The pattern of the cowhides are different for each accessory, due to the colour differences in the coat of the cow. So every handbag, spectacle case, key ring, wallet or pouch from Comme Quatre is slightly different and always gives a distinctive touch to your outfit.
Our Team
Miloud, chief workshop
“Working with natural products is what I have done all my life. More than 15 years have I been working in this atelier. I am in charge of overseeing the production process, creation of the malls, cutting the hides and leather, and the final inspection of the finished goods.”
Fatima, artisan
“I am the youngest of our team and still in ’training’, learning how to prepare the different components of our products for the knitting team. I love the fact that we start with a cowhide and finish with a bag or accessory which will be cherished by someone for many years. ”
Mbark, artisan
“I have been working in this workshop for more than 15 years. I am mainly in charge of the different knitting machines which we use on leather, cowhide and tissues. I love this variation in my job, and like the fact that we can participate in the creation process of the products.”
Belaid, artisan
“I have been working for more than 10 years in this workshop, but I have been in the fashion industry all my life. I am in charge of assembling the products. I like the interaction between the craftmen and the fact we actively participate in the design and creation process ”
Hafida, artisan
“I am assisting Mbark and Belaid in the preparation of the different parts they need to assemble, in between the different stages of the production, I implement the zippers and closures. I like the fact we create beautiful products.”
Our Values
Eric Beauduin
Eric BeauduinMore Info
Eric Beauduin started working with second hand materials ten years ago.
This decision was more instinctively than from an ecological conviction and he dissected old clothes to make bags.
The details and secrets of clothes and accessories such as pockets, buttonholes, lining and reinforcements have always caught his interest more than the overall aspect of clothes.
Initially he used clothes in fabric, men’s suit, shirts, coats, but quickly moved on to leather clothes.
The patina of a used leather trench, bomber or jacket gives the soul of his accessories.
Season after season he invents hand made bags with techniques coming from clothes tailoring and leather goods traditions.
Each piece is an experiment. The original clothes pockets, seams and details, the different leathers,
the colors of the passed fashion are transposed into the bags.
The shapes and the use of the bags change following the demands and desires, but the concept is always the same.
Everything is made in the designer’s house in Brussels.
Impossible to duplicate a piece.
A limited production of by number labeled pieces.
Few sofisticated selling points in Belgium, France, Japan, USA.
Should this be named slow fashion?
THINGS
All bags are cut in second hand leather jackets, trenches, bombers, skirts.
The handles, slings, straps, piping are made in the same leather.
The material is all kinds of soft and smooth leather such as lamb’s leather, calfskin, goat’s leather used in manufacturing leather clothes.
The leather is usually lined with fabric.
Some of the models are reinforced with felt inside.
The inside is made with the same leather and a black “pocketting” fabric so that keys or sharp metal
objects don’t cause any damage.
Delvaux
Delvauxsince 1829More Info
The oldest fine leather goods house in the world
Delvaux is “a divinely singular label.” Such is the high praise one grande dame of fashion bestowed on the prestigious family-owned company established in 1829 by Charles Delvaux in Brussels. Internationally recognised, the House of Delvaux has earned its reputation by remaining true to its values and for its savoir-faire and uncompromising craftsmanship, as well as for the supreme quality of its creations.
Delvaux Créateur SA Boulevard Louis Schmidtlaan 7 Brussels 1040 Belgium
Delvaux Boulevard de Waterloo Boulevard de Waterloo, 27 Bruxelles 1000 Belgium
Delvaux Galerie de la Reine Galerie de la Reine, 31 Bruxelles 1000 Belgium
Delvaux Waterloo Chaussée de Bruxelles, 167 Waterloo 1410 Belgium
Delvaux Antwerp Komedieplaats, 17 Antwerpen 2000 Belgium
Delvaux Bruges Breidelstraat 2 Brugge 8000 Belgium
Delvaux Knokke Kustlaan, 148B 8300 Knokke Belgium
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About
1961: Birth
The story begins in a little village in south eastern Turkey. We are Sunday, it is October 29, 1961, Manufer Gulcu was born. Coming from a modest family, his father is farrier and his mother is housewife. In 1966, the family leaves the village to settle in the city, where his father opens his own workshop and reconverts into the manufacturing of horse saddles. During his early childhood, Manufer goes to school while working in his father’s workshop, where he gets familiar with a craftsmanship profession.
1972: Arrival in Istanbul
In 1972, Manufer Gulcu arrived with his family in Istanbul. The city is large and living conditions difficult, forcing Manufer to quit school at the age of 11 to find work. After accumulating odd jobs, Manufer found an apprentice position in a workshop located in the Beyazit district of Istanbul and discovered the profession of sewing there. Skillful with his hands, he quickly learns and develops technical skills. Very early on, working with leather and natural materials fascinates and ambitions him.
1978: Opening of his first workshop
In 1978, when he was only 17 years old, Manufer becomes an experienced couturier, the most respected position in the profession. His boss then offered him to take over the management of the workshop. He will accept the proposal and team up with his best friend to lead a team of eight workers. At a time considered to be the beginnings of the golden age of leather, Manufer saw its activity grow steadily.
1981: Arrival in Belgium
In 1981, in a tumultuous socio-economic context, Manufer decided to leave Istanbul for Europe, where everything had to be rebuilt. He will work for 3 years in different sewing workshops until the opening of his own workshop, which will later allow him to meet his wife. At that time, the importance of leather and shearling in the world of ready-to-wear was at its peak.
1987: The workshop burns down
On November 12, 1987, the building where the workshop is located burned down. Once again, everything has to be rebuilt. The accident prompted Manufer to renovate the Maison de Maître in Brussels located at 138 Avenue du Roi. He set up his workshops there, which he named MANUFERO, as a tribute to his origins. There he will develop his activities of creation, sales to professionals and individuals. He will also put his couturier know-how at the service of other designers, and will collaborate with prestigious houses such as Natan, Yves Saint-Laurent, Kris Van Assche and Jean-Paul Knot.
1992: 29thOctober is born
In his spirit of creation, Manufer Gulcu decides to put a name on his collections. In 1992, he created his brand, 29THOCTOBER, referring to a triple symbolic date for him and his family.
1999: Marie-Claire France
In 1999, the 29THOCTOBER brand obtained its first publication in a renowned magazine, Marie-Claire France.
2004: Paris international fair
In 2004, the 29THOCTOBER brand was present for the first time at the international ready-to-wear fair in Paris. This event will open the doors of French boutiques to the Maison and give it its European dimension.
2012: MIEL Catwalk
In 2012, the Maison took part in its very first fashion show, the MIEL Catwalk, and presented a preview of its winter 2013-2014 collection.
2018: The team is growing
In 2018, the 29THOCTOBER team is growing and becomes more than ever a family house. Benjamin and Lucie, Manufer’s children, join the company and give it a digital dimension by creating the online store.
2020: The range is growing
The brand takes precedence over innovation and diversification. More than ever willing to perpetuate its craftsmanship and put its know-how at the service of innovative and committed fashion, 29THOCTOBER is launching its first capsule collection in vegetable leather. On the occasion of its birthday, October 29, 2020, the brand unveils its bag line.
Avenue du Roi 138 Brussels 1190 Belgium
Rue Joseph Stevens 41 Brussels 1000 Belgium
Roxane Ballon
Roxane BallonMore Info
/ WHO AM I
I am a Fashion Designer based in Braine-le-Comte, Belgium.
I graduated from the School of “Francisco Ferrer” (Brussels) in the field of Fashion Design.
I specialize in Accessories Design, with a special focus on leather goods, where I was able to build an extensive expe- rience working for leading brands such as Maison Delvaux.
/ MY PHILOSOPHY
Authenticity • Innovation • Sustainability
My view of fashion is strongly influenced by craftsmanship, culture and art.
My designs are refined and functional with high-end cuts, materials and finishes.
It is important for me to design premium contemporary products, which are authentic, innovative and sustainable.
141 Rue d’Écaussinnes Braine-le-Comte 7090