Ceremony & Party Clothing

Karolien Verstraeten studeerde eerst architectuur en vervolgens mode aan de Koninklijke Academie voor Schone Kunsten in Antwerpen. Ze won er de ARTOS prijs voor haar eerste collectie en modeshow.

Door de eenvoudigheid van pure lijnen creëert ze een frisse tijdloze atmosfeer. Het succes van deze ontwerpen deed haar dromen van haar eigen collectie. Ze bracht haar eerste collectie uit in 2009.

Nu gaat ze een stap verder en brengt ze een customized collectie voor feestelijke kledij en bruidskledij op de markt.

Nathalie d’Anvers offers a way of creating, a search for harmony by combining forms and colors in order to evoke a spiritual state and transcribing through this alchemy, the essence of « feminity ». Each creation places in the spotlight the woman who is wearing it and illuminates her personality. The creations of Nathalie d’Anvers reflect the sensitive resonance of the body movement in this world and in the universe. They unveil as much the spirit of the woman wearing them as the love of beauty that inspires and motivates their inception. The brand embodies the return of beautifull, timeless creations that emphasizes and magnifies the silhouette.

Nathalie d’Anvers discovered at a very young age the art of creating dresses and outfits, exclusively reserved for a female audience. Inspired by her grandmother’s couture-skills, art books and her particular interst in sculpture and drawing, she created her first pieces from old fabrics, laces, and other accessories. As a teenager, she studied at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Antwerp, where she developed her passion for sculpture.

After a fifteen years international career in business and finance, she returned to her first passion: art, sculpture and dresses.

Nathalie d’Anvers creates her dresses as a sculptor. Instead of drawings, she uses a miniature « mannequin-doll » for modelling her designs. She needs this three dimensional sensation and the touch with natural materials, silk and high quality tissus, for turning an idea into an object. The realisation of the final dresses is exclusively done by Haute Couture ateliers in Paris, artisans and fine craftmanship in Belgium. Perfectionism, an eye and focus on the tiniest details and high quality finishings, guarantees the quality, beauty and durability of the creations of the brand.

Nathalie d’Anvers offers women timeless lines, contemporary innovations while maintaining the essential ideals, which are reactivating a classicism, synonymous with elegance. Her timeless but complicated designs result in sophisticated dresses with a signature of pure and smooth lines.

Her way of draping, noble fabrics and transparancies combined with innovative techniques results in exquisite dresses.

Nathalie d’Anvers is not dictated by seasonal tendencies, but follows her own feelings.

In many ways she works in close collaboration with contemporary artists. The creations are made to outlive the passing swings of fashion. Every dress is a reflection of her state of mind.

Wearing a dress of Nathalie d’Anvers is an attitude, a way of being : « Be Anything but Obvious »

Nicky Vankets was born on May 12, 1979 in Belgium and knew what he wanted to do in life at a very young age. Playing with Barbie dolls while his friends played outside and hanging out in the ateliers of the house of Mathyro surrounded by fabrics, scissors and needles, he fell in love with fashion. After the disappointment of being declined admission to the Royal Academy of Arts in Antwerp, Belgium, he decided to take a chance and move to London. He told his mother he wanted to study at the same school as Vivienne Westwood and John Galliano. At 18, he moved into his London  apartment near Waterloo Station and began studying at the London College of Fashion. Four years later in 2001, he presented his Final Assessment Project on the catwalk of London Fashion Week and graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Design and Technology for the Fashion Industry.

Returning home after college, Nicky dreamt about going global and started applying at the most famous designer houses in the world. In 2002, he managed to get an appointment with the HR department of Armani and they advised him to use his knowledge to start his own label and brand. After much thought, Nicky decided to take their advice. Having already designed for his parents’ company in the previous years, he started using his own name as a label and the brand NICKY VANKETS was born.

Starting with designing wedding dresses, he soon was bursting with creativity and new collections and new lines sprung from his imagination. The Belgian entertainment industry noticed the

young designer’s talent and Nicky started designing for musicians and other celebrities.

The Miss Belgium organisation asked Nicky to design the evening gowns for the their miss to wear at the Miss Universe and Miss World elections.