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T.VDB is the artistic fashion studio founded by Belgian multi-disciplinary fashion artist Tom Van der Borght.
The label focuses on humans rather than gender, as the core of T.VDB is hard to pinpoint under one binary definition, description or title.
T.VDB works as an independent artist, with a focus on fashion, textile, graphics, video, installation and scenography.
He is the producer of his own free work and works on commission for various partners.
Tom Van der Borght got his Fashion Design degree in 2012 at the Stedelijke Academie voor Schone Kunsten of Sint-Niklaas. Both during and after his studies he won international fashion prices and competitions.
From 2012 to 2016 he had the pleasure of showing his work during Berlin, Paris, London and Panama Fashion Week. His collections were sold in the USA, Japan and across Europe.
As a commissioned artist T.VDB worked for companies like Mercedes-Benz, Premiere Vision, DS Automobiles and Le19M. Next to that he creates artwork and video’s for national and international music artists.
In 2021 Tom received a master degree at Zuyd Hogeschool Maastricht, focusing on the intersection between performance, fashion and artistic research.
Before studying arts, Tom got his bachelors degree in Social Studies and worked for in various social organisations for several years.
Discovering at the age of 27 he suffers from a heriditary neuropathic muscle disorder confronted T.VDB with the question what is really important in life. This was the catharsic moment when he decided to study fashion design and pursue his childhood dreams.
During his study he was already confronted with the borders between fashion and art. Reflecting on his own background in social work and his own personal disposition in life led to questioning social structures, definitions, limits, … The visual language T.VDB develops goes far beyond clothes and is always creating a highly personal and questioning universe. It combines media and is crossing borders between fashion and arts.
T.VDB has an ongoing fascination for defects and errors, which comes from his own experience and the questioning of the genetic errors that shaped the designer from his birth.
Finding a place in society has always been a core element in Van der Borght’s work and life. This generated a strong interest for tribal culture, rituals and alternative/indigenous/ social structures, including elements like costumes, ritual dance and performative acts.
Being born in a typical Flemish middle class family, where culture didn’t really exist, T.VDB was fascinated by pop culture, MTV and subcultures.
“My first fashion inspiration came from the 80s, when i looked to magazines like “Mode, C’est Belge”. My mother’s classic couture training also influenced me in my love Of clothing.”
Later on in life I got introduced to more “higher” forms of “culture”. Essential in my work is the mix of those two opposites of “culture”, not necessarily as rivals or opposites. “
Marcel Duchamps once quoted : “ I do not believe in Art, I believe in Artists”.
T.VDB’s generous attitude and authentic radical way of thinking define him as a designer and an artist.
T.VDB ’s view on fashion (and clothes) isn’t purely economics:
his work could be seen as artistic objects. Clothes and outfits become part of a bigger pictures and crossing borders leads to creating a full universe, a total package.
It results in a fascination for creating video, scenography, performance and alternative ways of presentation.
A catwalk presentation has a very strong performative energy, being a boost of energy, a “hic et nunc” reflection on the present with a big artistic value.
Fashion is always a representation of the present. In his work T.VDB translates this in trying to marry the past to the future (which for him is the essence of “present”).
In 2019, T.VDB took a restart. He focuses on an elaborate masterpiece “7 ways to be TVDB”, which is a multidisciplinary selfportrait that borders on the edges between high tech bricolage, haute couture, avantgardistic fashion and low tech performance. A first stage of this work was presented in the FashionClash festival in Maastricht , and won both the Grand Jury Festival Prize as the Audience Award. With this collection the designer won the prestigious Grand Prix du Jury at the 35th Festival Internationale de La Mode de Hyères in 2020, as well as the highly desired Public Prize. His jubilant, theatrical men’s collection was praised by designer Jonathan Anderson, who presided over a jury that included, among others, consultant Amanda Harlech, model Kaia Gerber, sound maverick Michel Gaubert, photographer Tyler Mitchell, journalist Derek Blasberg and editor-in-chief of GQ, Oliver Lalanne
“What we really, really admired in the work of Tom Van Der Borght is that it was a totally new type of form, new type of shape, new type of commitment to a silhouette, and it was uncompromising,” Anderson said during a remote award ceremony. “And in this moment we are in, we as a jury believe that it was about starting this new decade with newness, this idea of originality.” Anderson continued: “It was not about looking at something for its automatic commercial sense. It was about the beauty within fashion, the handmade, the technique, and the risk in it. And I think Tom has really achieved something in what he has done and I think he will go on to do very well.”
In 2021, T.VDB had the honour to open Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Berlin, with a stunning performance he created with choreographer Blanca Li, to accompany his latest collection.
For the 36th edition of the International Festival de la Mode, he launches his new collection “Time For Love”. The collection was realised in close collaboration with Le19M, Chanel’s legendary “ateliers des Metièrs d’Art” and the support of Premiere Vision.
In the troubled world we are living in nowadays, all of us are urging for connection and closeness. We’ve been distanced, physically and psychologically but now, it’s time for love.
T.VDB welcomes you to a brighter future and a celebration of human connection. The collection is an invitation to enter the playful and colorful universe of the collection. Garments leave the borders of the individual human body and search for connections with other humans through cut, detail and accessories. The pieces play on the intersection of textures, artwork and colour.
Everybody is invited to join this contemporary tribe of neo-hippies, lonesome cowboys and genderfluid hybrid creatures, feeling the emotion in the silence and embracing love as an empowerment tool.
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Fashion is the Extension of Imagination:
Perfectionist, objective observant, sincere and above all spontaneous, Esmeralda has built on her experiences by working with different companies, while always following a positive philosophy.
Please click on the middle crosses for more details.
Born in Strasbourg (France),…
the child of a Spanish artist mother, she started travelling and drawing at a very early age. She lived her childhood mostly between Berlin (Germany) and Conil de la Frontera (Spain) surrounded by various fabrics and paintings of her mother, who was her biggest Muse. The great contrast between both cities of her childhood also enlarged her cultural and artistic mind.
With a desire to discover more cultures,…
she embarked on an international business career in Strasbourg. However, her artistic soul was stirring and thus with no hesitation, she left to Brussels in order to make her dream come true: to become a Fashion Designer.
During those three years studying in Brussels…
she discovered the Art Nouveau, and was integrated into the fashion world. She designed successfully unique creations for the Fantasy Film Festival and for the Bouglione Circus. She also took part in catwalks, and did her work experience in an Haute Couture company in Berlin. Her most enriching experience was her first public fashion show, with her haute couture collection, inspired by Chess game. This was when she realized that being a fashion designer would always be her passion.
She returned to her roots in Barcelona…
and worked for CUSTO BARCELONA. Following her experience at Custo Barcelona, she created a fashion shoe collection for Juba Trading Portugal.
In order to improve her technical and creative skills as a designer,…
she integrated into the team at Levi Strauss Europe in Brussels. After this, she joined the pioneer team in Amsterdam to build up LEVI’S XX with amazing brands LVC (Levi’s Vintage Clothing) and LMC (Levi’s Made and Crafted).
Following her ever-present need for quality growing experience,…
she worked for BVBA 32 in Antwerp for the luxury prêt-a-porter brand, Thimister.
Finally, the moment to explore new challenges arrived…
The dream of an 8 year old girl had to become reality, so, in March 2013, she decided to launch her very own brand,SMARACK.
Since then,…
she has participated in several catwalks and designer tradeshows.
Now,her brand SMARACK and tailoring service continues to grow,…
as builds a powerful reputation in the design world. She is freelancing and consulting other major design brands.
Rue des Chartreux, 48b Kartuizersstraat 1st floor Brussels 1000 Belgium
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ABOUT CESAR
In addition to being a model, food lover, traveler and proud author of my two cookbooks Model Kitchen and Cesar’s Kitchen and the travel guide Trippin, I have launched the Cesar Casier Knitwear Collection. While growing up, I was always surrounded by fashion. My mom owns a high-end fashion boutique “OONA” in Ghent and my stepmom is a fashion designer. They were my biggest influencers and shaped my views on fashion while growing up, the logical next step was to start my own collection.
100% MADE IN BELGIUM.
KNITWEAR COLLECTION
The Cesar Casier Knitwear Collection is 100% made in Belgium, something that is very rare nowadays. Everything I design is produced in a small family owned factory located in Sint-Niklaas, a city between Antwerp and my hometown Ghent. Fact is that back in the days there were about 300 factories located in this area and now there are only two left, a sad reality. Therefore, it is important to support the revival of Belgian knitwear as much as possible!
GENDER NEUTRAL FASHION
Next to my roots, my brand represents Gender Equality. A human right I hold dear and it is something I stand for. I translate this into my designs, as they are mostly unisex. I want my brand to lead the way in gender-neutral fashion. In my opinion, gender no longer dictates the way people dress and it does not force anyone into a box. That is why I try to design as much gender neutral pieces as possible, this allows us to express ourselves exactly the way we all want to. My designs are timeless, comfortable and basic, yet fashionable and with an eye for detail and great quality
CHARITY
I’ve always loved nature and even more, the animals who live in it. That’s why, for every sold item on my website, I’ll donate 1 euro to a charity. For my previous collection I’ve donated money to help save the dolphins, The Great Barrier Reef and the Giraffes in the wild. By donating money to a good cause, I want to send awareness to the public about the beauty of nature and to support animal and nature welfare!
Hubert Frere Orbanlaan 629 Ghent 9000 Belgium
FIBR
FIBRInfo
OUR MISSION
MEET FIBR. THE FAIRCHAIN ALPACA SWEATER. SOFT ON YOUR SKIN AS EASY ON YOUR CONSCIENCE. FIBR BRINGS RADICALLY COMFORTABLE BASICS, YOU ARE PROUD TO WEAR.
The fashion industry has some of the most complex and unfair supply chains in the world. FIBR believes that creating transparency is a first step towards fairness. Today, only 7% of fashion brands know where their materials come from.
Some room for change, if you ask us.
THE FIBR SUPPLY CHAIN
FIBR IS FAIRCHAIN KNITWEAR: FAIRNESS TO THE NEXT LEVEL, ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE VALUE CHAIN.
Fairchain knitwear takes it a step further, rethinking the entire value chain from the source of the raw materials right to your closet.
FIBR connects three strong local players in PERU, all doing their part to make the Peruvian alpaca sector more fair. By connecting these dots, we managed to set up our own value chain and bring you a product of which we know exactly who made it, where it has been and of which we can be sure that everyone is treated well.
OUR PRINCIPLES
QUALITY IS WHERE IT STARTS
We bring you a timeless sweater made from 100% alpaca fibre, a natural fibre which is praised for its robustness and warmness. This sweater is made to last! And if not, a repair kit will teach you all the tricks.
TRANSPARENCY TO THE BONE
Discover where your money goes to, and all the steps your FIBR sweater has been through. No need to hide our imperfections. We rather would like to share them with you and show where improvement is still needed.
EVERY SWEATER COUNTS
We know that we won’t change the world (although we would love to). But we do know that big changes are made by many small steps.
Leading by example, we tell the clothing industry to dive into their supply chains and show more ambition. We are convinced the fashion sector needs small disruptive ideas to evolve and innovate. Every sweater sold means that another person is inspired by our story. Which is something huge!
PRE-ORDER
AT FIBR WE WORK WITH A PRE-ORDER SYSTEM. THIS MEANS THAT WE ONLY START PRODUCTION AFTER A MINIMAL AMOUNT OF PIECES IS ORDERED. TO CONTRIBUTE TO YEARROUND WORK STABILITY FOR THE KNITTERS, PRODUCTION IS IN LOW SEASON, FROM FEBRUARY UNTIL EARLY APRIL.
Tarbotstraat 10 Ghent 9000 Belgium
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We go way back..
After traveling extensively, a close friendship that started 10 years ago brought us, Loredana and Anke, together again. On the other side of the world. In Bali.
Living the island life, we were introduced to a moving world of opportunities and challenges. Of a different lifestyle, freedom and creativity. And inspired by diverse countries and numerous cultures as well, we created a fierce fashion vision. While holding on to Western values and trends, our designs breath out cultural influences in casual and timeless pieces.
Each design is unique..
and tells a story. We believe in exclusive and traditional fabrics. In sophisticated items which show that details matter, in philosophy of colours, and in the strength of every woman to create her own wearable story. With every collection, we try to spread out a certain vibe, life values that women can relate to, will be inspired from and hopefully make them inspire others.
Traditional artisans..
is who we team up with. Their cultural richness and talented hands, inspired by generations and generations of crafting beauty is what we choose for. In the midst of endless rice field views, daily temple offerings and living a true life, every day again they give the very best of themselves to be part of our brand. And your wearable story.
Christian Wijnants
Christian WijnantsInfo
Christian Wijnants is an Antwerp-based fashion designer.
Born in Brussels, Christian moved to Antwerp in 1996 to study fashion design at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. His graduate collection won the Dries Van Noten Award for best collection in 2000. After graduation, Christian presented his collection at the prestigious Festival d’Hyères, where it was awarded the Grand Prix and picked up by stores including Colette (Paris), Pineal Eye (London), and Via Bus Stop (Tokyo). After working with Van Noten in Antwerp and Angelo Tarlazzi in Paris, Christian launched his eponymous label in 2003.
Christian Wijnants presents his collections in Paris during Paris Fashion Week and is sold at boutiques and department stores worldwide including Barneys, Tomorrowland and Opening Ceremony.
Rich, layered graphics and fresh colors translated into eloquent knitwear offer a play of authenticity and luxury that has won him the 2013 International Woolmark Prize, the 2006 ANDAM Award, and the 2005 Swiss Textiles Award. Christian Wijnants is in collaboration with Swarovski for Spring-Summer 2016 and Autumn- Winter 2016 and has been nominated for Swarovski Collective Prize for Innovation.
Wijnants opened his first flagship store in Antwerp in September 2015.
HEAD OFFICE 215 Italiëlei bus 21 Antwerpen 2000 Belgium
36 Steenhouwersvest Antwerp 2000 Belgium
Valentine Avoh
Valentine AvohInfo
About
BETWEEN PASSION AND CRAFTSMANSHIP
THE DESIGNER
Valentine Avoh
Located in the heart of Brussels, the Atelier Valentine Avoh offers light, refined and playful wedding dresses in a Haute Couture spirit, combining surprising details and timeless cuts.
Graduated in fashion design from the London College of Fashion, the Belgian designer worked for more than 10 years for prestigious international houses such as Alexander McQueen, Alexis Mabille and San Andrès Milano.
While completing her first wedding dress in 2009, Valentine fell in love with the handcrafted process. Five years later, she launched her own brand and then opened her atelier in Brussels in 2017, where she creates each piece in the manner of the greatest names in Couture.
Inspirations
From Rita Hayworth’s undeniable glamour to the mysterious sensuality of Marlène Dietrich, Valentine’s universe is a mix of cinematographic and musical references. The songs of Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald exude their charm in her creations.
From the first sketch to the finished product passing by the paper pattern, each pieces is made by hand in my Brussels workshop. The perfect equation to give you that feeling of intimate luxury and discreet elegance that only bespoke craftsmanship can provide.
In my constant quest for quality, I sources fabrics exclusively in Europe; in Italy, in France and of course in Belgium, from the same suppliers as those of the Haute Couture houses. I also develops some of my own unique embroideries in partnership with my suppliers in order to offer you truly unique pieces who embody the characteristic of the Atelier’s dna.
75 BOULEVARD SAINT-MICHEL BRUXELLES 1040
Sofie D’Hoore
Sofie D’HooreBoulevard Barthélémy 11 Brussels 1000 Belgium
Nathalie Vleeschouwer
Nathalie VleeschouwerInfo
Nathalie Vleeschouwer offers the kind of subtle elegance to women of character who want to enjoy life actively and confidently.
The Belgian designer launched her collection in 2011, but the roots of her fashion house go back as far as 1990. Inspiration is derived from all corners of the globe and distilled by Nathalie and her team at their headquarters in Antwerp. Because the soul of the collection is inextricably bound to the designer herself, it has an authentic style and is continually evolving, just like Nathalie’s creative ideas.
Experience, craftsmanship and lasting partnerships with a handful of suppliers and workshops form the basis of every garment that bears her name. Made with love, so that you can wear it again and again, and mix & match it with different items every season. Where the creativity of this collection – released once every six months – stops, yours begins.
Who is Nathalie?
Nathalie Vleeschouwer really does exist. She is not just the designer of the collection; she is also a wife, the mother of three children and two dogs, a traveller, nature lover, city-tripper, swimmer, connoisseur, and so much more.
Nathalie actively enjoys life and the clothing she wears plays an important part in this. It gives her confidence and supports her in all her activities, making it an essential part of her life.
There may be only one Nathalie Vleeschouwer, but many women can identify with her.
Why did she create the collection?
Nathalie Vleeschouwer’s interest in fashion stems from her childhood. Her father was a purchaser for a clothing chain, and as a child she loved nothing more than to accompany him to the big clothing factories. The Antwerp Academy of fashion was a logical next step in her career, but she decided – at the age of 22 – to swap the Academy with learning from practice. This resulted in the launch of Fragile, a maternity wear collection, in 1990. In those days, making fashionable maternity clothing was unheard of. That is how Nathalie became a global pioneer in the world of maternity fashion. The collection was a great success, all the way from Antwerp to Tokyo, and many brands have since followed in Fragile’s footsteps.
Having won the Womed Award in 2010 for female entrepreneurship, Nathalie felt she was ready to embark on a new venture in addition to Fragile. To underscore the authentic style of this new collection she decided to give it her own name: Nathalie Vleeschouwer.
The first collection was presented at the international trade fair in Paris in September 2010 and was available in shops in the spring of 2011.
What does the company Natale do?
Natale stands for Nathalie, and also for the Italian word for ‘birth’.
The family business comprises two collections: Fragile & Nathalie Vleeschouwer. Both are the artistic creations of designer Nathalie Vleeschouwer. The management of Natale is in the hands of Nathalie herself and her husband, Jan.
A staff of approximately 40 work hard every day, prominently or behind the scenes, in a wide range of jobs from pattern designer to sales assistant. By outsourcing as little work as possible experience is combined, ensuring a dynamic business culture.
Who makes your favourite pieces?
Nathalie Vleeschouwer is the head designer of a creative team, and collaborates with her own pattern maker. Each design is developed in detail by our team. We strive to build relationships of trust with all our suppliers and manufacturers, in which transparency and long-term cooperation are of the essence. We regularly visit our partners on site with a view to strengthening our ties and building a genuine relationship of trust and mutual respect.
Socially responsible entrepreneurship and sustainability
Respect for people, the environment and society are key values at Natale.
By opting for quality goods at fair as a starting point, we hope to contribute to enhancing the sustainability of the fashion industry. We deliberately choose to release only two collections a year and are adverse to hypes as well as overproducing. By adhering to this long-term vision we can make honest fashion that you will enjoy for many years to come and in which both the maker and the wearer take pride.
Our collections are produced without any use of child labour, in pleasant working conditions and for honest wages by audited suppliers with whom we build up partnerships with a long-term vision.
Keeping our creative, commercial and administrative departments under one and the same roof in Antwerp ensures that Natale’s environmental impact remains limited. We make every effort to minimise our ecological footprint throughout our production chain as well. This is one of the reasons why we have been sourcing more than half of what we produce from Belgian manufacturers for over 20 years. The remaining half is primarily produced in Europe.
Step by step, we aim to integrate more ecological fabrics into the collection every season – depending on the offering – while always maintaining a correct price/quality ratio.
Kammenstraat 82 Antwerpen 2000 Belgium
Kammenstraat 82 Antwerpen 2000 Belgium
Onderbergen 17 9000 Gent Belgium
Grote Markt 62 2500 Lier Belgium
Ernest Allardstraat 8 Brussel 1000 Belgium
Driehoeksplein 8 Knokke-Heist 8300 Belgium
Ziza Couture
Ziza CoutureInfo
COUTURE CRAFTSMANSHIP – HANDMADE & UNIQUE
WHAT CAN YOU GO TO ZIZA COUTURE FOR?
Bridal Dresses
Having your wedding dress made to measure is a very special, unique and strong process to really come to a dress that fully accentuates your beauty.
Party Dresses
You can come to Ziza Couture for a beautiful piece unique that matches who you are. A perfect fit and the right cut offers so many possibilities for every body.
CUSTOMIZED TRAINING
No ordinary sewing lessons, but learn to sew for yourself tailor-made. You can find the full curriculum at the bottom of this site.
HOW DOES CUSTOMIZATION WORK?
If you would like to have something custom made, we will make an appointment. We discuss what you would feel good about and which direction the design may take.
Then we look at how many passes will be needed. Depending on the design, I test the dress first, which ensures a perfect fit and cut.
In order to be able to work uniquely for everyone, I don’t have a stock of fabrics, but together we look for the most suitable materials.
Do you have any questions or would you like a first idea of the prices before you come by, send me a message or just give me a call.
ABOUT FASHION DESIGNER LINA
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Making people beautiful is my mission 😉
When I see someone, I immediately think in dresses, fabrics, colors. I don’t know myself differently, always looking for beauty in everyone and everything. Many thanks to my little golden fingers, that I can fulfill this job in this way.
For more than 10 years I have specialized in making and designing exclusive tailor-made clothing. I was educated with a master’s degree in fashion design, pattern drawing and haute couture embroidery.
ABOUT CUSTOMIZATION
“Customization is a process, an adventure. As a fashion designer, I listen and look, together we look for the right materials, fit and style. No ready-made dress code, but a unique piece that grows around you.
Customization has its price tag. But it has such beautiful and strong advantages: through customization, many more people can wear what they really dream of. Many pieces of clothing, whatever your figure, often don’t fit in ready-to-wear, even if you’d like to. Something that’s tailored is way more flattering anyway, whichever cut you prefer, simply because it fits. I often hear people say to me in the studio ‘I’ve dreamed of being long-dressed for so long, but I really didn’t think I had the figure for that’ or ‘I didn’t know that my figure looks so much better a proper cut’. Every body is so different and customization has so much to offer.
In the past years I have already drawn patterns and made and adapted designs for countless bodies. Accentuate what makes someone beautiful, envelop what feels vulnerable, look and listen. It has now become my specialization.
I don’t make collections, I like to work around a person. I mainly use the knowledge I gained with my master’s degree in fashion design to come up with original and unique designs that suit the customer, in addition to custom work.
A new vision on clothing, supportive in who we are, that’s what I’m going for.” lina
“We are all beautiful, just different”
Kolmenstraat 87 Stevoort 3512 Belgium