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Woman of the world, discreet and passionate philanthropist, visionary businesswoman: Myriam Ullens de Schooten has a thousand lives. And each and every one of them feeds her never-ending and tireless creative energy. In 2009, just five years after founding the Mimi Foundation that supports people with cancer, she launched her own clothing brand. First named MUS after her name’s initials, the brand have since been renamed Maison Ullens. Its purpose? To imagine and to create the perfect wardrobe for a woman like her: traveling around the world but remaining elegant and stylish.
You never cheat with quality
The first store opens in Aspen, Colorado. The second one in Paris, Rue Marignan, at the corner of one of the most renowned place in Paris: Avenue Montaigne. Follow a one year pop-up shop in London, in the heart of the fancy, iconic and Francophile neighborhood of South Kensington. Her inspiration, Myriam finds it during her travels and fuels it with her passions, art and architecture. Each of the Maison Ullens’ shop designed by Rem Koolhass features a piece of art, by Anish Kapoor or Ado Chale. Because in her personal life as in her business life, Myriam never forgets the advice the famous chef Gaston Lenôtre once gave her: you never cheat with quality.
After finishing business school, Kim Laursen decided to take a different path. And passing the entrance exam of the Kolding School of Fashion and Design on a hunch was not randomly: when he was a teenager, he would already draw dresses and clothing pattern in his notebook. But when the jury asked him to produce a summer collection, he’d rather went with a winter collection. A daring move – that made him pass the exam with honors from the jury. And “daring” continue to define Kim today. Fascinated by Paris and Montmartre district, he came to the City of Lights in 1990. He quickly landed an internship with one of his idol: Christian Lacroix. The internship was supposed to last two months. It will last 14 years.
The impossible alchemy between simple and complex
An amazing career marked with collaboration with some of the most prestigious houses and brands like Kenzo, Cacharel, Azzaro, Paule Ka, Vanessa Seward and Elie Saab.In September 2014, he took the head of the creation of Maison Ullens, walking in the footsteps of Veronique Leroy. Always looking for elegant and easy-to-wear clothing, Kim’s goal is to combine his minimalistic codes to our different collections. Passionate about contemporary art and fascinated by geometry, he tirelessly tries to mix materials and patterns in the hope of achieving the impossible alchemy between simple and complex. Between sophistication and well-being.
The label Made in Italy is not merely an indication of the product’s origin. It’s a statement. A statement that guarantees the use of raw material of exceptional quality – both for the production of many renowned fashion brands and for the craft of the most skilled artisans.The expertise and “savoir-faire” of traditional workshops are a priceless asset of the Italian fashion. And its value in the luxury world goes beyond any measurements or assessments.
Whether it is our factories near Venice or Florence or our leather workshop outside Florence these different places are thriving toward the same goal, the endless quest that drives Maison Ullens : the pursuit of excellence.It is that combination of extraordinary techniques and high quality raw material that created what makes the essence of Maison Ullens. An essence which we are using to deliver the best quality to our sophisticated and discerning clientele with which we have built up a very unique connection. One that seeks out exclusivity and genuine “savoir faire”.
Rue François Dubois 2 La Hulpe 1310 Belgium
4 rue de Marignan Paris 75008 France
727 Madison Avenue New York NY 10065 USA
445 East Hopkins Aspen CO 81611 USA
Bernadette Antwerp
Bernadette AntwerpInfo
BERNADETTE is the Antwerp-based fashion label from creative mom-and-daughter duo Bernadette and Charlotte de Geyter. A shared vision of modern luxury characterizes their ready-to-wear and homeware collections. Fashion and interior merge seamlessly for BERNADETTE. With an extensive archive of patterns and florals, they are more than a fashion label. It’s a lifestyle filled with joy, optimism, and striking florals to brighten up every occasion of your day.
As a brand born of intergenerational collaboration, Bernadette — a former buyer for Ralph Lauren and more — is an expert on forms that work for women of all ages. Being a homeware and interior enthusiast, Bernadette is a chameleon that adapts to every space individually. From American porches with rattan chairs to the inviting coziness of the English cottage. The fusion of nonchalance and elegance depicts her style of working.
Artistic expression is central to the brand. BERNADETTE’s unique botanical motifs — a hallmark described by British Vogue as “florals with a fizz” — are all hand-drawn by Charlotte, who studied at Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Next to signature prints, Charlotte plays with couture-like shapes and sculpted volumes with its signature knots, bows, and romantic rosettes. Together the designers’ mission is to inspire a modern femininity.
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
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ABOUT
For several years we have remained a regular partner of various top brands that appreciate both our flexibility, a no-nonsense mentality and young dynamics.
WHAT WE DO
As a lot of people are stitching them at home to help many amongst us, we decided to sell our stock fabrics online too.
HISTORY
- Acquisition in 1996 and became a family company
- Family Company based in Bruges
- Production 100% in Poland
- 1999 – 2001: Taking over
- ‘ROMILUXE’ – bed and bath textiles for babies
- ‘VERONICA MODE ATELIER’ (high fashion wage company)
- Sampling & Finishing Plant Belgium
- ‘PAS DE DEUX’ maternity brand
- 2014 – 2016: End of our brands ‘Romiluxe’ and ‘Pas de Deux’
- 2016: 100% Ladies Wear Wage Company
- 2017: Plant in TUNISIA
Pathoekeweg 50 Brugge 8000 BE
Sigi
SigiInfo
The Art of Knitting
Craftsmanship and experimentation define the culture of Sigi. We focus on creating new depths of colour and texture through the mixing of different yarns to present new and innovative designs that are instantly recognisable.
We have a deep respect and care for the knitwear we produce as well as the way in which we produce it. This is why we ensure that all of our knitwear is made in Belgium by real craftsmen and women under the best possible working conditions. These elements help define the culture we want to nurture with the Sigi brand.
Family
At SIGI we are proud of our family heritage with over 40 years of experience in the field of knitwear. Ilia Sigi Eckardt grew up in Antwerp in a very creative family where knitting was essential to the household. Being considered true experts in their field, mother Hilde Frunt and son Ilia Eckardt have been collaborating with Belgium’s best and brightest designers: Dries Van Noten, Raf Simons, Ann Demeulemeester and many more.
Made In Belgium
We do all our research, designing and development in our offices in the heart of Antwerp. Sourcing from our local pool of amazing talent is something we take great pride in. We have great faith in our local potential.
Retro Verso
Retro VersoInfo
About
Welcome to Retro Verso! My name is Charlien and I would love to tell you how this store full of cheerful and colourful clothing was created.
Immediately after I obtained my bachelor’s degree in Fashion Technology, it was itching to start my own clothing line. I could make the rugs myself, but unfortunately there was no budget for a physical store. This online store was created in 2013.
The starting points would certainly be quality and exclusivity – after all, nothing beats seeing people walking around in your self-designed, handmade dresses. In addition, a maximum of 10 pieces were made per model.
There was not much budget for advertising, but I could no longer keep up with the number of requests – especially customization. Unfortunately, manual work does not scale at all and soon I was faced with a real dilemma; outsource production or change tack. For example, I decided to look for colourful brands that I was going to sell through my webshop.
Fortunately, at that time I was able to use a fitting room and some display space in my parents’ shoe store so that my customers could try on clothes. Retro Verso, the shop-in-shop was born. Some time later, it seemed a good choice to leave the building entirely to Retro Verso.
In August 2017, the physical store opened, completely in the vintage style, on top of the web store.
Retro Verso now sells brands that you all know: 4 Funky Flavors, Froy & Dind, King Louie, Le Pep, Mademoiselle YéYé, Sugarhill Brighton, Blutsgeschwister, …
To this day I do everything myself: running the physical store, the webshop, purchasing, accounting, and most importantly for me: putting a smile on people’s faces 😉
Happy shopping!
Greetings,
Charlien
Vrijheidsstraat 1A bus 12 Denderleeuw 9470 Belgium
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Arlette Schmitz is a Belgian slow fashion label…
….that came about in 2018 when former journalist Sophie De Laere decided to switch careers and become a fashion designer. She studied fashion designat SASK Sint-Niklaas and specialised in pattern making.The name of the label was coined after both Sophie’s mothers. The surname of her birthmother who died a very young woman and the first name of her adoptive mother.
Towards sustainability
Our collections are conceived and manufactured locally in Belgium. For the greater part in our own atelier. This local approach results in less carbon emission and no exploitation of workers in low income countries. One of the biggest problems in fashion today is massive overproduction. Our own volumes are kept low to avoid dead stock. Our collections are not discarded after one season and remain available for an indefinite period of time. Fabrics are sourced from European mills. Most of our suppliers hold environmental certificates. Occasionally we use dead stock. We are currently investigating the use of recycled materials. We do not exclude off hand any kind of material in our collection as it is a well known fact that natural as wel as synthetic materials both pose advantages and problems regarding sustainability. Arlette Schmitz aims to make beautiful clothes that you may enjoy for many years. Our customers are encouraged to lovingly mend any wear and tear that may occur. In accordance with the Japanese philosophy of WABI SABI we see beauty in imperfection:
Nothing lasts, nothing is finished, nothing is perfect.
Or as Vivienne Westwood would have it:
Buy less, choose well, make it last
Vivienne Westwood
Code of conduct
We make sure no one is exploited during the production of our collections. Inclusivity matters to us. Although our focus lies on the female form, we welcome all persons binary and non binary, straight and queer into the Arlette Schmitz world. A well made sustainable garment comes at a cost showing respect for all fashion industry workers
Blekerijstraat 75 Gent 9000 Belgium
François van Impelaan 75 Gent 9041 Belgium
Atelier Minimalist
Atelier MinimalistInfo
Who we are
Atelier Minimalist is a Belgian fashion label with a contemporary and elegant design. We offer timeless clothing, produced locally and ethically in small quantities.
The first collection was launched in September 2019 using minimal geometry as its most important style element.
Dorsa Mohadjerin, the founder and designer, finds inspiration in modern art, architecture and nature. She combines subtle geometries with confident fits to create a timeless, elegant and unique look.
Each piece is designed and made consciously in Belgium. We work with our tailors to ensure that your clothing is created with ethics and environmentalism in mind. The same goes for the fabrics: all thoughtfully chosen or repurposed, providing you with the best quality. The sophisticated craftsmanship is clearly visible.
Atelier Minimalist firmly believes in the ‘slow design approach’. Therefore, the label focuses on timeless collections that blend into each other. New variations of existing pieces are re-invented in different colours, fabrics or proportions and added to the collection.
We hope to inspire people to support local & sustainable production and invest in timeless fashion.
Bio
Founder Dorsa Mohadjerin comes from a family with Persian roots and artistic talents. Experimentation is in her blood, and from a young age, she used her materials as tools for investigating the creative process.
With an appreciation for art and design, as well as a professional consulting career, she began to translate this love for exploration into her work with wearable arts – fashion and textile – at the Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. Dorsa created Atelier Minimalist to blend her love of conscious tailoring with modern silhouettes.
Kerkplein 4 Edegem 2650 Belgium
Sarah Josis
Sarah JosisInfo
Sarah Josis studied fashion design and journalism in Brussels, her home town. After a post-master’s degree at S Mode in Paris, the young designer started working for major fashion houses such as Burberry and Joseph. It was only natural that she wanted to start her own business in Brussels.
In a desire to keep a line in phase with her time and her creative desire, the designer has developed a line for weddings, minimal and timeless.
WOMEN OF CHARACTERHer latest collection is anchored in an era where the modern woman combines strength and softness. From an early age, Sarah Josis has always been surrounded by women of character who have inspired her creative evolution. Seeing her grandmother elegantly wear a jacket with a clean cut, masculine and almost committed to her time, was the reason for this collection launched from its centerpiece, the masculine-feminine jacket proposed for a resolutely modern marriage.
In a society where the impression of being against the current, the designer wanted to carry more than just a collection but a movement of words, an ode to union where each piece carries the wish to defend a sustainable future and where we are one with the ecological and ethical values in which the designer believes. Marriage becomes a strong symbol where the garment takes on a minimalist look with clean but straightforward lines. Each fabric, whose material is designed to be combined with a certain colourful future, allows us to project ourselves towards more than just a single event.
Hasseltsesteenweg 105, Kortessem 3720