Pierre Antoine Vettorello
Pierre Antoine VettorelloInfo
The work of Pierre Antoine Vettorello focuses on using textile design and clothes as a foundation for narrative. He makes sculptural and statement silhouettes that represent militancy and poetry. Some are inspired by military technologies, ordinary materials, West African textiles and materials, and methods learned during tours and workshops. As a designer, he seeks to incorporate hand-made processes and discarded elements into the creation of clothes and forms in order to center them in his work. As a human being and a scholar, he is challenging our personal relationship with our sartorial past, as well as how we manufacture mythologies about ‘designers’ in Western nations, repeating colonial practices. He identifies how we view and get inspiration from the African continent, as well as how we interact with it.
Vettorello received the ASVOF Diane Pernet award in 2010 and Arise Award in 2011.
He is French-born & Ivorian, grew up in Bordeaux, now works and lives in Brussels (Belgium). He is a Ph.D. research fellow at the University of Antwerp and Sint Lucas Antwerp School of Arts.
Doriane van Overeem
Doriane van OvereemInfo
The accidental elegance of DVO creates sincere and ethical clothes, made for you in Belgium with guts and passion.
Fast-Fashion killed creativity and how we value our clothes. We tend to forget easily: “who made my clothes ? What is the price to pay to get this super good deal that crossed the oceans ?” Fashion is the second most polluting industry right after fuel, it is time to protect our planet.
If not now, when ? If not you, who ?
Today, as we move slowly towards gender equality, we can see another version of our future. So we can finally feel good in our body and mind, free from fears and anxieties. We know how it is to feel powerless about the human abuse in the clothing industry and feel the pressure of others because of how we look, either too prude or too sexy, bossy, bitchy. Everyone deserves to be whoever they want. Just like you, we feel frustrated living in a consumer society that does nothing for the ecological cause. We support your desire to consume less, by choosing better, to make it last.
Doriane van Overeem is a Belgian fashion designer, who graduated from La Cambre Mode(s) in Brussels and developed her skills in the studios of Manish Arora, Bernhard Willhelm, Meadham Kirchhoff and Louise Gray. She collaborated with : AEG Electrolux for the Care Label Project, Belfius, the Galeries Lafayette Paris, Disney and styled celebrities such as Natalia Dyer (Stranger Things), Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag), Marie Gillain, Ciara or Yuko Takeuchi. DVO has also been published in Glamour, Elle, Marie Claire, People Style Watch, 25 ans.
Purchasing a DVO piece, is supporting a local company which is totally transparent with you. For each product, you can find a size guide, the composition is precisely explained as well as the time of manufacture, so you know exactly what you are paying for. Each piece goes through a strict fitting to make sure it is comfortable, and as much as possible easy to care for. You can track your package anytime and you have up to 14 days to exchange your order. We can repair your piece if any unexpected use appears, so you can keep your clothes even longer. All pieces can be custom made, cause each body is different and unique.
If you are still not sure whether buying a DVO piece, you can regularly meet us during pop up stores, visit our atelier or stores where DVO is being sold. Or if you ever dreamed of learning how to stitch ? Come take a lesson with Doriane herself, anything is possible !
If you want to feel unique or just a little special, DVO is produced in limited quantities in Belgium, so you’re sure you get an exclusive product. If you don’t want to waste your time in stores, decrease your impact on global warming or stop exploiting humans or animals, we are here to help you in this transformation.
With DVO, we’d like you to feel ready to face any situation, as you will not only be comfy in your clothes, in your moves, but also in your mind because you will get a chance to make this world a better place. We’re taking you to a committed and honest fashion, with no concession, true to itself and its values; get that feeling by wearing DVO.
Buy less. Choose well. Make it last.
Chaussée de Tirlemont 281 Gembloux 5030 Belgium
APA Intemporal SPRL
APA Intemporal SPRLInfo
ABOUT US
THE VOYAGE OF APA INTEMPORAL
APA is a Belgian fashion brand that combines high style with deep science. Our name comes from the Sanskrit word for “water,” and our first product, the ĀPA raincoat, was built to live up to its namesake. We take cutting-edge performance technologies and fabrics from the world of extreme sports, and craft them into impeccable, irreverent outerwear for city dwellers, world travelers, and anyone with an eye for style.
After living in Brussels, Paris, New York, and other urban cities where it rains for much of the year, Franco-Belgian high-fashion designer Léa Stein discovered what was missing in the market: a modern coat that merges luxury with technology, effectively protecting wearers from the ever-changing unpredictability of weather while looking their best.
In 2016, Léa founded ĀPA. Her goal was a lofty one: to combine clean silhouettes, immaculate detail, and luxury manufacturing with today’s most innovative performance technologies, all while using sustainable processes and artisan craftsmanship, and producing it, beginning to end, completely within Europe. And that’s exactly what APA has achieved today.
Our first raincoat collection launched in 2019, and is a reflection of our brand’s vision: to take iconic fashion clothing and re-invent it in a way that provides innovative solutions to everyday problems, while keeping the fit, design, and artistry of high-fashion. With a successful Kickstarter campaign, and numerous awards for design and innovation, ĀPA is proud to continue to push luxury fashion forward.
Avenue de la Sapinière 37 Bruxelles 1180 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
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In 1876, François Van Roy founded an independent company producing work clothes. After World War One his son Otto started the weaving mill, followed, after World War Two, by a production workshop making its own collection of men shirts. In 1965 grandson Robrecht Van Roy and his wife Vic Meersschaut switched from the own gentleman’s collection to concentrate on production of ladies’ blouses and men’s shirts under contract. In 1997 the old firm became a public limited company, V.R. Embroidery.
In 1999 Robrecht’s children Steven and Els took over as active partners. They worked with the designers Vicky Vinck and Katrien Strijbol to develop a full collection for women wich resulted in Just in Case. In 2002, VRE has an embroidery department and contract work as well as its own collection, JUST IN CASE
Just in Case is a Belgian high profile fashion brand sold in an impressive list of countries. Antwerp based designers Vicky Vinck and Katrien Strijbol create sophisticated collections for women as romantic as they are. Amongst the clients you will find famous and not so famous women, yet all strong characters.
The collection explores as well boundaries of former fashion styles with romantic & fashionable details which Vicky & Katrien draw or create themselves. This makes the collection recognisable by the public and is regarded as highly fashionable. Women waring Just In Case will not pass unnoticed and are often complimented out of the blue with their choice of clothes.
PAROCHIESTRAAT 98 DENDERLEEUW 9472 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
Anja Schwerbrock
Anja SchwerbrockInfo
Anja Schwerbrock is the owner and creative director of the Anja Schwerbrock brands, based in Antwerp.
The German-born designer grew up with classical dance and was surrounded by the world of backstage and theater and later studied tailoring at Escada, Fashion design and Pattern maker in Hamburg. Travelling and working in Japan and with a background of working experience at Comme des Garcons and Dries van Noten, in 2005 Anja Schwerbrock moved to Antwerp and started her own brand. She is presenting her collection during Paris Fashion Week.
Mother of two sons, Anja Schwerbrock showed her first baby and kids collection in 2012. Treehouse by Anja Schwerbrock shows the relationship between her Women’s and Kids collections, which share the same creative inspiration, cuts and materials. Being creative as a fashion designer, Anja Schwerbrock is on the constant search of wearable expressions filled with freedom and individuality. Inspired by the world of ballet, circus and art adapted in her own unusual, non conform way. Anja Schwerbrock’s fashion is transferring fantasy into a self-confident reality, expressing a charming magic, set in contrast to metropolitan life. Her style always emanates rough and defined underlined by her exclusive use of natural high quality materials. Anja Schwerbrock’s spontaneous, communicative and passionate nature flows into her style, rounding the lightness, pleasant wearing comfort and relaxed expression of her designs.
Anja Schwerbrock is also doing interior designs and corporate identities for various projects and a ceramic collection.
Kloosterstraat 175 Antwerpen 2000 Belgium
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.
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About Comme ça
Ladies, you certainly recognize this: the magical feeling of your new dress. The ultra-soft fabric, perfect fit and radiant colours. But after a few washes, that dress often loses its shine. Not so with the comme ça collections! This colorful fashion for mothers and daughters excels in top quality and affordability and is also purely Belgian.
Stylish fashion
Comme ça designs 2 new collections for women every year. From casual tops and trousers for your leisure time to classy outfits for work, Comme ça has it all. In between, we also perfectly adapt our collections to current trends and let it surprise you by adding her own style: feminine silhouettes, stylish prints and beautiful colours.
For real women
Clothing for real women is pre-eminently the common thread through the fashion label. In our team we have ladies with different sizes and styles. Every new collection starts from there. Comme ça makes clothes from size 34 to 50 that take feminine shapes into account. Our trousers, dresses and blouses accentuate your strengths and hide the minor flaws that you see, so that a woman shines at any age. The delivery of the test collection is therefore a great and exciting moment. Our team fits and tests all new pieces to ensure fashion that fits every body.
Affordable top quality
Dress up, not down, but at a fair price. Comme ça creates affordable fashion for you. We only select strong and durable fabrics and swear by a perfect finish. Surprising look thanks to the easily combinable top and bottom pieces. We therefore offer original and striking eye-catchers that are produced in limited numbers. Enthusiasm and passion float above each piece and we are happy to pass that feeling on to you.
KASTELEINSSTRAAT 11B KRUIBEKE 9150 Belgium
Christoph Broich
Christoph Broich