Ataman
AtamanInfo
Mustafa Ataman graduated from Francisco Ferrer School of Fashion with Honors and received the MAD Lookbook Prize 2018. Ataman started his career as a designer in Paris for Delphine Murat and then worked at Atelier David Szeto. Later on he moved to Istanbul to work alongside the stylist company Hakaan.
In 2018 Ataman went back to Belgium where he developed his own brand and collections. He participated in many fashion events such as MAD Sales, Maison des Modes in Roubaix, Balthasar in Sablon and different pop-up stores in central Brussels.
The first Ataman permanent store opened in Brussels in 2022. It is settled in in the historical neighborhood of Marolles in a small brick house, close to Place du Jeu de Balle.
Rue des Renards, 5 Brussels 1000 Belgium
Nathan – Baume
Nathan – BaumeInfo
A COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE.
Building on the past to express a form of modernity…
A reinterpretation that sublimates the lessons of the past in a burst of creative joy.
Such has been the approach followed since its creation when Nathan-Baume first presented its exclusive small luxury leather goods created from the finest leathers – notably exotic skins.
The range gradually expanded and includes travel bags, briefcases, computer cases, …yet the craftsmanship never lost his particular inclination for small leather goods, which require considerable skill and know-how in addition to an eye for detail and great dexterity.
Nathan-Baume took a new dimension with the launch of the jewels collection in silver and gold, accessories like silk scarves, gloves, hats, umbrellas…
Welcome to style and glamour, functionality and magic, senses and feelings. Welcome to you.
100 Avenue Louise Brussels 1050 Belgium
Head Office Grand Route 329 Lillois 1428 Belgium
Jan-Jan van Essche
Jan-Jan van EsscheInfo
AS FOR MANY OTHERS, THE HUMAN COLLECTIVE CULTURE REMAINS AN ENDLESS INSPIRATION FOR JAN-JAN VAN ESSCHE TO CREATE NEW GARMENTS, EACH NEW DESIGN A GENUINE ATTEMPT TO OPEN UP NEW PERSPECTIVES AND TO PUSH CONFLICTING DIALOGUES FORWARD.
WITH EVERY SERIES OF GARMENTS, TRADITIONAL PATTERNS FROM DIFFERENT ETHNO-CULTURAL ORIGINS ARE CAUTIOUSLY STUDIED AND SUBSEQUENTLY INTERPRETED IN THE DESIGNER’S INDIVIDUAL PATTERN LANGUAGE; ONE SPEAKING THE POETRY OF SIMPLICITY.
JAN-JAN VAN ESSCHE MOSTLY OPTS TO REMOVE ALL POSSIBLE SEAMS AND MINIMALIZING DETAILS AND CULTURAL CONNOTATION, WHILE MAXIMIZING COMFORT FOR THE WEARER AND THEREFORE PROPOSING AN EXPERIENCE THAT WORKS FROM THE WITHIN.
UNLIKE CLASSIC WESTERN APPROACH TO CONFINE AND SHAPE THE BODY, JAN-JAN PROVIDES THE BODY THE LUXURY AND FREEDOM TO SHAPE THE GARMENT.
HIS SINCERE AND DISCRETE DESIGNS ARE EXECUTED IN CAREFULLY SOURCED, REFINED QUALITY FABRICS OF NATURAL FIBERS, ALL CONTRIBUTING ELEMENTS INDUCING ONES AWARENESS AND STATE OF MIND.
CONTRIBUTING TO THIS STORY OF MINIMIZING ANECDOTIC CONNOTATIONS SOME FABRICS REMAIN UN-DYED OR EVEN LOOM STATE, THE COLOURS ARE RATHER TO THE MUTED PALETTE AND THE BLACK COLOUR WITH ITS ENDLESS SHADES IS ALWAYS PRESENT TO RIGOROUSLY ACCENTUATE THE SILHOUETTES.
JAN-JAN VAN ESSCHE CONTINUOUSLY AIMS TO DEVELOP NEW INSIGHTS ON CONTEMPORARY YET EFFORTLESS AND GENDERLESS ELEGANCE.
HIS PIECES ARE LAYERED WITH SUBTLETY, INTEGRATED INTO MODERN-DAY CITY LIFE AND INTO PERSONAL WARDROBES, SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY PLAYING THEIR HUMBLE ROLE IN FINDING CONNECTION AND ACCEPTANCE.
THEY SEE NO BOUNDARIES, NO LIMITATIONS, NO RESTRICTIONS NO EXCLUSIONS.
THE CONVENTIONAL SILHOUETTE IS AMPLIFIED AND EACH INDIVIDUAL GARMENT LITERALLY LEAVES ROOM FOR INTERPRETATION, ENGENDERING OPENNESS.
THE WEARER OF JAN-JAN VAN ESSCHE IS A GENTLE SOUL IN CONSTANT DIALOGUE WITH ONE’S PERSONAL CONTEXT AS WELL AS WITH THE WORLD AS A WHOLE.
LIKE THE GARMENTS THE WEARER IS HUMBLE AND IS UNRESTRAINED.
JAN-JAN VAN ESSCHE IS BORN IN ANTWERP, BELGIUM, WHERE HE HAS HIS DESIGN STUDIO. HE’S A 2003 GRADUATE OF THE ANTWERP ROYAL ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS.
IN JUNE 2010 JAN-JAN VAN ESSCHE LAUNCHED HIS FIRST EPONYMOUS LABEL AS AN ANNUAL WARDROBE. COLLECTION#1 – ‘YUKKURI’, JAPANESE FOR ‘TAKE IT EASY’ OR ‘SLOWLY’.
THIS TITLE ALSO BECAME HIS INTRINSIC AND CONCEPTUAL APPROACH TO CONTEMPORARY WARDROBES AS A DESIGNER.
- COLLECTION#2 – SATTA AMASSAGANA (JUNE 2011)
- COLLECTION#3 – IN AWE (JUNE 2012)
- COLLECTION#4 — UHURU SASA (JUNE 2013)
- COLLECTION#5 — INITE (JUNE 2014)
- COLLECTION#6 — NO MAN IS AN ISLAND (JUNE 2015)
- COLLECTION#7 — AWARE (JUNE 2016)
- COLLECTION#8 — 無 (MU) (JUNE 2017)
- COLLECTION#9 — ONE IN ALL AND ALL IN ONE (JUNE 2018)
- COLLECTION#10 — CODA (JUNE 2019)
- COLLECTION#11 — GRACE (JULY 2020)
- COLLECTION#12 — CYCLE (JUNE 2021)
THE ANNUAL WARDROBES RECEIVED A COUNTERPART IN 2013 WHEN, DUE TO THE WELL RECEIVED PREVIOUS COLLECTIONS, THE DESIGNER DECIDED TO ADD THE PROJECTS, AUTONOMOUS SERIES OF GARMENTS DESIGNED AND DEVELOPED ACCORDING TO SPECIFIC CRAFTS OR INSPIRATIONS, TAKING THE NECESSARY TIME TO CULTIVATE IDEAS AND UNDERGOING THE SLOW RHYTHM AND PACE OF THE HAND.
THE CREATIVE FREEDOM IS PRESERVED AND IDEAS ARE ENABLED TO FLOURISH.
- PROJECT#1 – PROCEED (JANUARY 2013) — RESEARCH ON PATCHWORK
- PROJECT#2 — REDEEM (JANUARY 2014) &MASH; RESEARCH ON SAKIORI WEAVING
- PROJECT#3 — WADADA (JANUARY 2015) — RESEARCH ON ROPE WEAVING
- PROJECT#4 — EACH ONE TEACH ONE (JANUARY 2016) — RESEARCH ON BORO APPLICATIONS
- PROJECT#5 — ARISE (JANUARY 2017) — PATTERN RESEARCH INSPIRED BY THE KESA GARMENT
- PROJECT#6 — ONE STONE (JANUARY 2018) — PATTERN RESEARCH INSPIRED BY THE AINU KIMONO
- PROJECT#7 — SOLACE (JANUARY 2019) — EMPHASIS ON USE OF FABRICS
- PROJECT#8 — REMEMBRANCE (JANUARY 2020) — RESEARCH ON PADDED GARMENTS & SAKIORI WEAVING
- PROJECT#9 — SUNU (FEBRUARY 2021) — RESEARCH ON PADDED GARMENTS & HAND WOVEN GARMENTS
WADADA BVBA NACHTEGAALSTRAAT 27 ANTWERPEN 2060 BELGIUM
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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.
Carine Gilson
Carine GilsonInfo
Atelier véritable
“As day subtly turns to night and the hours steadily string by, the dream, at once airy and elegant, comes within reach. Pleasurably palpable.” – Carine Gilson
Carine Gilson’s story harks back to the 1990s. A freshly-minted graduate of Antwerp’s prestigious Royal Academy of Fine Arts, where she studied fashion, Carine Gilson discovered Maille France, a small Brussels atelier that manufactured fine ladies’ underslips. She immediately fell in love with the world of lingerie.
Savoir-faire
Carine Gilson decided to acquire the workshop and, with sheer dedication, set out to work on silk, lace, and exceptional materials. In the fashion of the boundlessly creative and refined lingerie creations of yore, Carine Gilson embraced this new adventure, taking her passion to the next level to create unique, breathtaking pieces in her Brussels atelier.
Exceptional Creations
The designer soon launched her couture lingerie line, Carine Gilson, a synonym for a world filled with incomparable beauty.
In no time, the press and finer stores from Japan, England, Italy, and America came calling. Buyers from renowned stores recognized the rare quality of these creations, which conjure the bygone enchantment of times past within our changed, modern world.
The prestige of Carine Gilson’s lingerie has grown quickly thanks to the unwavering excellence of her creations. In the House of Carine Gilson, every piece is lovingly crafted by hand. Perfection and finesse espouse rigor and passion. Lace incrustation is raised to an art form.
Take Flight
2018 saw Carine Gilson soar to new heights, with a redesigned logo that captures her very essence: two light, delicate wings of a bird on the verge of spreading in a gentle, feathery stroke.
Her new boutique on Boulevard de Waterloo in Brussels was designed by architects David & Nicolas who, together, created a subtly polished space celebrating Carine Gilson’s unabashed femininity and unparalleled refinement.
Symbolic of this ascent with wings aloft, the ready-to-wear and couture collections have been developed to take on an evocative and delicate turn. Here, the exceptional always takes center stage. In her incomparable signature style, Carine Gilson now designs for day, evening, and night.
26 Boulevard de Waterloo Brussels 1000
Sofie D’Hoore
Sofie D’HooreBoulevard Barthélémy 11 Brussels 1000 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
Info
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
Joanne Vanden Avenne
Joanne Vanden AvenneInfo
After graduating from L’Institut Supérieur des Arts Appliqués in Paris in 2008, Joanne Vanden Avenne quickly realized she wanted to launch her own clothing line. The Belgian designer, who presented her first collection at Tranoï in March 2010, has an innate sense of beauty, style and balance. Judging there was no need to work for another fashion house, she trusted her gut feeling and rose up to the challenge. Her collections seem instinctive and direct, addressing women who juggle the demands of daily life without renouncing their femininity.
Resolutely contemporary and chic, Joanne Vanden Avenne’s clothes are tactile, refined and elegant. Combining structure with fluidity, her taste focuses on simple cuts and pure shapes, making her garments stylish and timeless. Not overtly preoccupied with trends, Vanden Avenne manages to integrate diverse influences within her work, from Japanese origami to American architecture. If her mathematical eye pushes towards geometrical effects and precise volumes, she also favors asymmetry and loose draping, which she uses on a regular basis. Looking for fresh contrasts and innovative finishes, she crafts desirable separates, appealing to an ageless woman who understands her values.
Despite being clearly urban, the designer’s collections often reference nature and its peaceful spirit. Aggression is absent from Vanden Avenne’s world. A quiet confidence defines the woman who wears her clothes. Green pastures, clear skies and open horizons are part of the designer’s vocabulary, bringing a vital energy to her brand. Her dynamic lines are coupled with a sensual and delicate approach. Her clothes can be dreamy, too, but they’re always substantial. Designed and produced in Belgium, they are carried by reputable, high-end stores, whether they be Belgian or international.
Wolvenstraat 21 Kortrijk 8500 Belgium
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is a Fashion/comfort/sport/street-wear and an Art Book & Prints retailer throughout its own E-shop.
The brand is also distributed throughout a limited amount of retailers (still open to new ones) around the globe.
Rue Beckers 66 Brussels 1040 Belgium