Info
Akaso is a co-creation label and the brainchild of Philippe Vertriest, father of two Ethiopian born daughters and great believer in Africa’s creative talent. From the encounter with a book on African body painting art, he developed the Akaso collaborative design concept, uniting the Kara tribe in Ethiopia with the resident Belgian Akaso designers.
The Kara people in Ethiopia are one of Africa’s most authentic tribal people and reknown for their abstract body painting art : a fascinating act of transformation, using the skin as a canvas and the earth as a palette.
From co-creation workshops between six young Kara body painting artists – men and women – and two Belgian designers rises the Akaso collection fusing one of Africa’s oldest art forms with an urban contemporary spirit.
Akaso comes from the Italian ‘a caso’ meaning ‘by coincidence’, reflecting the many coincidences that Philippe encountered on his route that brought him to the Akaso co-creation vision. ‘There is no coincidence in this life – just follow your intuition, however bold the path may be’.
Howlin’
Howlin’Info
ABOUT
We are an Antwerp based knitwear brand.
Since 1981 we have been producing quality knitwear in Scotland and in 2009 we launched our new label Howlin’ (scottish slang for smelly). The way of manufacturing remains traditional but Howlin’ offers more room for fantasy in shape and pattern.
At Howlin’ we strive for timeless, playful products that are made with care. So whether it is a scarf or a shaggy waistcoat; all our products are individually manufactured and hand finished by traditionally skilled craftsmen in either Scotland, Ireland or Belgium using the highest quality yarns possible.
Small is beautiful.
MADE IN SCOTLAND
Scotland has a long history of producing the best knitwear in the world and we are happy to be involved in it for over 30 years.
Since the start of Howlin’ our goal was to bring a fresh somewhat twisted approach to Scottish knitwear while respecting its rich heritage. Keeping the best of the old techniques and mix it with new technology, patterns, colors and ideas.
In an ever faster and more automated economy we are happy to slow things down and have our focus on well made products. It’s a niche, we know, but we like niche products, a lot. Just like a small record label doing hand stamped 7 inches with personal liner notes. It’s the beauty in the details.
Each Howlin’ garment is handled individually and tenderly, throughout its entire production, from the first precise stitch to the delicate pressing and folding.
All our yarns are carefully sourced according to their quality and sustainability standards. Our beloved planet earth has a special place in our heart and we think it’s the best planet out there (as far as we know) so we want to have the lowest impact on it as possible.
Our natural yarns come from local mills, some even complete all the stages of yarn production under one roof. This includes grading, scouring and dyeing fleece before colour blending, carding, spinning, twisting and balling to produce this unique 100% pure Shetland yarn.
A quality which is often imitated but never duplicated.
MADE IN IRELAND
Over the years we have been working closely with a small Irish family run company established centuries ago.
Together with these master crafts people we produce the highest quality knitwear with local Irish yarns.
We have to admit, at first we got strange looks when we came up with our ideas but that changed over the years, now it’s simply that classic smile when they see a new Howlin’ design.
We are very happy to contribute to this unique art and craft which is not only beautiful but also important culturally to remain alive.
Producing in Ireland (and Scotland, and Belgium) not only means you have a truly unique product in your hand, it also means that the people making your goods are well paid and looked after.
MADE IN BELGIUM
Next to our Scottish and Irish knitwear we are happy to create products in our home country Belgium.
Together with several small factories in Belgium, each carefully chosen for their own speciality, we managed to make a diverse range of products which include lighter weight knitwear, jersey and towel fabric garments.
Our goal was to create durable, functional and original products which far outlives seasonal trends.
All pieces are produced in small batches and with close attention to details.
Extra special is the fact that for our jersey we don’t import fabrics but that we knit everything entirely in-house.
Therefore we can proudly say that all our Howlin’ products are truly 100% produced in Belgium.
Nationalestraat 20 Antwerpen 2000 Belgium
Kopstraatje 3 2000 Antwerp Belgium
Tine De Cleer
Tine De CleerInfo
Passion and quirkiness
Passionate about fashion, fabrics and developing patterns, Tine writes her life story with needle and thread.
Tine studied Fashion & Textile in Ghent and specialized in pattern drawing. After her studies, she started working for renowned designers and worked for major Belgian fashion houses.
Among other things, she was responsible for Kaat Tilley’s foreign clients. “I flew to Los Angeles where I, together with Kate, made the evening dresses of stars like Melanie Griffith for the Golden Globes”. In addition, Tine invariably works with Jean Paul Knott, someone she can call a friend in addition to being a colleague.
Tine has been making wedding dresses for over 20 years: “As long as I can remember, I have had an unconditional love for bridal wear. Being a part of a love story and making someone’s dream day come true is very special. Bridal attire always appeals to the imagination. Only the most beautiful materials are good enough.”
Every wedding dress is unique and contains a piece of Tine’s quirkiness. “When all the individual elements – from the pattern, to the cut, the smallest details and the personal touch of the bride – come together, a dress really becomes special.”
“Seeing a dress come to life little by little
coming is one of my favorite things.”
Unique and personal
“With my concept I bring a collection of several silhouettes. Those pieces form a foundation for both the bride and me. The bride-to-be always has an idea of the model, the cut and the choice of fabric, but the greatest source of inspiration remains the bride herself. Her body shape, wishes and needs remain the most important elements for a perfect wedding dress.”
From the first acquaintance, measuring, patterns, fabric choice to cutting, stitching, fitting and the very last finishing touch, Tine goes through the process from start to finish. And she always does this with the bride in mind: “Only in this way can the bridal outfit be the perfect reflection of the bride, her character, her figure, movements and so on.”.
In addition to bridal couture, ladies can also contact Tine for tailor-made evening wear and timeless basics. Her professional style advice and eye for detail ensure that every outfit tells a personal story.
Berkenlaan 20 Hasselt 3500 Belgium
Info
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
Bellerose
BelleroseInfo
OUR PASSION FOR REINTERPRETED AUTHENTICITY
COLLECTIONS
Designing garments without compromise allows us to focus on genuine products and authentic values. Our collections are based on true stories, delivering a specific point of view, which has become our signature. We control our product and our brand, while knowing that God is in the details. The Bellerose woman juggles between a military-inspired parka, that conceals a night gown and a pair of army trousers worn with leather brogues. Her children are granted the permission to be everything, all at once. Reflecting their age group, they enjoy their activities without worrying about the state of their t-shirt after a fight on the grass. With references to the army and workwear, the Bellerose man revisits the “old school” to suit an allure at that is at the same time casual and unique.
STORES
Creating a store is like building a new home. We want the space to be comfortable and functional, as well as reflecting our own tastes and aesthetics. Each store is individual, even though there are features they all share creating this particular Bellerose experience. Authenticity is core to all 16 flagship Bellerose stores and its 600 multi brand customers across Europe, Japan and the United States. Merging architectural genius with respect and preservation of the space: the stores are designed with wood, ambient sound, olfactory, cosy, raw and wide spaces. It is something rough and rock ‘n roll, real and sought out.
3 Rijshout Groot-Bijgaarden 1702 Belgium
Info
1957
Het verhaal achter Mayerline
Op 12 mei 1957 zetten Jozef Meyer en Jeanne Vrydags hun eerste stappen in de mode met een beperkte collectie handgemaakte mantels voor de lokale markt. Toen de notaris de handelsnaam “Meyerline” per ongeluk als “Mayerline” noteerde, zag het modekoppel wel wat in de vrouwelijkere toon van deze spellingsfout. Het merk Mayerline was geboren.
1970
Voet aan wal in de modestad
Het aantal enthousiaste reacties op de eerste handgemaakte mantels was zo overweldigend dat het modekoppel besliste mantelpakjes aan de collectie toe te voegen. De steeds ruimer wordende collectie was al gauw niet meer enkel op de markt te koop maar dook op in kwalitatieve multimerkenboetieks, zoals de toen befaamde Alpina-winkels in Antwerpen. Zo kreeg Mayerline een stevige voet aan de grond in de modestad. Toen de uitbaatster van de Alpinawinkel in Antwerpen begin jaren ’70 met pensioen wou en haar zaak wilde stopzetten, zag zakenman Jozef zijn kans schoon: Mayerline veranderde in één klap van kledingmaker naar kledingmaker met eigen multmerkenwinkels.
1980
Zoals het klokje thuis tikt
In 1980 nam zoon Maurice het roer over en bouwde de export langzaam af om zich op de expansie van zijn geliefde thuismarkt te gaan concentreren. Hij breidde het bestaande assortiment uit tot een volwaardige collectie, bracht in 1986 de eerste catalogus uit en opende in 1995 de eerste Mayerline-winkel. In 1996 kreeg Mayerline bovendien een vaste stek als ‘shop-in-the-shop’ bij Galeria Inno. Mayerline werd een gevestigde waarde. Tegen 2006 telde het merk 25 eigen verkooppunten en was het aanwezig in de 15 filialen van Galeria Inno
2000
De derde generatie
Eind 2009 zette Maurice een stap opzij om plaats te maken voor de derde generatie: schoonzoon Patrik Geurts nam het roer in handen als CEO, in samenwerking met zijn vrouw Annick Meyer.
Eén jaar later trad Mayerline als één van de eerste merken in België toe tot de Fair Wear Foundation. Deze belangenorganisatie kijkt er op toe dat alle kleding waar dan ook ter wereld, wordt gemaakt onder fatsoenlijke werkomstandigheden. De Fair Wear principes worden bij Mayerline hoog in het vaandel gedragen. Alles wordt in het werk gesteld om de productieketen en de bedrijfsvoering aan te passenen en zo te streven naar betere arbeidsomstandigheden.
2013
In 2013 neemt CRG (de holding boven JBC) een meerderheidsparticipatie in Mayerline. Samen zetten we in op groei en op verruiming van het assortiment.
Met deze nieuwe Mayerline-familie opent in 2015 de eerste buitenlandse Mayerline-winkel in Luxemburg en betreden we de online marktplaats met onze webshop.
Patrik Geurts en Annick Meyer zijn een jaar later de trotse getuigen van de geboorte van het jongere Mayerline-zusje ‘Améline’ en besluiten dat het tijd is om een stap opzij te zetten en de fakkel door te geven. Mayerline is nu volledig in handen van familie Claes (CRG) die blijft investeren in het groeiverhaal en verruiming van het assortiment.
2018
Een nieuw elan
In 2018 vangt voor Mayerline een nieuw hoofdstuk aan en verhuist men naar een gloednieuw hoofdkantoor in Vilvoorde.
Er wordt ook een nieuw winkelconcept ontwikkeld met een eerste flagshipstore in Leuven.
In 2020, in volle Corona lockdown, neemt Mayerline een digitale versnelling met als Belgische primeur, een virtuele click&shop-videocatwalk om haar collecties zo inspirerend mogelijk naar de klant te brengen. Met videoshopping, een waaier aan omnichannel opties en sterk uitgebouwde persoonlijke adviesservices maakt Mayerline zich sterk voor de toekomst van de nieuwe consument.
Nu
De perfecte pasvorm
voor elk lichaam
Vandaag, in 2022, staat Mayerline al 65 jaar voor toegankelijk vakmanschap voor elke vrouw. Op maat van de unieke vrouwelijke vormen en voor ieders budget.
We blijven sleutelen aan de perfecte pasvorm met aandacht voor elk type lichaam. Steeds stijlvol en hedendaags.
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
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
Info
SENNES combines Portuguese and Belgian tradition, high-sustainable Portuguese Wool & Belgian Linen, two noble, ecological fibers with opposite natural characteristics as guiding principles towards function and shape.
SENNES is globally inspired by climate change in nature and culture, therefore conceived as an annual wardrobe. A continuous developing collection where with every series of bags & garments, high quality woven fabrics, know-how and skills from ethno cultural origins are studied and subsequently interpreted in each individual pattern language.
A sustainable brand with a focus on uniquely textile crafted design. The human collective culture is our inspiration to create new collection items; each new design is a genuine attempt to open up new perspectives to intercultural dialogue.
Nele De Block
Art Director and founder Nele De Block is Belgian and studied Textile Design at ENSAV La Cambre, Brussels.
She develops her passion and technical skills for weaving at first as a textile designer for automotive.
She then becomes Art Director for BETET SKARA: (Antwerp, 1999-2007) originally created as a social integration program for political Assyrian refugees. In this weaving studio she conducts the process of woven prototyping and production for fashion designers, artists and architects such as Haider Ackermann, Christian Wynants, Bruno Pieters, Stijn Helsen, Tim Van Steenbergen, Bernhard Willhelm, Dries Van Noten and Peter Pilotto.
Simultaneous she teaches Textile Design at Saint Lucas Art School Ghent and is trend forecaster for the Textile Industry.
SENNES is setup in 2010, when Nele is introduced in Portugal as a textile designer to one of the last remaining traditional wool weavers of the Serra da Estrela region.
Since SENNES combines Portuguese and Belgian tradition, high-sustainable Portuguese Wool & Belgian Linen, two noble, ecological fibers with opposite natural characteristics as guiding principles towards function and shape.
Hofstraat 5 Antwerp 2000 Belgium
Info
Since she was little, Jo De Visscher [°1976] is bitten by the fashion bug. She starts working with scraps of fabric which she turns into full silhouettes for her Barbie dolls and gets her mother to knit matching miniature sweaters.
While growing up, she sews her first skirts on an old sewing machine without having any formal training.
She studies maths and science and, as a teenager, becomes fascinated by an article on the restoration of the frescos in the Sistine Chapel. The article has such an impact on her that she decides to enrol in the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent, where she studies painting and specializes in restoration of contemporary art. She graduates in ’99, learns the ropes at the S.M.A.K., MuHKA and Kunstmuseum Bonn and finally starts her own restoration company (contemporary art conservation) in Brussels.
She’s asked to collaborate on the exhibition ‘Mutilate?-Vermink?’ — curated by Walter Van Beirendonck — at the MuHKA and this project rekindles her passion for fashion. Jo follows her heart, says goodbye to restoration and hello to fashion and clothing. She does an intensive course in pattern making, learns proper sewing properly this time and studies fashion design at night school. She also freelances for the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp.
In 2007, her final year show generates such a buzz that she decides to design and market her own ‘jodevisscher’ collection.
Hoornstraat 6 Gent 9000