Stijl
Stijl
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ABOUT STIJL
Situated in the heart of downtown Brussels, STIJL is a multi-label luxury designer store with two locations. As an early supporter of independent Belgian and innovative international design, founder Sonja Noël opened the first store in the mid-eighties, starting with the Antwerp Six. The store soon became known for its specialized and highly curated selection, as well as its focus on personal advice towards clients and exceptional interior design.
Throughout the years, this innovative and daring vision was translated into a variety of other projects, sparking the resurgence and development of the vibrant Dansaert area, such as STIJL men, STIJL underwear, the continuation of children’s store Kat & Muis (both still staples in the area, now under different owners), the first Maison Martin Margiela store in Brussels, and eco-concept store Haleluja (now transformed into STIJL men).
Over the past three decades, STIJL has continuously strived to support emerging talent and independent creation, choosing designers for their unique voice. This is what gives the store its eclectic identity, from the bold and colourful Dries Van Noten or the sleek and romantic Ann Demeulemeester, to the daring Y/Project and art-inspired Raf Simons, down to the avant-garde Rick Owens, colourful Christian Wijnants and of course Maison Margiela.
This approach now found an additional home online, where we invite visitors to discover and admire the designwork before bringing it home ‒ just like our many window displays have done over the years. Please feel welcome to visit our physical store for additional guidance.
6 Place du Nouveau Marché aux Grains Brussels 1000 Belgium
Rue A. Dansaertstraat 74 Brussels 1000 Belgium
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A STORY OF KNIT AND FAMILY
It all started in 2000 when Alain and Caroline Eaton decided, after 15 years as agents for several ready-to-wear brands, to launch their own label on the Belgian market. The very first collection consisted of 10 jumpers in a wide range of colours. Fancy knitwear is Jeff’s DNA. Loyal to their agents, the buyers took a chance and from the first season onwards, Jeff was found in 50 multi-brand shops in Belgium, the gamble paid off.
From season to season, the couple continued to develop pretty knits and then, little by little, the collection expanded to include floral prints, linen and T-shirts. Jeff is a feminine and casual collection, trendy without being too sharp, which dresses all women. The brand is now distributed in more than 100 shops in Belgium and from 2008 onwards it started to export to Europe and the world. In 2013 Victoria Eaton joined her parents and brought a young and creative touch to the collection. The brand continues to evolve to keep up with the times. More and more present internationally, in 2018 the online shop is launched and the flagship store relocated to the centre of Brussels at the Sablon.
25 Rue Joseph Stevens, Sablon, Brussels 1000 Belgium
Nèle Content
Nèle ContentMore Info
Nèle Content makes jewellery in silver, one-off pieces
or small editions.
Thanks to her background in contemporary jewellery and textile design, she combines both disciplines in a new and original way.
Her discreet pieces are aerial and grounded, light and strong,
graceful and elegant.
Pattern, texture, and a dialogue between brilliant and matt surfaces.
Metal becomes rhythm, following the shapes, folds, and pleats of fabric, creating contrasts and responding only to itself …
Each piece is the fruit of a quest for movement and balance.
Jewelry should be playful, an interchange between metal and skin ,
a flash of light amongst silken hair, arresting our gaze.
There is three collections:
The “Caractères” series is based on shaping of silver,
which is cut to create distinct volumes.
In the “Reliefs” series, volume and movement arise
from folding and repeating linear patterns.
The “Lignes” series is inspired by the techniques of weaving.
These pieces emerge from networks, from the embrace of thread and texture, evoking the way in which fabric forms are created.
Each piece consists of a unique surface, which is cut, wrapped
and develops through folding in on itself.
Volumes rise from the simple interplay of shape and cut.
45, rue des Fabriques Brussels 1000 Belgium
Escuyer
EscuyerMore Info
Our Story
Escuyer is the destination brand for anyone who appreciates well-crafted items for men.
Escuyer’s vision is a simple one; we aim to be the go-to destination for men who are looking for functional and esthetic accessories. And for the proverbial man who has everything Escuyer provides the perfect gifts!
Our mission is to offer simple, necessary, beautiful and qualitative accessories that will enhance men’s daily dressing experiences. When using our accessories we want men to feel confident because they know they are wearing a unique piece made by the best craftsmen in Europe.
– Concept –
Escuyer offers subscriptions of socks, t-shirts and underwear for men who want more free time and quality basics.
WHY
At Escuyer we believe that most men prefer to do other things with their free time than go shopping for basics.
The name Escuyer comes from ‘Esquire in old french. As in the Middle Ages the squire was there to help the knight, today the brand Escuyer is there to help men by offering them quality essentials and more free time.
HOW
Escuyer is more than a conventional underwear brand.
We offer men an internet-based subscription program that makes buying premium quality basics easy. By choosing a subscription you will save precious time and continually have fresh basics delivered at regular intervals.
Escuyer does not only offer a selected range of well-designed basic apparels, we also introduce our customers into a particular world with our own lifestyle, culture and interests.
WHAT
Escuyer’s essentials are designed to be elegant, simple and perfect for everyday use.
We offer a unique internet-based subscription that will allow you to save precious time and continually have fresh basics in your drawers delivered at 3, 4 or 6-month intervals. If you prefer not to subscribe, Escuyer‘s items can also be bought individually.
The extra free time can be used to read the diverse topics on our website as well as experiencing them in reality.
– Product –
Escuyer basics are elegant, simple
and functional.
Our basics are made of the finest cotton, which makes them very soft and comfortable. Perfect for the guy who appreciates the mix of a quiet, clean aesthetic and top quality.
Escuyer is designed in Brussels. We handpick the best quality cotton from South America and produce our accessories at a great family-owned factory in Portugal.
– Brand Identity –
Escuyer’s brand identity
has been selected as one of the best identity
of 2014 by the Design Museum of London.
As its name suggests, Escuyer is dedicated to serve and facilitate the life of the busy working & entrepreneurial man.
Modern Practice has created a visual solution based on the heraldic system. This typographic reinterpretation of heraldry is not only strongly linked to Escuyer brand’s name, but also conveys the brand’s world.
While the “typographic heraldry” stands for Escuyer’s refinement, its multiple variations translate the flexibility and adaptability of the brand towards its customers.
Escuyer and Modern Practice have been nominated for “Designs of the Year 2014” (Graphics’ category) by the Design Museum in London.
Aalststraat 7/11 Brussels 1000 BELGIUM
MAD Brussels
MAD BrusselsMore Info
MAD Brussels – Mode and Design Center – is a platform of expertise and a unique shop window to show off the value of the fashion and design sectors in Brussels.
Its mission, which is at the heart of innovation and is oriented to the future, is to promote all the professions, encourage initiatives and support all the players in these two sectors to support their development and growth, from and towards Brussels.
Coordinating support and initiatives that are channelled to it, MAD Brussels ensures the local and international econo- mic promotion of Brussels creators and designers as well as investment in the Brussels Region from external players. This is done by activating networks of jobs and know-how, through high quality national and international events and by develo- ping a network of exchanges on an international scale. This is all done together with an action to revitalise Brussels districts needing revitalisation, thereby boosting the attractiveness of Brussels.
MAD Brussels highlights the position of the town-region, among traditional European capitals of fashion and design, as being an innovating centre for dynamic and avant-garde fashion and for cooperative and universal design. Set up in 2011, the asbl MAD Brussels is the result of close cooperation between different Belgian and European institutions such as the European Regional Development Fund, the Brussels Capital Region and the City of Brussels.
Place du Nouveau Marché aux Grains 10 Nieuwe Graanmarkt 10 Brussels 1000 Belgium
Isabelle Azaïs
Isabelle AzaïsMore Info
Isabelle Azais studied visual Arts at Fine Arts in France, but it’s with the creation of couture and contemporary jewelry that she made herself known. For ten years leather jewelry was her first specialty. Her workshop showroom is accessible to public, in the heart of Brussels.
Since 2013 she focuses on working with recycled plastic.
With packing straps she creates graphic jewelry that draw urban environments on the body, like fro example with the ‘PUBLIC BENCH’ brooch. The jewelry is particularly light, often coming from working sites and building material packings.
The latest collection of big brooches is called ‘Seventh continent’. The jewelry is totally and only made with plastic bags collected in streets. Working on them with heat, she obtains translucid surfaces and floating volumes that recall the world of seabed and corals. This jewelry is to make people aware of urban and marine pollution through a delicate recycling work of valuing waste.”
Rue du Marché au Charbon, 96 Brussels 1000 Belgium
Roxane Baines
Roxane BainesMore Info
A graduate of La Cambre Mode fashion school, Roxane Baines began her career creating accessories for iconic fashion brands such as Givenchy and Louis Vuitton Paris. She then became freelance and began collaborating with small Parisian designers.
The brand philosophy combines sobriety, modesty and embodies everyday elegance. The collection embraces femininity and simplicity with a clean, minimal design that echoes her love of nature and her journeys to Japan.
All cuts are created with simple, everyday use in mind.
Roxane Baines creates timeless pieces with common and necessary features. Extreme clean lines, devoid of any decorative elements, give free reign to the expression of the fabric…
In her search for the essence, Roxane Baines reaffirms her desire to create timeless pieces, allowing them to express their individuality and personality in everyday life.
SHOP Sur Rendez-vous 114 rue Souveraine Brussels 1000 Belgium
Natacha Cadonici
Natacha CadoniciMore Info
Of Italian and Russian origin, everything predisposed me to become a designer and craftsman: Russian great-grandparents breeders of Astrakhan sheep, a daddy shoemaker who worked diligently with his sewing machine and maintained joyful contact with his customers, a mother who had made-to-measure dresses at a local seamstress and an Italian aunt who had set up her own beauty and hairdressing salon in the center of Milan, a magnificent woman, sunny, stylish, smiling, full of energy.
After studying at the Free University of Brussels (Roman Philology / Letters), then in Fashion Design (Institut Saint-Luc), I decided, in 2006, to create some tops that are sorely lacking in my wardrobe: tops that are elegant but not too much, comfortable but stylish.
I am going straight away for viscose jersey because it is an ultra comfortable material, very pleasant on the skin, natural, easy to work with, easy to wash, which lasts over time.
But to give it a more stylish look than a simple T-shirt, I quickly decided to add some nice details:
– other materials such as cotton, wool in cutouts
– asymmetrical necklines that you can’t see anywhere else
– punchy graphic elements, like piping, ribbed edges, which give light to my basic colors: navy blue and black. The ribbing that I create are knitted exclusively for my brand. They are therefore not found anywhere else!
MADE IN BRUSSELS
Beautiful, joyful, luminous and lasting
One of the recognizable characteristics of my work is the use of ribbons that finish the garment in the neckline, the sleeve ends and the bottom of the tops, with peppy and bright colors: a base of mostly ecru with touches of fluorescent orange, fluorescent pink, fluorescent yellow, copper lurex etc. These ribbons are designed by me: I select, among 200 different colors from my manufacturer, the right combination of colors, the height of the lines, the best fabrics. These 100% cotton creations are produced exclusively for my brand in the north of France. You won’t find them anywhere else!
Make in a small conscientious clothing workshop in Brussels
From the start, I have all my creations made in a clothing workshop in Brussels which has excellent craftsmanship. I found Alicia a bit by chance and how lucky I was to cross her path: she works for all Belgian designers, including the cream of the crop! I am proud to give a job to this super Polish woman who set up her business on her own in Belgium and hired 4 seamstresses who were her colleagues in Poland. Over time, we have developed a very nice relationship of trust, respect and we understand each other in a single glance.
Alicia and her employees work at their own pace, without pressure and she practices fair prices for all which allow her to pay her 4 seamstresses with dignity and fairness. I really feel that she makes my designs as if they were her own: conscientiously, with love and with a smile. They all always discover my new models and my new fabrics with curiosity and impatience. They love my design and therefore work with it with pleasure, which is priceless to me.
All the advantages of preorders
- It reduces the use of the earth’s primary resources
- It allows me to have more cash, which is more comfortable for me
- It allows me to dare more to offer you less commercial and more daring models since I only invest money in a prototype and not in a complete blind production without knowing if this new creation will please you or in what sizes will I sell it
- It allows me to make the best use of certain exclusive fabrics that I only have in limited quantities: I only produce the right sizes that you pre-order; I can thus satisfy all of you; whereas when I was producing blind I had some models left in unsold sizes and some of you were frustrated that you couldn’t order it in their size since I no longer had this precious fabric
- It allows me to offer you creations that are really in line with the weather and adapt to it
- It allows my clothing workshop to produce at a much more humane pace: the seamstresses sew throughout the year instead of having to produce a production that must last 6 months in a single month
Finally, by selling without an intermediary, I apply a minimum coefficient, which guarantees you the right price. I also avoid all-out sales and discounts that no longer make sense. Only prototypes or end of series are on sale.4. My darling little creation – heartPre-orderin
g requires a little patience. This is not a compulsive purchase but a real crush. I am also very available by email or phone to answer all your questions. I am committed to offering you sustainable, soft, joyful creations that will do you good. And you have a double pleasure: that of pre-ordering and that of receiving it a few weeks later.
OPENING HOURS
Open from Wednesday till Saturday, 12:30-18:30
Rue du Marché au charbon 62 Brussels 1000 Belgium
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About
1961: Birth
The story begins in a little village in south eastern Turkey. We are Sunday, it is October 29, 1961, Manufer Gulcu was born. Coming from a modest family, his father is farrier and his mother is housewife. In 1966, the family leaves the village to settle in the city, where his father opens his own workshop and reconverts into the manufacturing of horse saddles. During his early childhood, Manufer goes to school while working in his father’s workshop, where he gets familiar with a craftsmanship profession.
1972: Arrival in Istanbul
In 1972, Manufer Gulcu arrived with his family in Istanbul. The city is large and living conditions difficult, forcing Manufer to quit school at the age of 11 to find work. After accumulating odd jobs, Manufer found an apprentice position in a workshop located in the Beyazit district of Istanbul and discovered the profession of sewing there. Skillful with his hands, he quickly learns and develops technical skills. Very early on, working with leather and natural materials fascinates and ambitions him.
1978: Opening of his first workshop
In 1978, when he was only 17 years old, Manufer becomes an experienced couturier, the most respected position in the profession. His boss then offered him to take over the management of the workshop. He will accept the proposal and team up with his best friend to lead a team of eight workers. At a time considered to be the beginnings of the golden age of leather, Manufer saw its activity grow steadily.
1981: Arrival in Belgium
In 1981, in a tumultuous socio-economic context, Manufer decided to leave Istanbul for Europe, where everything had to be rebuilt. He will work for 3 years in different sewing workshops until the opening of his own workshop, which will later allow him to meet his wife. At that time, the importance of leather and shearling in the world of ready-to-wear was at its peak.
1987: The workshop burns down
On November 12, 1987, the building where the workshop is located burned down. Once again, everything has to be rebuilt. The accident prompted Manufer to renovate the Maison de Maître in Brussels located at 138 Avenue du Roi. He set up his workshops there, which he named MANUFERO, as a tribute to his origins. There he will develop his activities of creation, sales to professionals and individuals. He will also put his couturier know-how at the service of other designers, and will collaborate with prestigious houses such as Natan, Yves Saint-Laurent, Kris Van Assche and Jean-Paul Knot.
1992: 29thOctober is born
In his spirit of creation, Manufer Gulcu decides to put a name on his collections. In 1992, he created his brand, 29THOCTOBER, referring to a triple symbolic date for him and his family.
1999: Marie-Claire France
In 1999, the 29THOCTOBER brand obtained its first publication in a renowned magazine, Marie-Claire France.
2004: Paris international fair
In 2004, the 29THOCTOBER brand was present for the first time at the international ready-to-wear fair in Paris. This event will open the doors of French boutiques to the Maison and give it its European dimension.
2012: MIEL Catwalk
In 2012, the Maison took part in its very first fashion show, the MIEL Catwalk, and presented a preview of its winter 2013-2014 collection.
2018: The team is growing
In 2018, the 29THOCTOBER team is growing and becomes more than ever a family house. Benjamin and Lucie, Manufer’s children, join the company and give it a digital dimension by creating the online store.
2020: The range is growing
The brand takes precedence over innovation and diversification. More than ever willing to perpetuate its craftsmanship and put its know-how at the service of innovative and committed fashion, 29THOCTOBER is launching its first capsule collection in vegetable leather. On the occasion of its birthday, October 29, 2020, the brand unveils its bag line.
Avenue du Roi 138 Brussels 1190 Belgium
Rue Joseph Stevens 41 Brussels 1000 Belgium
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How it all started
KAAI was founded in 2017 in Antwerp, Belgium, by Ine Verhaert and Helga Meersmans who set out to reimagine the perfect work-life bag for the eclectic woman with exquisite style standards.
Before, the duo spent a lot of time travelling around the world. Rushing from one meeting to the next during their corporate careers. Their main companions: a laptop, a mobile phone, lots of paperwork, and women’s essentials, all stuffed into their handbags.
Desperately looking for a stylish bag to complement their active lifestyles, they knew they could do better. So they got a handle (pun intended) on their idea: creating a new bag concept for women on the go.
Capturing the ongoing energy of the city and the ever-moving water of Antwerp, KAAI (meaning ‘the quay’ in Dutch) symbolises the fluidity of modern women, going places.
By women, for women
We take inspiration from the lives and desires of successful modern women.
From in-depth interviews with active women, discussing their relationships with their bags we discovered that women are:
‣ irritated by the chaos in their fashionable but often impractical handbags,
‣ bored with the masculine looks of their workbags.
KAAI brings change by creating bags that are both functional and fashionable, feminine and fearless.
We empower women to follow their ambitions. On their terms —without compromises.
Sophisticated simplicity
Drawing inspiration from the colours and pure graphic lines of Art Deco, we reinterpret this era’s timeless allure into magically modern, minimalist handbags with forever appeal.
Both contemporary and utterly covetable, we design for a variety of occasions. From casual to formal, from day to night.
Nationalestraat 91 Antwerp 2000 Belgium
Galerie du Roi, 21 Brussels 1000 Belgium