centre for fine arts

brussels

EXPO

THE
belgIANS
AN
UNEXPECTED
FASHION STORY
5 JUNe
13 SEPT. 15
visitors guide

EN

Palais des Beaux-Arts

Bruxelles
Paleis voor Schone Kunsten
Brussel

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THE BELGIANS. AN UNEXPECTED FASHION STORY

THE BELGIANS
AN UNEXPECTED
FASHION STORY

INTRODUCTION

An exhibition about Belgian fashion? Is there so much to say on the

subject? Before fashion there was clothing. Our relationship with clothes
is almost as old as the human race. Fashion is another story altogether.
For a long time fashion was the preserve of dedicated institutes and
museums that took a scholarly approach to the subject and showcased
style and aesthetics. But as well as serving a functional purpose, fashion
illustrates the evolution of society, its culture and its political situation.
Since the end of the twentieth century fashion has increasingly become a
subject of contemporary art.
An exhibition about Belgian fashion was long overdue. The numerous
large fashion exhibitions taking place in so many cities show that fashion
is in fashion. This exhibition presents an overview of the incredible
distance Belgian designers have covered in the last century. The Belgians.
An unexpected fashion story comes at a turning point in the history of
Belgian fashion. Our fashion has come of age. Its family tree includes
numerous symbolic changes, from the pioneers and the avant-garde to
the fashion academies, the international breakthrough and the talented
young designers. This retrospective exhibition takes a look at this
fascinating subject. Long live Belgian fashion!

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THE BELGIANS. AN UNEXPECTED FASHION STORY

Anonymous, Girdle ca. 1914

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THE BELGIANS. AN UNEXPECTED FASHION STORY

HERITAGE:
A SURREAL
TRIBUTE
Belgium is a country that is constantly
reinventing itself. Even before the birth of
the kingdom of Belgium in 1830, needle
and thread crafts were important. From
tapestries to lacework in the sixteenth
century, from industrialization in the
nineteenth century to its modernization
in the twentieth century, Belgiums
indisputable knowhow has made it a
leading textile manufacturer. The country
is also an outstanding exemplar of nonconformist surrealism. Combine that
absurd and highly imaginative movement
with the craftsmanship and technical
expertise of the Belgians and the result
is extraordinary. Hierarchy is replaced by
anarchy and subcultures come to occupy
a prominent place. Thus folkloric traditions
are respected and re-evaluated, from the
North Sea mussels to the Gilles de Binche
costumes.
The 1958 World Fair was a benchmark
which assured the Belgians of a future
place in fashion, not only because of
their aesthetic tours de force, but also
because they embodied a freedom that
embraced the new generation. Together
with the arrival of prt--porter, the need
for a fashion culture and the emergence
of new lifestyles, this heralded the birth of
Belgian fashion. Belgium became a cultural
crossroads where individual art could
thrive.

Gouden Spoel, awarded to Ann

Demeulemeester, 1982
In 1982 the humble sewing machine
bobbin became a highly coveted award
among young designers. Until 1991 it
was the main prize in the Gouden Spoel
(Golden Bobbin) competition, introduced
to make clothing manufacturers aware of
the wealth of creative talent in Belgium.
05

Designers Ann Demeulemeester, Dirk Van

Saene and Dirk Bikkembergs won the first
three editions. The prize symbolizes the
beginning of Belgian fashion and we have
the government to thank for that. In 1981
the Ministry of Economic Affairs launched
the Textile Plan, designed to restore health
and creativity to the sector. The Belgian
Textile and Clothing Institute (ITCB) was
responsible for the creative aspect of that
plan and came up with the slogan Mode,
dit is Belgisch/ Mode, cest Belge.

Anonymous, Patriotic corset, ca. 1914

A Brussels corsetire had a clear purpose
in mind when designing this Belgian
tricolour, satin corset with silk trim. Instead
of wearing it under layers of material, she
proudly displayed it in her shop window
during the First World War. Several years
later corsets came to symbolize the
repression of women. This corset also
stood for independence and freedom.

Christophe Coppens, Deer Cape from

Dream Your Dream, autumn -winter
2005-2006
Designer Christophe Coppens creations
seamlessly merge fashion and art, as
exemplified by his Deer Cape, designed
for the Dream Your Dream autumn-winter
collection in 2005. The title can be taken
literally. The model is wearing a checked
deer on her shoulder as if it was the most
natural thing in the world! A matching hood
with horns in the same material brings
about a symbiosis between model and
animal.

THE BELGIANS. AN UNEXPECTED FASHION STORY

Portrait Honorine Deschryver

- Maison Norine - Le Signal
Portrait Honorine Deschryver and Paul Gustave Van Hecke
by Frits Van Den Berghe - 1924 - copyright KASKA

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THE BELGIANS. AN UNEXPECTED FASHION STORY

MAISON NORINE:
FASHIONABLY
EARLY
Between 1915 and 1952 Norine couture
on Avenue Louise in Brussels was run by
Honorine Deschryver and Paul Gustave
Van Hecke, figureheads of the avantgarde in Belgium, both in art and fashion.
This eccentric couple shared not only
lifes joys and sorrows, but also a passion
for expressionism and surrealism. They
built up a private collection of works by
contemporary international artists such
as Frits Van den Berghe, Raoul Dufy, Max
Ernst, Man Ray and above all - Ren
Magritte. As well as being their friends,
some of these artists even collaborated
with the couture house. At a time when
Paris dominated fashion, for many years
Honorine Deschryver and Paul-Gustave
van Hecke were the only ones to give their
enlightened creations high-art status by
drawing inspiration from modern art. The
concept of Belgian fashion originated on
Norines drawing tables.

Frits Van den Berghe, Double portrait of

Paul Gustave Van Hecke and Honorine
Deschryver, 1924
This double portrait beautifully captures
the Van Hecke-Deschryver couple. The
slender and elegant Norine sits in the
foreground, the robust Van Hecke next
to her. The very personification of the
new woman of the twenties, Norine has
short hair, rouged cheeks and red lips. Her
dress decorated with art-deco motifs is
most certainly her own design. Flemish
artist Van den Berghe added a cat and an
elephant in the background. Norine and
the cat are lit up against the colossal, black
background. The black form which appears
behind Van Hecke resembles a devils tail.
On the far left we catch a glimpse of a
seductive, naked woman, Van den Berghes

07

veiled reference to his patrons decadent

lifestyle. They are paragons of the liberated
woman and the self-made man.

THE BELGIANS. AN UNEXPECTED FASHION STORY

Antwerp Six 1986

Karel Fonteyne 1986
Dries Van Noten, SS 2005 Etienne Tordoir

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THE BELGIANS. AN UNEXPECTED FASHION STORY

NEW STYLES:
BEGINNINGS AND
AVANT-GARDE
On show in this gallery are designs by
Belgian fashion designers whose avantgarde ideas earned them a place in
international fashion. We begin with Yvette
Lauwaert from Ghent and Ann Saelens
from Antwerp. While Lauwaert caused a
furore with haute couture in her GY Store at
the end of the sixties, Saelens crocheted,
fringed garments and provocative fashion
shows attracted attention. The most recent
silhouette is by designer Cdric Charlier
who launched his own label in 2012. A
whole evolution indeed revolution lies
between Lauwaert and Charlier. In the
1980s the fashion focus was on Italy
and France. Belgian fashion was not yet
synonymous with creativity, though we did
excel at craftsmanship. Illustrious pioneers
who made their voices heard included Nina
Meert and Maggy Baum.
1981 saw the launch of the Textile Plan,
which was designed to breathe new
life into the declining textile sector. The
Belgian Textile and Clothing Institute
(ITCB) and the unquestioning commitment
of its chairman Helena Ravijst led to the
slogan Mode, dit is Belgisch/ Mode, cest
Belge. The Gouden Spoel competition
was launched to give creative talent like
Ann Demeulemeester, Marina Yee, Dirk
Bikkembergs, Dirk Van Saene, Walter Van
Beirendonck and Dries Van Noten the
chance to collaborate with the industry and
design their own collection. Having had
their first taste of success as the Antwerp
Six at the British Designer Show in London
in the mid-1980s, each headed for Paris,
separately. Martin Margiela was already
there causing a furore with his innovative
fashion shows. In the 1990s they sent
shock waves through the fashion world
with their cutting-edge designs and paved
the way for new names like Veronique
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Leroy, Annemie Verbeke, Jurgi Persoons,

Veronique Branquinho, Raf Simons and
Haider Ackermann. Designers like Tim Van
Steenbergen, Christian Wijnants and Peter
Pilotto, who made their dbut later on, also
shared in the success of the Belgian school.
In barely three decades Belgian fashion
had acquired an identity of its own, not
least because of the diversity of the many
designers.

Maggy Baum, dress designed for the

Aiguille dOr competition, 1977
Born in the textile town of Verviers, Maggy
Baum grew accustomed in childhood
to the rhythmic sounds of industrial
machinery. When the textile industry
petered out in the 1960s, she started her
own workshop and clothing line. This was
a highly risky venture, not least because
her technique was unprecedented. Her
woollen creations combined the best of
two worlds: craftsmanship and creativity.
This silhouette dates from 1977 and was
remade for the exhibition Les annes
80: lessor dune mode belge / De jaren
tachtig. De opbloei van de Belgische mode
at the Royal Museums of Art and History in
Brussels in 1997.

A.F. Vandevorst, autumn-winter

1998-1999
A.F. Vandevorst - or simply A.F. to insiders
- stands for An Vandevorst and Filip Arickx,
the husband and wife design duo. They
met while studying at Antwerp fashion
academy and in 1997 launched their own
label. A.F. has since also stood for the
world of Joseph Beuys, pre-war hospital
equipment, the Red Cross, uniforms, felt
and leather. You see that in this silhouette
with a khaki-green jacket, nipped in at
the waist with a leather belt, including
saddle, with which they opened their first
fashion show in Paris. The design is at once
disconcerting, brutal and soft.

THE BELGIANS. AN UNEXPECTED FASHION STORY

Raf Simons SS 1998 Ronald Stoops

010

THE BELGIANS. AN UNEXPECTED FASHION STORY

Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh

Matadin, Well Basically Basuco is Coke
Mixed with Kerosene for Vronique
Leroy, The Face, April, 1994
The most striking and colourful image
in this space is the photograph by
photographers Inez van Lamsweerde
and Vinoodh Matadin for the designer
Vronique Leroy. Two bronzed, blond
babes sit astride their racing bikes enjoying
an ice lolly while in the background a rocket
shoots into the air. Suggestive, sexy and
glamorous are not words normally used
to describe the Belgians. The smoke, the
bright colours, the skin-coloured tights,
everything is over the top. From her
perfectly shaped and brightly coloured
designs to her campaign photographs,
the work of Vronique Leroy is often
tongue-in-cheek.

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THE BELGIANS. AN UNEXPECTED FASHION STORY

Diane von Furstenberg Cici Olsson

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THE BELGIANS. AN UNEXPECTED FASHION STORY

PORTRAITS:
FROM ME
TO YOU
Belgian fashion designers live and breathe
their designs. Think, for example, of
Diane von Furstenbergs ultra-feminine
wrap dress, Walter Van Beirendoncks
provocative creations, the almost tangible
sensibility of Olivier Theyskens dresses,
and Elvis Pompilios eccentric hats. Some
designers have a physical - you might even
say narcissistic- relationship with their
work, but then in the best sense of the
word. You can almost read their collections
like a biography. Their personality is
reflected in the colours, the prints, the
cut and the way they interpret fashion.
They express their outlook on life in
their designs and stamp their collections
with a recognizable individuality. Their
interpretation is unconstrained by
convention, rarely classical. For years
Ann Demeulemeester, who recently
put a new team at the helm of her own
brand, expressed her personality in her
collections. Her identity was inextricably
bound up with her name and label.

Walter Van Beirendonck, Silhouette

from Warning: Explicit Beauty,
autumn-winter 2015
In January 2015 a model strutted up
the catwalk in Paris wearing this jumper
which looks like a cubist collage in pop-art
colours. It is a portrait of Dirk Van Saene,
designed by Walter Van Beirendonck.
Walter and Dirk have been a couple since
their student days at the academy at the
end of the 1970s. From his first collections
the tough-looking, but sensitive Van
Beirendonck has presented fashion with
a social message. For the coming winter
that is Warning: Explicit Beauty, beauty
as the counterweight to the violence
we have been confronted with in recent
times. Several weeks before the fashion
013

show, Paris was outraged by the massacre

staged at the offices of the Charlie Hebdo
magazine. Van Beirendonck reacted
immediately. The slogan Stop Terrorizing
our World appeared on one of his tops.

Diane von Furstenberg, Wrap Dress

The designer Diane von Furstenberg
was born in Brussels. In 1970 she moved
to the United States of America where
she effortlessly alternated wild nights at
Studio 54 with designing clothes for the
working woman. In 1974 she created this
wrap dress, characterized by graphic prints
and self-tie belt, which became an icon
and part of the permanent collection at
the Metropolitan Museum in New York.
Celebrities like Jacky Kennedy helped
make this signature dress legendary and
women around the globe snapped it up.

THE BELGIANS. AN UNEXPECTED FASHION STORY

Manon Kndig - collection 2012 (2)

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THE BELGIANS. AN UNEXPECTED FASHION STORY

LABORATORIES:
WHEN ARTISTRY
MEETS INDUSTRY
You have to look hard to find a Belgian
designer who has not trained at one of
our fashion schools. The most celebrated
institutions are the fashion department
of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts AP
Antwerpen, the Ecole Nationale Suprieure
des Arts Visuels - La Cambre, the Royal
Academy of Fine Arts (KASK) in Ghent, the
Stedelijke academie voor Schone Kunsten
(SASK) in Sint Niklaas and IFAPMEChteau
Massart in Lige. Alumni still refer to their
training with great pride. Some, like Walter
Van Beirendonck and Marina Yee, are still
attached to one of the academies.
Young people even from far-flung corners
of the world flock to Belgium for the
opportunity to follow in the footsteps of
the Belgian designers. There is far more to
a course than fashion training because
each student is also introduced to other
applied arts. Teachers at Belgian schools
believe a crossover with artistic disciplines
is essential for a young fashion designers
personal development. Budding designers
learn about the past so as to change the
present. This, along with the personal
approach of the teachers, contributes to
the avant-garde style of Belgian designers.
Students are encouraged to develop a
signature and vocabulary of their own.

Billie Mertens, Graduation silhouette

La Cambre, 1992. Gold medal,
Hyres, 1992
Why should fabric always be used to
create a design? Couldnt a sophisticated
coat be made out of beach mats?
This surprising but legitimate question
was asked by designer Billie Mertens.
Her answer was breathtakingly beautiful
and it won her the gold medal at the
seventh edition of the prestigious
Festival International de Mode et de la
015

Photographie in Hyres in the South of

France. She made a copy of the dress for
the festivals twentieth birthday.

Carine Lauwers, Copper dress, 1991

This silhouette was designed for the Aguille
dOr in 1991, an international competition
for newly-graduated designers. Within the
set theme of Flowers, Chteau Massart
award-winner Carine Lauwers dared to
present this copper dress. At first glance
the technique puts one in mind of Paco
Rabannes 1960s designs: small aluminium
plates held together with brass wire.
Whereas Rabanne designed a mechanical
and futuristic dress, Lauwers wanted to
preserve the natural forms of the body. The
little copper petals are organic in form and
fall supply around the body.

Manon Kndig, Graduation silhouette,

Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, 2012
Having graduated from the Royal Academy
in Antwerp in 2012, Manon Kndig
immediately attracted attention with her
digital prints and bright colours. The young,
Swiss-born designer uses recognizable
and humorous images from pop culture,
the result of long nights spent on Google
Images. Yet there is something uncanny
about this silhouette. Not a single part of
the body is visible. The silhouette shouts
for attention, but doesnt reveal the
identity of the ever-anonymous wearer.
Her humour verges on sarcasm and her
apparent penchant for pop culture is part
of a study into the nature of humankind.

THE BELGIANS. AN UNEXPECTED FASHION STORY

Martin Margiela SS1991 Ronald Stoops

016

THE BELGIANS. AN UNEXPECTED FASHION STORY

MARTIN
MARGIELA
This gallery makes a special mention of
designer Martin Margiela and that is no
accident. His workshop is housed in an
old school in Paris and many designers
regard him as a teacher. He deliberately
cultivates his anonymity by keeping a low
profile and pushing his white-aproned
team of assistants to the fore. Margiela has
made his fashion house a laboratory for
new ideas. He experiments with formulas
to transform and deconstruct existing
cuts in every collection to arrive at new
creations. Think of the many variations
of the oversized silhouette, the trompe
loeil print and the upcycling process.
He analyzes every possible fashion
reference, reinterpreting it to give it his
own distinctive signature: the stitching on
the back, a jacket made from a traditional
Stockman tailors dummy or the iconic Tabi
boots.

Maison Martin Margiela, Tabi boots

The now iconic Tabi boots with round heel
and split toe, inspired by the Japanese Tabi
socks, were even part of Maison Martin
Margielas very first collection back in 1988.
Before hitting the catwalk, the models
dipped their Tabis in red paint, leaving
red marks on the runway and thereafter
an indelible mark on the fashion world.
In Plexiglas or cork, with or without heel,
the design returns over and over again in
the oeuvre of Maison Martin Margiela, like
a blank canvas for new ideas. A modern
classic.

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THE BELGIANS. AN UNEXPECTED FASHION STORY

Jean-Paul Lespagnard portrait

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THE BELGIANS. AN UNEXPECTED FASHION STORY

VOCABULARY:
SINGULARITY AS
TRADEMARK
Season after season the Belgian designers
can be relied upon to provide a sensory
experience. In every collection they create
a world of their own and a recognizable
universe. Starting with his very first
collection each designer develops a
characteristic code which experts
immediately understand and read. Apart
from the clothes and accessories, the
designers are also closely involved in every
aspect of communication: from the interior
of their store to the invitations and set for
their fashion shows.
The five show-boxes in this gallery plunge
visitors into the world of several fashion
designers, all of whom have developed
their own lexicon. So we have Raf Simons
ode to subculture, A.F. Vandevorsts
Red Cross and hospital bed, Edouard
Vermeulens luxury and royal credentials,
Jean-Paul Lespagnards nod to the popular
and folklore culture and Dries Van Notens
dreamy and sophisticated fashion shows.

Raf Simons

Raf Simons collections are always an ode

to subculture and the underground scene.
Sleeveless tops and wide trouser legs,
graphic prints and futuristic materials.
Simons designs are young, energetic and
daring, and should never be taken for
granted!

A.F. Vandevorst

This creative duo has a tendency to eschew

all but the most muted tones. Green, grey
and beige evoke associations with military
and hospital life. Red, in the form of a cross,
is the exception that proves the rule.

Natan

Though devoid of extravagance and

decadence, Edouard Vermeulen is king of
Belgian couture. His one objective when
019

he took over Natan in 1983 was to design

authentic and affordable luxury. The result
is a sumptuous style using luxuriant fabrics
and rich colours, and an equally royal
clientele.

Jean-Paul Lespagnard

This down-to-earth designer from Lige

does not shun popular culture or folklore.
Lespagnards eclectic collections consist
of a hypermodern hodgepodge: Gilles de
Binche hats, basketball uniforms and biker
jackets. His inspiration for his 2012 Savoir
Faire collection also came from a surprising
quarter: the craft and authenticity of
Dierendonck the butchers.

Dries Van Noten

Gold, glitter and glamour. Dries Van Noten

shows that they do need to be a fashion
faux pas. He knows better than anyone
how to touch and challenge the borders
between art and kitsch. Combine his style
with surprising graphic prints and superb
cuts and you end up with stunningly
beautiful collections in which time stands
still.

THE BELGIANS. AN UNEXPECTED FASHION STORY

McBeth by Tim van Steenbergen Koen Broos

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THE BELGIANS. AN UNEXPECTED FASHION STORY

LOVE STORY:
FASHION IS ART
To Belgian fashion designers art is
sacrosanct. As we have seen, they are
given a taste of other art disciplines
during their course, so it is only natural
that afterwards they like to make
excursions into other fields. In an eclectic
manner the Belgian designers strive for a
Gesamtkunstwerk and this is externalized
in different ways. They explore our cultural
heritage, provide costumes for theatre
and dance performances at home and
abroad and collaborate with contemporary
artists. Ann Demeulemeester gave the
statue of Our Lady of Succour and Victory
in St Andrews Church in Antwerp a
makeover, Raf Simons worked in tandem
with the American artist Sterling Ruby,
while choreographer Anne Teresa De
Keersmaeker has turned to Dries Van
Noten for costumes for her dancers on
more than one occasion. A fruitful dialogue
has always existed, even if it is the actual
designs that do most of the talking.

Ann Demeulemeester, Gown after the

one worn by Our Lady of Succour and
Victory (c 16), St Andrews Church,
Antwerp, 2001
During Belgiums Fashion Year in 2001,
Rudi Mannaerts, priest at St Andrews
Church Antwerp, telephoned designer Ann
Demeulemeester asking if she would like
to give his ladylove a makeover, because
she looked so old-fashioned. The designer
agreed. It was not a statue any more, but
a woman and I made her beautiful. When
I came down from the ladder, I thought
with satisfaction: There, Ive done a good
job. Demeulemeester still regularly visits
St Andrews Church to wash the dress and
freshen the feathers.

021

Marina Yee, Sleeve designed for

Anthony Van Dyck Year, Antwerp, 1999
This gallery contains a large glass
aquarium. Floating in the water is a piece
of white material attached to a brush.
Look more closely and you recognize a
sleeve. Only the trained eye understands
the historical reference. The garment is a
replica of a sixteenth-century version made
by Marina Yee for the 400th anniversary of
the Flemish baroque painter Anthony Van
Dyck. The medium is the item of clothing,
represented in a very abstract way.
Regardless of the form Yees ideas take, she
- like the painter - is an artist.

Tim Van Steenbergen, Silhouette

from Romeo and Juliet, Royal Ballet of
Flanders, 2014
Tim Van Steenbergen is impossible to
pigeonhole. He is a fashion designer but
also costume designer, furniture designer,
artist and graphic artist. A preference
for unusual materials runs like a thread
through his work. He incorporated
renaissance paintings and drawings into
the costumes for the ballerinas in Romeo
and Juliet. The long train challenged the
dancers. Van Steenbergen shows that
fashion can also play a narrative role, even
if all eyes are on Juliets enchanting dress,
seen here.

THE BELGIANS. AN UNEXPECTED FASHION STORY

Carine Gilson for James Bond - Skyfall

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THE BELGIANS. AN UNEXPECTED FASHION STORY

LIMITLESS:
TO THE STARS
The Belgians have come a long way.
Achieving international success was no
sinecure. Gradually they shook off the
label of underdog and now it would be
impossible to imagine the international
fashion world without them. Their latest
fashion shows were once again must-see
events. In recent years distinguished
couture houses and multinationals have
discovered the Belgian designers too.
And their own brands have become
international fashion houses like that of
Dries Van Noten. Many a luxury fashion
house has a Belgian creative director at its
helm, like Raf Simons at Dior and Kris Van
Assche at Dior Homme. The word Belgian
is now a much-used prefix and far more
than a geographic demarcation. Their
secret? An admirable determination and
focus on their craft, while always keeping
their finger on the pulse of the everchanging zeitgeist. And all without giving
themselves airs and graces.

Carine Gilson, Gown worn in the James

Bond film Skyfall, spring-summer 2011
What distinguishes Carine Gilson from
other Belgian designers and accounts for
her world-wide acclaim is that both she
and her designs embody pure glamour and
embrace a sensual femininity. The icing on
the cake was the appearance of actress
Brnice Marlohe wearing a gown by
Gilson in a scene in the 2012 James Bond
film Skyfall. The gown, made by hand in the
manner of haute couture, is of fine, creamcoloured silk which follows the contours of
the female body. Black Chantilly lace with
a flower pattern adds an extra touch of
romance.

023

Olivier Theyskens for Rochas, Evening

gown, autumn-winter 2003-2004
Olivier Theyskens is one of the few
Belgians who has managed to make his
way in the international fashion world
without a diploma, having quit his studies
at La Cambre in Brussels after two years.
He could already number Jennifer Aniston,
Madonna and Nicole Kidman among
his clients when he debuted his first
collection for the French fashion house
Rochas. According to Style.com, the 2003
autumn-winter show was nothing short of
magnificent. This layered evening gown in
printed taffeta, decorated with machinemade Chantilly lace is characteristic of
Theyskens approach. The sculptural
volumes and haute couture materials
reflect his modernity and respect for the
past - a combination also found in his own
collection around the year 2000.

THE BELGIANS. AN UNEXPECTED FASHION STORY

Jan-Jan Van Essche Koen de Waal

024

THE BELGIANS. AN UNEXPECTED FASHION STORY

WORTHWHILE:
THE END OF
THE WASTE
Words like ecology and sustainability are
bandied around, but often with no specific
application. For decades fashion lived
off a flourishing economy and voracious
mass consumption. Designers have since
been forced to rethink their metier. At the
end of the 1980s Martin Margiela was the
first in Europe to make recycling a fashion
phenomenon. By upgrading waste to raw
material for his designs, he augmented
it into an object of higher status than
the original. Belgian designers are
conscientious and self-confident enough
to reflect on the future of fashion, without
setting themselves up as starry-eyed
idealists.
They refuse to compromise on creativity,
but seize opportunities to combine it with
sustainability. Jan-Jan Van Essche, Katrien
Van Hecke, Eric Beauduin and Bruno
Pieters (honest by.) make use of innovative
techniques, sustainable fabrics and novel
designs and are transparent vis--vis the
consumer. This gallery voices todays
dilemmas and tomorrows challenges.

Eric Beauduin
This surrealistic installation shows a woman
buried under a leather bag. Like her, our
society sometimes seems to be drowning
in a surfeit of clothing and it is from that
surfeit that designer Eric Beauduin derives
his creations. In his boutique cum atelier
in Brussels, he collects vintage leather
and reuses the material to make limitededition bags. He finds something beautiful
in what is worn-out and makes something
functional from what has been discarded.
Note in particular the way details from
the jackets (pockets, etc.) return in
the bag. Beauduin combines humour
and craftsmanship to give established
structures a twist.
025

Bruno Pieters and Mats Rombaut for

honest by., spring-summer 2015
Bruno Pieters was conscious of the
ecological changes taking place in the
world when he made a striking comeback
to the world of fashion in January 2012. His
years as art director of Hugo by Hugo Boss
seemed a long way off when he presented
the new online platform honest by. Pieters
believes in transparency and an honest
by. acquisition comes with full credentials.
For example, we know that this matelass
dress was made in Belgium using recycled
materials and that the European materials
are organic, vegan and anti-allergic. Pieters
designed the ethically-sourced shoes with
Mats Rombaut, one of the other designers
in the Honest By collective. The goat-wool
socks image so often associated with
ecological fashion, has never seemed such
a long way off either.

THE BELGIANS. AN UNEXPECTED FASHION STORY

Filles Papa FW2013 COLLECTION YES SIR Gregory Derkenne

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THE BELGIANS. AN UNEXPECTED FASHION STORY

NOUVELLE
VAGUE: NEXT
GENERATION
We end with the new generation of
Belgian designers. They resemble their
predecessors, but regard themselves as
anything but followers. In these times
when trend watchers claim that fashion is
dead, designers have no alternative but
to regenerate fashion. What do they have
to lose? They self-confidently set about
looking for a voice of their own. They form
collectives or go solo, often with a Belgian
diploma under their belt. With the help of
fashion professionals, MAD Brussels the
Centre for Fashion and Design selected
twelve young Belgian designers and
gave them carte blanche to present their
creations. They are figureheads of an
international generation and the new face
of Belgian fashion.

Filles Papa, Whitewashed Collection,

autumn-winter 2015-2016
Filles Papa is not a brandbut an attitude.
You dont buy it, you are it. Sisters Carol
and Sarah Piron manage to touch just
the right chord with women NOW.
Their cheeky slogans carry a rebellious
undertone and Filles Papa experiments
lackadaisically with sequins, holes and
tears, piercings and even underarm hair.
The sisters draw inspiration not from their
hometown of Lige, but from overseas.
Denim plays the lead role in this silhouette,
which cheerfully chants provocative
slogans.

Capara, Ensemble from I Am In The

Moment, shoes in association with
Camper, autumn-winter 2015-2016
Twin sisters Olivera and Vera Capara were
born in Bosnia-Herzegovina and grew
up in Germany. On launching their label
in Antwerp in 2009, their goal was to
027

experiment with and search for new shapes

and proportions within recognizable
garments. From a distance it looks as if
the unusual combination of short bomber
jacket and sleeveless blazer merge into
a new form. This trompe loeil effect is
heightened by the inwoven graphic play
of colours inspired by the photographs of
Dutch artist Viviane Sassen.

Vtements, Ensemble,
autumn-winter 2015-2016
You recognize the girl in these clothes
though you have never met her before.
You imagine where she spends her nights,
you wonder who she hangs out with. The
designer created not only a risqu look, but
a story with characters. A heavy oversized
Perfecto, the boyfriend sweater and eyecatching boots with a nod to the seventies.
Yet a few transitory fashion trends are
not enough to describe this silhouette.
Demna Gvasalia is an alumnus of the Royal
Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp and
created an attitude, a character and above
all: vtements.

epilogue

An intimate
couple
Fashion and art are an intimate couple,
and in the lively Brussels of the 1920s and
30s that couple had a name: Honorine
Deschryver and Paul-Gustave Van Hecke,
the driving force behind the fashion
house Norine. It was the first Belgian
fashion house that didnt look to Paris for
its inspiration. In the pioneering years of
the Centre for Fine Arts Belgian fashion
was given its own identity and the couple
began to merge the boundaries between
fashion and art. With his organisation
LArt vivant, fashion designer Van Hecke
organised exhibitions in the newly opened
Centre for Fine Arts and in 1932 Maison
Norine held a fashion show there.
Fashion & Art. This was also the title of
the prominent exhibition that was held
in the Centre for Fine Arts in 1995. Jean
Paul Gaultier, John Galliano and Yohji
Yamamoto shared the exhibition halls
with Andy Warhol, Christo and Gilbert &
George. Fashion & Art set the tone. These
days fashion takes up an increasingly
large chunk of the exhibition calendar, as
it does in art galleries. Twenty years after
Fashion & Art, BOZAR and MAD Brussels
are placing the recent history of Belgian
fashion in the limelight. In the past two
decades the Belgian fashion landscape
has changed beyond recognition. This
exhibition gives a platform to 75 designers.
That says a lot about how much things
have evolved since Martin Margiela and
the Antwerp Six. The Belgians tells a tale
of success, charisma and determination.
This central exhibition forms the basis for
a Summer of Fashion which spreads out
as far as the shops and studios on Rue
Dansaert.
This summer fashion and art once again
form an intimate couple at BOZAR, with a
combined total of 9 exhibitions. Pascale
Marthine Tayou is our artist in residence.
028

Boomerang refers to the result of our

human activity, which could come spinning
right back to hit us in the face. Tayou takes
our side in this. He isnt an activist and
doesnt want to make us feel guilty, as
though art were some kind of indictment.
His extrovert art is more about making
positive connections between the inside
and outside world, between the individual
and society. Saison damour, his new series
of works, has been created especially for
Brussels; in it he recycles pieces of fabric
primarily belonging to his wife, the fashion
designer Jo De Visscher - which have
already led a life of their own. Now theres
another couple of lovebirds...
Just like visual artists fashion designers
are very conscious of the world in which
they live. Items of clothing dont just
embody personality. They also speak
of social commitment. In The Belgians
designers such as Bruno Pieters and
Jan-Jan Van Essche bear witness to this
realisation under the umbrella term
Worthwhile. The End of the Waste: honest
materials, a smaller ecological footprint
and transparent working conditions. Or
as Bruno Pieters put it: We believe that
fashion is about beauty, and that the story
behind it can be just as beautiful. As
an industry fashion can really make the
difference.

Tickets & info

COMBITICKETS

COMBI SUMMER (The Belgians + Pascale Marthine Tayou

+ Young Belgian Art Prize15):
16 14 (BOZARfriends)

Catalogue

THE BELGIANS. A History of Belgian Fashion

+ Pascale Marthine Tayou (BOZARfriends)

Catalogue
39.99 - 36 (BOZAR-friends)
Literary guide
Jean-Philippe Toussaint The Seasons. A literary take on fashion
2 - 1 (BOZAR-friends)
Un bel te quand mme
05.06 29.09.2015
Bellissima. The Story of five dresses
Juergen Teller Vivienne Westwood
V+ 2014-2015
Premiere: DIOR and I Frdric Tcheng (Fashion on film)
23.06 20:30 (livestream from Paris) & 12.09. 20:00
Compilation of short films
Pascale Marthine Tayou. Boomerang
Young Belgian Art Prize
Mekhitar Garabedian. Installations
Chinese Utopias Revisited. The Elephants
BOZAR STUDIOS
Parcours dcouvertes | Ontdekkingstochten (6+). Every Wednesday in July & August 14:30
FASHION NOW!
05.06 28.06.2015
An Unexpected Fashion Trail through the City of Brussels
Discover unique designer displays in more than twenty shops throughout Brussels.
Info: www.summeroffashion.be
Summer bar
During the summer nocturnes (25.06 16.07 and 20.08 17.09.2015), BOZAR will be
organising drinks, meetings and other activities at its summer bar. Buy an exhibition
ticket between 6 & 7 pm and you will be entitled to a free cocktail in our summer bar!
Go to our Facebook page for more information on the programme.

029

ColoPHOn

The Belgians. An Unexpected Fashion Story

Head of Exhibitions: Sophie Lauwers
Curator: Didier Vervaeren
Assistant curator: Nele Bernheim
Scenography & curatorial advice: Richard Venlet
Head of Production: Evelyne Hinque
Exhibition Coordinators BOZAR: Dieter Van Den Storm & Francis Carpentier
Technical Coordinator: Isabelle Speybrouck
Graphic Design: Paul Boudens
Press: MCDM
Marie-Christine De Meulder & Caroline Schuermans
With dedicated support by Axelle Ancion, Leen Daems, Gunther De Wit, Frederic Eelbode, Laurence Ejzyn,
Colin Fincoeur, Barbara Lefebure, Olivia van der Ghinst, the BOZAR Art Handlers and our hosts.

Coproduction: MAD Brussels

Within the context of: Summer of Fashion Madifesto
MANAGEMENT BOZAR
Chief Executive Officer Artistic Director: Paul Dujardin
Director of Artistic Policy: Adinda Van Geystelen
Director of Operations: Albert Wastiaux
Director of Finances: Jrmie Leroy
Head of Music: Ulrich Hauschild
Head of Exhibitions: Sophie Lauwers
Head of Cinema: Juliette Duret
Director of Technics, IT, Investments, Safety & Security: Stphane Vanreppelen
Director of Production & Planning: Jean-Franois Dhondt
Director of Marketing, Communication & Sales: Filip Stuer
Director of Human Resources: Marleen Spileers
Director of General Administration: Didier Verboomen
This is a publication by the Marketing, Communication and Sales departement of BOZAR
Director of Marketing, Communication & Sales: Filip Stuer
Editorial coordination: Frederic Eelbode
Lay-out: Koenraad Impens
Editors: Olivier Boruchowitch, Frederic Eelbode, Alexander Jocqu, Marianne Van Boxelaere, Xavier Verbeke
& Luc Vermeulen
Graphic Designers: Koenraad Impens, Olivier Rouxhet & Sophie Van den Berghe
Audience Development: Elonore Duchne, Sylvie Verbeke
Texts: Nele Bernheim, Aya Nol, Aline Peeters, Dieter Van Den Storm & Didier Vervaeren
Translators: Alison Mouthaan

030

THE BELGIANS. AN UNEXPECTED FASHION STORY

031

est une marque dpose de la

S.A. Palais des Beaux-Arts
is een gedeponeerd merk van de
nv Paleis voor Schone Kunsten
is a registered trademark
of the Centre for Fine Arts PLC

032

Exhibition map

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HERITAGE. A SURREAL TRIBUTE

MAISON NORINE. FASHIONABLY EARLY
NEW STYLES. BEGINNINGS AND AVANT-GARDE
PORTRAITS. FROM ME TO YOU
LABORATORIES. WHEN ARTISTRY MEETS INDUSTRY
MARTIN MARGIELA
VocabulaRY. SINGULARITY AS TRADEMARK
LOVE STORY. FASHION IS ART
LIMITLESS. TO THE STARS
WORTHWHILE. THE END OF THE WASTE
NOUVELLE VAGUE. NEXT GENERATION