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BELG
IAN FASHION AWARDS 2019
WW
D
JOURNALIST: TIANWEI ZHANG
4
NOVEMBER 25, 2019
In h
is fi
rst public
appear
ance
af
ter le
avin
g C
alvin
Kle
in, h
e
dis
cuss
es
his
pas
t, p
rese
nt,
futu
re a
nd lo
ve for te
levis
ion
seri
es
in A
ntw
erp
. BY TIANWEI ZHANG
ANTWERP, Belgium — “
I n
ev
er
rea
lly
th
ou
gh
t a
bo
ut
big
co
mp
an
ies
or
big
n
am
es
or
big
bra
nd
s. I
ju
st w
an
ted
to
m
ak
e c
loth
es
lik
e a
fe
w f
rie
nd
s th
at
I h
ad
h
ere
,” s
aid
Ra
f S
imo
ns
in a
co
mfy
sw
ea
ter
in f
ron
t o
f a
bo
ut
80
0 p
ayin
g a
tte
nd
ee
s a
t th
e f
ou
rth
ed
itio
n o
f F
ash
ion
Ta
lks.
Th
e
ev
en
t w
as
org
an
ize
d b
y F
lan
de
rs D
C i
n t
he
H
an
de
lsb
eu
rs i
n A
ntw
erp
, th
e o
lde
st s
tock
e
xch
an
ge b
uil
din
g i
n t
he
wo
rld
.S
imo
ns,
wh
o a
lso
liv
es
in t
he
cit
y, s
ha
red
h
is o
pin
ion
s a
bo
ut
the
sta
te o
f th
e f
ash
ion
sy
ste
m,
cre
ati
vit
y a
nd
va
lue
be
hin
d a
d
esi
gn
, a
nd
th
e i
mp
ort
an
ce o
f st
ayin
g
ind
ep
en
de
nt
an
d s
up
po
rtin
g t
he
ne
w
gen
era
tio
n,
as
we
ll a
s h
is f
rust
rati
on
an
d
refl
ecti
on
fro
m h
is p
rev
iou
s p
osi
tio
ns
at
Jil
Sa
nd
er
an
d D
ior.
Wh
ile
he
did
no
t m
en
tio
n C
alv
in K
lein
d
uri
ng
his
35
-min
ute
ta
lk,
be
twe
en
th
e
lin
es,
his
vie
ws
see
me
d c
lea
r. S
imo
ns
left
h
is p
ost
as
chie
f cr
ea
tiv
e o
ffice
r a
t C
alv
in
Kle
in l
ast
De
cem
be
r.�
“B
ig b
ran
ds
tha
t w
ork
wit
h c
rea
tiv
e
dir
ec
tors
are
in
co
nst
an
t fl
ux
,”
the
de
sig
ne
r d
ecl
are
d.
“W
e s
ee
a
ph
en
om
en
on
th
at
tim
e p
eri
od
s b
eco
me
sh
ort
er,
sh
ort
er
an
d s
ho
rte
r. I
t’s
som
eth
ing
I w
asn
’t a
wa
re o
f in
th
e e
arl
ier
sta
ge
wh
en
I t
oo
k J
il.
Th
ese
bra
nd
s,
alt
ho
ug
h t
he
y c
an
ve
ry m
uch
su
pp
ort
y
ou
an
d t
he
y c
an
ma
ke
po
ssib
ilit
ies
tha
t re
late
to
th
e a
ctu
al
de
sig
ne
r, t
he
se
bra
nd
s w
ill
usu
all
y e
xis
t fo
rev
er
no
ma
tte
r w
ho
’s t
he
re.
Be
cau
se t
he
y a
re e
xtr
em
ely
co
nst
ruc
ted
on
all
th
e a
spe
ct
tha
t su
rro
un
ds
the
ac
tua
l co
re o
f fa
shio
n,
an
d
the
ac
tua
l co
nte
nt,
em
oti
on
an
d c
rea
tin
g
of
ga
rme
nts
an
d h
ow
th
at
rela
tes
to y
ou
r b
ig o
r sm
all
au
die
nce
,” h
e s
aid
.“
Th
ese
big
bra
nd
s a
re v
ery
mu
ch n
ow
d
riv
en
by
ma
rke
tin
g a
nd
gro
wth
, a
nd
it
’s r
are
th
at
a d
esi
gn
er
is g
oo
d i
n b
oth
asp
ects
. I
am
de
fin
ite
ly n
ot
goo
d a
t a
ll t
he
a
spe
cts
. I
kn
ow
fo
r m
yse
lf.
Wh
at
is m
ore
im
po
rta
nt
is t
ha
t th
e d
esi
gn
er
kn
ow
s w
ho
to
wo
rk w
ith
, w
hic
h i
s a
lso
no
t y
ou
r ch
oic
e,
bu
t it
’s d
efi
nit
ely
yo
ur
cho
ice
in
y
ou
r [o
wn
] co
mp
an
y,” h
e c
on
tin
ue
d.
“As
a c
rea
tiv
e d
ire
cto
r, i
t’s
mo
re
com
pli
ca
ted
be
cau
se v
ery
mu
ch m
ost
o
f th
ese
co
mp
an
ies
hav
e e
ve
ryth
ing
in
p
lace
an
d t
he
n y
ou
co
me
in
an
d t
he
fo
cus
is i
n t
he
be
gin
nin
g v
ery
mu
ch a
bo
ut
coll
ecti
on
s. Y
ou
bri
ng
pro
ba
bly
a h
uge
lis
t o
f cr
ea
tiv
es
in,
bu
t I
hav
e b
ee
n i
n p
lace
s w
he
re I
ha
d t
o b
e i
nv
olv
ed
to
bri
ng
pe
op
le
into
me
rch
an
dis
ing
or
com
me
rcia
l b
ecau
se
the
y h
ad
n’t
re
all
y s
ort
ed
th
at
ou
t,” a
dd
ed
S
imo
ns,
wh
o b
eli
ev
es
tha
t th
e t
ea
m
tha
t h
ad
be
en
ass
em
ble
d f
or
him
wa
sn’t
n
ece
ssa
rily
, in
his
vie
w,
the
rig
ht
on
e f
or
him
to
cre
ate
wh
at
he
th
ou
gh
t w
as
ne
ed
ed
fo
r th
e b
ran
d t
o w
ork
.H
avin
g b
ee
n t
he
de
sig
ne
r o
f th
ree
ma
jor
fash
ion
ho
use
s in
th
e w
orl
d’s
th
ree
le
ad
ing
fa
shio
n c
ap
ita
ls,
Sim
on
s h
as
als
o l
ea
rne
d
tha
t h
e n
ee
ds
to b
e v
ery
ca
refu
l a
bo
ut
wh
at
he
say
s. “
Yo
u g
et
crit
iqu
ed
ve
ry q
uic
kly
a
nd
I s
pe
ak
no
t o
nly
fo
r m
yse
lf.
I sp
ea
k
for
clo
se d
esi
gn
er
frie
nd
s in
diff
ere
nt
po
siti
on
s. W
e g
et
ve
ry s
ca
red
to
giv
e a
n
op
inio
n w
he
n I
th
ink
we
hav
e v
ery
sp
eci
fic
op
inio
ns
be
cau
se y
ou
ge
t cr
itiq
ue
d o
n
so m
an
y a
spe
cts
so
qu
ick
ly a
nd
I t
hin
k i
t m
ak
es
a l
ot
of
us
pu
ll b
ack
on
th
ing
s a
nd
tr
y t
o d
o i
t w
ith
th
e t
hin
gs
we
are
do
ing
,”
he
sa
id.
Be
ing
in
de
pe
nd
en
t, h
ow
ev
er,
do
es
giv
e
him
th
e p
erm
issi
on
to
ex
pre
ss h
imse
lf
fre
ely
— s
om
eti
me
s. H
e s
aid
“T
ow
ard
s th
e e
nd
of
the
Nin
eti
es
an
d e
arl
y 2
00
0s,
w
e g
ot
a l
ot
of
pro
po
sals
, b
ut
be
ing
in
d
iffe
ren
t p
osi
tio
ns
as
cre
ati
ve
dir
ec
tors
ta
ug
ht
me
ho
w d
an
ge
rou
s it
ca
n b
e w
he
n
yo
u m
arr
y i
n b
usi
ne
ss.
I m
ea
n,
pri
or
to
me
, Jo
hn
[G
all
ian
o]
wa
s a
big
ex
am
ple
. H
e
lost
his
ow
n b
ran
d b
ec
au
se h
e s
old
it
for
the
ma
jori
ty a
nd
th
at’
s so
me
thin
g I
wil
l n
ev
er
forg
et.
”H
is i
nd
ep
en
de
nt
ide
olo
gy
is
lin
ke
d t
o
the
51-
ye
ar-
old
de
sig
ne
r’s
up
bri
ng
ing
in
B
elg
ium
. “I
got
it s
po
on
ed
in
. I
sta
rte
d o
ut
wit
h W
alt
er
Va
n B
eir
en
do
nck
an
d I
’m v
ery
th
an
kfu
l fo
r h
im b
ein
g s
uch
a p
rom
oto
r o
f
yo
un
g p
eo
ple
. I
ca
me
fro
m n
ow
he
re a
nd
I
wa
s w
elc
om
ed
th
ere
an
d h
e s
ho
we
d m
e
thin
gs.
It
wa
s v
ery
in
spir
ing
,” h
e s
aid
.“I
saw
all
th
at
ind
ep
en
de
nce
an
d f
or
me
, it
wa
s th
e o
nly
th
ing
th
at
I k
ne
w.
In
the
ea
rly
sta
ges
of
my
bra
nd
, I
wa
sn’t
aw
are
of
LV
MH
[M
oë
t H
en
ne
ssy
Lo
uis
V
uit
ton
] b
ran
ds
an
d a
ll t
ha
t k
ind
of
stu
ff a
nd
cre
ati
ve
dir
ecto
r p
osi
tio
ns.
I
just
saw
Wa
lte
r V
an
Be
ire
nd
on
ck,
An
n
De
me
ule
me
est
er,
Dir
k V
an
Sa
en
e,
Dri
es
Va
n N
ote
n a
nd
Ma
rtin
Ma
rgie
la h
avin
g
the
ir o
wn
th
ing
,” h
e c
on
tin
ue
d.
“T
o m
e,
tha
t’s
wh
at
I w
an
t. I
t w
as
a g
oo
d
thin
g a
t th
e e
nd
th
at
de
sire
to
be
, a
nd
th
e f
am
ily
fe
eli
ng
to
me
als
o.
I re
me
mb
er
Dri
es
an
d W
alt
er
we
re s
ha
rin
g t
he
sa
me
b
uil
din
g,
bu
t th
ey
ha
d a
n i
nd
ep
en
de
nt
cre
ati
ve
la
ng
ua
ge,
an
d w
ha
t W
alt
er
wa
s d
oin
g w
as
com
ple
tely
so
me
thin
g e
lse
. T
he
re w
as
a c
om
mu
nit
y o
f d
esi
gn
ers
b
ein
g a
ble
to
re
late
to
ea
ch o
the
r o
ne
way
o
r a
no
the
r. A
ll o
f th
em
in
div
idu
all
y, i
n a
w
ay,
cou
ld s
ee
ve
ry f
ast
ho
w t
he
y h
ad
fo
r th
em
selv
es
cre
ate
d s
om
eth
ing
ve
ry o
fte
n
wit
h p
eo
ple
th
at
the
y r
ela
ted
to
. I
stil
l th
ink
th
at’
s th
e b
eau
ty.
I se
e m
y o
wn
co
mp
an
y a
s a
fa
mil
y,” h
e a
dd
ed
.W
ha
t h
e d
esi
res
is v
ery
diff
ere
nt
fro
m
wh
at
he
en
cou
nte
red
la
ter
in h
is l
ife
. “
Th
e
syst
em
wa
s d
iffe
ren
t. I
sta
rte
d o
ut
wit
ho
ut
a c
om
pu
ter,
bu
t w
ith
a f
ax
ma
chin
e.
Th
ere
w
as
no
acc
ess
to
th
e g
lob
al
fash
ion
wo
rld
e
xce
pt
for
TV
pro
gra
ms
an
d m
ag
azi
ne
s m
on
ths
late
r. N
oth
ing
wa
s o
ut
on
th
e
day
of
the
sh
ow
. T
he
tim
e f
ram
e w
as
six
m
on
ths
an
d n
ow
it’
s ju
st t
he
mo
me
nt
the
sh
ow
is
ha
pp
en
ing
,” h
e s
aid
.“
Wh
en
I w
as
at
Dio
r, I
fe
lt t
he
re w
as
an
in
cre
dib
le p
ress
ure
fro
m t
he
ou
tsid
e o
n
me
to
be
wit
h m
e w
hil
e I
wa
s d
esi
gn
ing
, w
hil
e I
wa
s in
th
e s
tud
io.
Pre
ss w
an
ted
to
be
th
ere
, th
e p
ress
wa
nte
d t
o b
e a
t th
e
fitt
ing
s. T
he
n y
ou
do
all
th
e p
rev
iew
s,
spe
ak
wit
h a
ll t
he
pre
ss d
ays
be
fore
th
e
sho
w.
I d
idn
’t l
ike
th
at
at
all
. It
wa
s m
ain
ly
be
cau
se o
ne
de
sig
ne
r w
as
ve
ry m
uch
at
ea
se w
ith
it.
I d
on
’t c
riti
cize
pe
op
le f
rom
d
oin
g i
t, b
ut
be
cau
se o
the
r p
eo
ple
do
so
me
thin
g,
it s
ho
uld
no
t b
e a
sy
ste
m f
or
►
FASHIO
N
Raf Simons: ‘I Just Wanted to Make Clothes’
Raf Simons
Raf Simons at
“Fashion Talks.”
Simons portrait by Stéphane Feugère; Fashion Talks by Fille Roelants Photography
BELG
IAN FASHION AWARDS 2019
NO
WFA
SH
ION
JOURNALIST: ELISABETA TUDOR
BELG
IAN FASHION AWARDS 2019
NO
WFA
SH
ION
JOURNALIST: ELISABETA TUDOR
BELG
IAN FASHION AWARDS 2019
VO
GU
E R
US
SIA
JOURNALIST: M
AHORO SEWARD
BELG
IAN FASHION AWARDS 2019
VO
GU
E R
US
SIA
JOURNALIST: M
ARIA POPOVA
BELG
IAN FASHION AWARDS 2019
VO
GU
E G
ER
MA
NY
JOURNALIST: VON ZSUZSANNA TOTH
BELG
IAN FASHION AWARDS 2019
VO
GU
E I
TA
LIA
JOURNALIST: M
AHORO SEWARD
BELG
IAN FASHION AWARDS 2019
FA
SH
ION
NE
TW
OR
K
JOURNALIST: RÜDIGER OBERSCHÜR
BELG
IAN FASHION AWARDS 2019
AS
VO
F
JOURNALIST: DIANE PERNET
BELG
IAN FASHION AWARDS 2019
SH
OW
ST
UD
IO
BELG
IAN FASHION AWARDS 2019
MA
N I
N T
OW
N
BELG
IAN FASHION AWARDS 2019
ME
TR
O
BELG
IAN FASHION AWARDS 2019
FA
SH
ION
UN
ITE
D
JOURNALIST: KATRIEN HUYSENTRUYT
BELG
IAN FASHION AWARDS 2019
MA
ISO
N D
E L
A M
OD
E
BELG
IAN FASHION AWARDS 2019
FA
SH
ION
FO
RW
AR
D
JOURNALIST: AUGUSTO M
ARIOTTI
BELG
IAN FASHION AWARDS 2019
DE
VO
LK
SK
RA
NT
26 wallonia and brussels magazine
.DESIGN
Take a bow Local designers are honoured at the third annual Belgian Fashion Awards
By Clodagh Kinsella
wallonia and brussels magazine
© F
ille
Ro
elan
ts P
hoto
gra
phy
Being a finalist in such contests is a great opportunity to share your work with your peers as well as with a wider audience
Sarah Levy
“
27wallonia and brussels magazine WINTER 2019/2020wallonia and brussels magazine
The local fashion scene may be fa-mous for its modesty, but there’s one time of year when the coun-
try proudly celebrates its avant-garde de-sign credentials and fiercely independent streak: during the annual Belgian Fashion Awards. The awards honour the country’s designers at home and abroad, focusing on big names as well as behind-the-scenes talent, and act as a springboard for up-and-coming brands.
The third edition of the event took place in November in the context of the fashion seminar Fashion Talks. It was organised by publications Le Vif Weekend and Knack Weekend alongside three bodies key to the promotion of Belgian creativity: Wallo-nie-Bruxelles Design Mode (WBDM), MAD Brussels and Flanders DC.
“These days, being an entrepreneur in the fashion sector is a bigger challenge than ever, both for newcomers and for the numerous professionals in the sector,” says Elke Timmerman of MAD Brussels. “By taking part in the organisation of the Belgian Fashion Awards, WBDM wants to strengthen the reputation and inter-national visibility both of the sector as a whole and the talented individuals with their unique character, whether they work independently or within a fashion house,” adds Laure Capitani of WBDM.
Awards were given in seven categories, and francophone designers were well rep-resented. Couture lingerie creator Carine Gilson, whose label celebrated its 30th an-niversary this year, was nominated for De-signer of the Year, while in-demand fashion
editor Benoît Béthume and photographer Pierre Debusschere both vied for Profes-sional of the Year, with Debusschere tak-ing the crown. Dominique Rocour of Liège school Château Massart and Thurel Thou-et of HELMo Mode were among the joint winners of the Most Promising Graduate title. The jury felt the seven finalists all deserved the title, saying they found the candidates “very strong individuals who give a great overview of what our various Belgian fashion schools have to offer”.
The Emerging Talent of the Year award, re-served for brands less than three years old, saw a nomination for rising star Sarah Levy, a Brussels-based accessories designer and La Cambre Mode(s) graduate who recently scooped the Public Award at France’s pres-tigious Hyères Festival. “When you have a more discursive than business-oriented approach to design, being a finalist in such contests is a great opportunity to share
your work with your peers as well as with a wider audience,” says Levy.
An architect by training, Levy’s award-win-ning project Creatures of Habit draws on exchanges with sociologist Mathieu Berger, materialising often-vapid contemporary fetishes in the form of accessories. Such a conceptual approach feels very Belgian – one reason she feels a kinship with the country’s radical creative scene. “Of course I appreciate the dynamics of big cities like Paris or London, but Brussels’ outsider sta-tus gives me a feeling of freedom that’s de-cisive in the development of my work.”
Having won the Emerging Talent award last year, contemporary denim label Façon Jacmin, founded in 2016 by twins Alexan-dra and Ségolène Jacmin, underscored its popularity as one of several francophone brands honoured in the Fashion Brand of the Year category. The public selected the winner from a jury-selected shortlist of 10 brands including veterans Natan, a brand whose roots stretch back to 1930.
“Awards like this are really a boost on so many different levels: they create visibility and so are a marketing boon where you real-ly feel the commercial consequences of win-ning,” say the sisters. “We’re also very proud of Belgian fashion and its excellent reputa-tion and history worldwide, so the quality of the prize is an extra motivation to win it – although just to be nominated already feels like a reward.” It’s a response suggesting that, even on prize day, Belgium’s famed modesty isn’t something that’s easily set aside. belgianfashionawards.be
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