Ateliers & flagship store Rue de Laeken 86 Lakensestraat Brussels 1000 Belgium
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THE STORY
A Belgian twist on atypical fashion
You’re the woman who knows what she wants. Big dreams don’t scare you. In fact, they push you to be bolder. You know what makes you you and are not afraid to show it. At Awardt, we encourage you with the right accessories. As a Belgian female-powered brand, we’ll make sure you have the right, atypical bag, hat or scarf to match your unique soul.
Atelier Zennegatvaart 17 Mechelen 2800 Belgium
Shop Adegemstraat 3 Mechelen 2800 Belgium
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DIDDA
Being a ‘touche à tout’ with a theoretical background in art history & anthropology, and a bottom-up one in i.a. jewelry-design, sculpture, maroquinerie, I found myself playing around with leather way too long… So, that’s when DIDDA came up.
DIDDA was born out of a passion for craftsmanship and the desire to make durable goods with personality. Is it possible to merge beauty, functionality and sustainability?
For me, there’s nothing more challenging and rewarding than building a solid companion – to care and carry – out of a skin with my bare hands. And also, I admit, just for the smell of it…
I love building functional goods; playing with dualities; line vs volume, format and function, contrast in materials and texture, concept vs detail, directness and confusion, always searching for that certain tension.
PRODUCTION
All my leather goods are unique and handmade in my modernist rooftop-atelier in Laken – Belgium.
DIDDA proposes a main ‘solid’ collection and a more volatile one; a series of unique one-shots
made in the mood of the day. Your order can be personalized (length, left/right wear etc.) or completely tailor-made. Don’t hesitate to contact me for quotes and special requests.
All DIDDA goods are made of locally sourced skins. The leather is – depending on the design – either veg-tan, up-cycled or production residue from meat-production.
For me (an this is a vegetarian speaking…), no other material can yet replace the touch, feel and quality of leather (although we keep a wide eye open on upcoming alternatives). This very emotive and ancient material used by man – to carry and protect – remains for me a very ecological choice. It is a leftover natural material, ages nicely and with good care, a high quality leather DIDDA-bag will last at least a lifetime.
MATERIALS
*Vegtan leather:
Vegtan or vegetable tanned leather is tanned with natural materials like tree bark. Less than 10% of the world’s leather is tanned this way today. Vegtan is a thicker and stronger leather, so the designs don’t need lining, which makes the bags lighter. Vegtan has that gorgeous leather smell, tends to age better and develops a rich patina over time. This eco-friendly product is the ideal material to most of the ‘neat’ DIDDA designs. Color-options are smaller (mostly black/nude and cognac). The leather is sourced at a Belgian tannery.
*Standard full-grain leather
This leather is generally rather smooth and comes in a wide variety of colors, textures and finishing. All the skins used by DIDDA come from European tanneries (meeting the highest standards) and are
a leftover product from meat-industry. Always keep in mind that leather is a natural product that once had a life, so every skin will
have his story and tiny imperfections, which adds up to the charm and patina.
*Lining
I prefer to work with 100 % leather lining, mostly pigskin. It makes the bag slightly more heavy but it’s much stronger & more consistent in design.
*Zippers
5mm or 7mm metal zippers of superior quality by Belgian Zip Factory KROKO (zip manufacturer since 1944).
*Rope / sling
I mainly use 10 or 11mm round non-stretch/static polyamide cord of superior quality (used by sailors & mountaineers). This material – supplied by the ‘maisons’ corderie Smits-Henin and Corderie Barrois, can bear extreme (weather) conditions and will probably last forever.
When the design includes flat slings; those are made of 100% leather, sometimes doubled with flat polypropylene belts of superior quality provided by corderie Smits-Henin. These add up to the strength and anti-stretch of the slings.
Adrien Bayetlaan 11 Laken 1020 Belgium
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Marie-Laurence Stévigny is a belgian fashion designer graduated from Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture Parisienne in Paris in 1990 and from Institut Bischoffsheim in Bruxelles in 1989. She also studied shoe design at Afpic school in Paris and followed courses at Central Sint Martins college of art and design in London. She gain international experience from years of creative collaboration at Nina Ricci design studio in Paris where she created accessories collections from 1990 until 1998 and in London with British designer Bill Amberg as senior accessoires designer in charge of accessories collection for men women and children. In 2004 she formed her own international design studio MLSTUDIO based in Brussels, with offices in Brussels and in Paris. MLSTUDIO services a diverse and global set of clients within the luxury fashion and lifestyle business. The Studio is focused on the design principle of: ‘creating accessories which are inherently more than just accessories’. In 2010 Marie and MLSTUDIO win a gold fashion awards in Los Angeles for the IDA competition (International design awards ) with the 2010 Agnelle gloves collection. In January 2015 after more than ten years of creative collaborations MLStudio starts a new chapter in its business with the coordinated bags and gloves collection branded under Marie-Laurence Stévigny by Agnelle.
In September 2015 at Maisons de Mode, Marie-Laurence Stévigny win the accessories price from Who’s Next/Première Classe with Marie-Laurence Stévigny by Agnelle collection also received an “guest” space within Première Classe Paris fair in March 2016.
3 rue Emile Bouilliot Brussels 1050 Belgium
Eric Beauduin
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Eric Beauduin started working with second hand materials ten years ago.
This decision was more instinctively than from an ecological conviction and he dissected old clothes to make bags.
The details and secrets of clothes and accessories such as pockets, buttonholes, lining and reinforcements have always caught his interest more than the overall aspect of clothes.
Initially he used clothes in fabric, men’s suit, shirts, coats, but quickly moved on to leather clothes.
The patina of a used leather trench, bomber or jacket gives the soul of his accessories.
Season after season he invents hand made bags with techniques coming from clothes tailoring and leather goods traditions.
Each piece is an experiment. The original clothes pockets, seams and details, the different leathers,
the colors of the passed fashion are transposed into the bags.
The shapes and the use of the bags change following the demands and desires, but the concept is always the same.
Everything is made in the designer’s house in Brussels.
Impossible to duplicate a piece.
A limited production of by number labeled pieces.
Few sofisticated selling points in Belgium, France, Japan, USA.
Should this be named slow fashion?
THINGS
All bags are cut in second hand leather jackets, trenches, bombers, skirts.
The handles, slings, straps, piping are made in the same leather.
The material is all kinds of soft and smooth leather such as lamb’s leather, calfskin, goat’s leather used in manufacturing leather clothes.
The leather is usually lined with fabric.
Some of the models are reinforced with felt inside.
The inside is made with the same leather and a black “pocketting” fabric so that keys or sharp metal
objects don’t cause any damage.
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ABOUT US
NIELS PEERAER
is an eponymous leather goods label, founded by Antwerp designer Niels Peeraer, established and based in Paris ca. 2011
VISION & CHAPTER 2/
After 8 years of introducing our “no limit to cuteness” it’s time to start writing a second chapter to our storyline, and use a more translated approach to cuteness. Continuing a genderless balance of sensitivity vs. toughness, but shifting from a focus on ornamentation to a more elaborate form study and styling versatility, while keeping our practical architectural volumes.
We decided to still keep our first generation classics available in our Made to Order section, which will be handmade in our Paris atelier. All our pieces are created without any gender-tag, they are here for to any human who feels connected to them.
TECHNIQUE/
Niels Peeraer bags have no stitching, and are entirely assembled through screws and custom made gold or nickle hardware.
Through this self-developed technique we can achieve cleaner lines and strength on our pieces.
MATERIAL AND SUSTAINABILITY/
Our vegetable tanned cow hide is sourced from Scandinavia, as a byproduct from meat consumption. In respect for the animal, we use the leather in its entirety, including parts that others might regard as imperfections.
We’re strong believers in the Japanese philosophy of Wabi Sabi 「侘寂」, finding beauty in imperfections, always with deep respect and appreciation for the integrity of the natural materials and processes.
We do not use lining or cover the inside of our pieces, but use a special waxing-process to create a smooth surface, as well as use a natural gum-based finish for our edges. It’s important for us not to use any chemical or environmental toxic component within our materials, nor production process.
All our materials are sourced within Europe and our pieces are handmade in either Spain or our own atelier in Paris, to minimize our footprint.
17 Rue de Picardie Paris 75003 France
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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
Lies Mertens
Lies MertensSteenhouwersvest 6 Antwerpen 2000 Belgium
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Frieda Degeyter
Frieda Degeyter studied Fashion Design at the Royal Academy of fine arts in Antwerp, Belgium.
From 1993 till now she worked for several labels.
In 1997 she launched her own collection.
At the moment she is still creating and working on different projects.
Barbara Degeyter
After graduating in Graphic Design in Antwerp in 1995, Barbara has been working for several years for Belgium based magazines.
Since 2001, she attends an open ceramics studio near Breda where she has further developed her interest for object design.
Lorenzo Lebon
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Lorenzo Lebon, créateur de l’extrême, ose des sacs dépecés de toute convention. Il fut l’un des premiers à s’intéresser et à détourner cet objet qu’est le sac à main, qui, pendant longtemps, a été boudé par la mode, considéré à l’époque comme un accessoire désuet.Après des passages dans des écoles de stylisme, il a en effet lancé une première collection de «sacs» minimaliste en 1991. Où il y développe des lignes pures, géométriques et sculpturales. Sans cesse aiguillé par des concepts novateurs, ce créateur atypique, au fil des collections, déniche ses matières et ses idées dans des sphères où peu ont l’audace de s’aventurer. Bien que le cuir est devenu sa matière d’expression, il l’expérimente en y associant d’autres, en détournant celles-ci de leurs fonctions initiales: filet de protection d’échafaudage, caoutchouc, toile de lin d’ameublement, élastique, accessoires militaires ou d’alpinistes, impression à même le cuir, etc. Son style graphique, où le cuir noir, rouge, blanc et argent dominent, rappelle tantôt le rock chic des années 80, le minimaliste des années 90, ou encore la fraîcheur des années 70. En 1998, il interrompit ses créations personnelles pour entamer une série de collaborations avec différentes marques de vêtements afin d’accessoiriser leur ligne.
Cela aura été le cas pour la marque Plein Sud, APC, Vanessa Bruno, J-C Jitrois, Chanel, Ann Demeulemeester et bien d’autres. Boulimique de créativité, en 2002, il reprend son travail d’introspection et nous sort ses tripes. Le cuir, la «peau» exercent sur lui une extrême fascination. Lorenzo Lebon ose, compose et refuse le simple usage esthétique et fonctionnel du sac. Il poursuit ses créations par une démarche conceptuelle. En pleine effervescence du mouvement végétarien dans ce début de siècle, il tient à mettre en avant-plan la matière dont il travaille, le cuir, autrement dit la « peau ». Il allie la création à la prise de conscience : le sac en cuir est avant tout une matière, à l’origine une matière extraite d’un animal,… ce que l’on oublie trop souvent. Il poussera la provocation dans son paroxysme, en imaginant pour l’intérieur de ses sacs, une doublure en trompe-l’œil représentant “l’écorché”, qui devient durant quelques années son signe distinctif. Elle vous livre en effet un visuel de fibres musculaires, de viscères, de cartilages,… . Gore? Pas du tout. Juste l’envie, par jonglerie mentale, de partager et de titiller les trop futiles humains et leurs paradoxes! Cette doublure que l’on pourrait croire d’un mauvais goût est dévoilée d’une manière subtile et son motif à peine reconnaissable. Le cuir est devenu pour lui un véhicule d’expression, une seconde peau, renvoyant le gentil sac de madame (ou de monsieur) tout le monde à son anodin bétail. Ses sacs sont son à son image: écorchés vifs. Aujourd’hui, assagi de ses démons créatifs, il confectionne une nouvelle ligne de sac plus abordable dans ses concepts. Ils se veulent fonctionnels par des jeux de transformations… sacs en origami, se pliant à souhait, changeant de cette façon autant la manière de les porter que ses volumes, suivant les circonstances de la journée. L’idée de Lorenzo Lebon reste habitée par la croyance que la forme suit la fonction. Plus on cerne cette dernière, plus est accomplie est la première. Sacs urbains, anti-conventionnels aux formes étonnantes. A la fois simples et impressionnants
Chaussee d’Ixelles 200 Elsensesteenweg – Bruxelles :: Brussel :: – Tel & Fax +32-2-646.35.0 Brussels 1050 Belgium