Conni Kaminski
Conni KaminskiInfo
BEHIND THE BRAND
CONNI KAMINSKI is an ethical and sustainable womenswear designerbrand
100% made in Belgium.
Refined asymmetry, beautiful drapés, deconstructed knitwear, unexpected material mix and upcycling, for a result both original and elegant. The clothes are made from mostly natural and high quality materials such as silk, cotton, linen, merino wool and baby alpaca wool.
Next to the onlineshop, there is the boutique followed by the atelier, located in the historic center of Brussels: come and say hi and discover our universe chic and décalé.
ABOUT THE DESIGNER
Designer of German origin, Conni Kaminski studied fashiondesign and tailoring in Hamburg.
In 2000, she settled permanently in Brussels, and in 2005, the Conni Kaminski brand was created.
In 2008, she opened her store in the historic center of Brussels, behind which you can see the place where the magic happens: her workshop.
ETHICAL AND SUSTAINABLE
While proximity to her customers is a fundamental thing for Conni Kaminski, proximity to her suppliers and manufacturers is no exception. The sourcing of raw materials from different European countries and the production « made in Belgium », including research for fabrics, her pieces are entirely made on the same continent. Far from large productions across the oceans, everything is done via a 100% European network for flawless regulation and visibility of production.
MATERIALS CHOSEN WITH CARE
Because every detail counts, Conni Kaminski always selects for her creations essentially natural and high quality materials, all from European producers, such as silk, cotton, linen, merino wool and baby alpaca yarns, offering to her customers beautiful clothes comfortable to wear.
QUALITY OVER QUANTITY
Avoiding mass overproduction, Conni Kaminski’s clothes are created in limited series with a design both elegant and original. Refusing to get locked into far too ephemeral codes and trends, Conni Kaminski has her own universe. Thus, each of her pieces is a real added value to your wardrobe, as timeless as atypical. Always in the field of sustainability, her creations aim to support the clients in their everyday lives over the long term. Wearing Conni Kaminski is about asserting values and style, while remaining authentic.
HER WAY OF WORKING
For her creations, Conni Kaminski loves playing with the fabric. If her bust molding technique, often used by Japanese designers, honors many drapes, we can also find in her pieces a work of knitwear deconstruction, study of the material to transform it and even upcycle it into something chic and innovative.
We can find in her clothes an elegant asymmetry as well as many material contrasts, bringing all its originality and identity.
THE SHOP
Located in the historic center of Brussels, her shop is where it all happens. If the front door opens onto a beautiful store where you can admire, try and buy her creations, the back window offers us a view of her workshop, separated by an exterior courtyard full of greenery, where the collections are designed, the patterns are drew, the prototypes are created…, in short, a veritable abundance of ideas. It is also from the same place that each online order is sent, carefully packaged before departure.
Flagship store Marche au Charbon/Kolenmarkt, 102 Brussels 1000 Belgium
Nathalie Vleeschouwer
Nathalie VleeschouwerInfo
ABOUT US
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.
Tulpstraat 104 , Antwerp 2060 Belgium
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About us
SUITSHERWELL was founded by Gloria and Mandy Kourkouliotis, two sisters from Genk with Greek roots on their father’s side. Gloria is a political scientist with a heart for sustainability and ethical business. Mandy is a journalist and communication scientist by training. She writes for several lifestyle and interior design magazines. Together they form a strong ping pong team. Their youngest sister Xenia is still studying, but behind the screen of her smartphone she helps to map out the social media story. Her official introduction will follow soon.
Their minimalist tailor-made suit label combines quality with affordability and inclusiveness in the broadest sense of the word. They not only want to be a fashion label, but also a community that stands for openness, equality and female empowerment. With great respect for the female body in all its variants. From very slim to beautiful, round shapes. They’ve got you covered!
The own designs are sustainably and ethically produced in Portugal. The European country par excellence in terms of start-ups and a progressive fashion industry. They avoid the not so transparent Silk Road and work with local partners as much as possible. For their packaging, a collaboration was established with Ropak from Genk and their beautiful images were taken by the talented photographer Shari Ruzzi. They found the right partner (De Gouden Draad in Hasselt) for customizing the suits through the AZO project. A European initiative that guides recognized refugees to entrepreneurship.
Buying a SUITSHERWELL tailor-made suit is not only a wardrobe investment, but also the realization of a dream. Supporting young, female and Belgian entrepreneurship.
SUITSHERWELL, empowerment suits you well.
– Gloria & Mandy
Diesterstraat 5 Hasselt 3500 Belgium
Roxane Baines
Roxane BainesInfo
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
Stephan Schneider
Stephan SchneiderReynderstraat 53 Antwerpen 2000 Belgium
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History
1930 BIRTH OF THE NATAN HOUSE
Creation of the Couture House Paul Natan.
1957 Edouard Vermeulen is born in Ypres on March 4, 1957. He graduates as an interior designer from Saint-Luc college, which introduces him to the world of volumes and materials.
1983
AVENUE LOUISE 158
In his search for a gallery to display his first discoveries, Edouard Vermeulen rents a space in the Couture House Paul Natan, Avenue Louise. A few years later, he takes over the House under the new name NATAN.
1986 FIRST RUNWAY SHOW
NATAN’s first show, with Princess Paola as one of the guests.
Edouard Vermeulen has been dressing members of royal families for years, including the Royal Family of Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden and Luxembourg.
1987 FIRST READY-TO-WEAR STORE IN BRUSSELS
Opening of the NATAN ready-to-wear store in Brussels, Belgium.
1991 DISTRIBUTION
Creation of ready-to-wear lines for distribution.
1999 WEDDING DRESS QUEEN MATHILDE OF BELGIUM
Edouard Vermeulen designs the wedding dress of Queen Mathilde of Belgium.
2013 NATAN 30 YEARS
To celebrate our 30 year anniversary, we organized a fashion show in Paris in the Belgian embassy.
2014 ARSENAL SHOWROOM
Opening of the Arsenal showroom.
2016 AMSTERDAM STORE
Inauguration of the NATAN boutique in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
2017 NATAN COLLECTIVE
Launch of NATAN Collective. A project allowing NATAN to support young Belgian talent by giving them the opportunity to present their work enhanced by the knowhow and name of NATAN.
2017 BARON
Edouard Vermeulen is awarded the noble title of “baron” for his services rendered to Belgium.
2018 ATELIER II
Inauguration of Atelier II at Place Brugmann in Brussels, Belgium. This atelier is created to honor the craft of tailoring by giving customers insights into the process behind the creation of a NATAN piec
2019 FIRST RUNWAY SHOW IN THE NETHERLANDS
Natan participated for the first time at Amsterdam Fashion Week.
2020 PARIS
Opening of a store in Paris, Rue des Saints-Pères
2021 OPENING SALON COUTURE KNOKKE
2022 NATAN LE BON MARCHÉ RIVE GAUCHE
The Belgian fashion house Natan and the cosmetic brand Sisley came together in the very heart of the Parisian department store Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche, combining their expertise and shared love for beauty and quality in a “Pop-Up” space.
This partnership consolidated the elegance, expertise and femininity held dear by these two family companies, that share values passed down through generations: concern for the environment, expertise, entrepreneurial spirit, art and design.
Avenue Louise 158 Brussels 1050 Belgium
PRESS Avenue des Aubépines 1 Brussels 1180 Belgium
Huidevettersstraat 44 Antwerp 2000 Belgium
PC Hooftstraat 23 Amsterdam 1071 BL The Netherlands
Rue des Saint-Pères 71 Paris 75006 France
Rue de Namur 78 Brussels 1000 Belgium
Henegouwenstraat 91-93 Ghent 9000 Belgium
Kustlaan 150 Knokke 8300 Belgium
Jan Mahieustraat 20-22 Roulers 8800 Belgium
Plankstraat 10 Maastricht 6211 GA Belgium
Wim Bruynooghe
Wim BruynoogheInfo
WIM BRUYNOOGHE, BORN BRUGES IN 1988, IS A BELGIAN DESIGNER AND GRADUATE OF THE FASHION DEPARTMENT OF THE ANTWERP ROYAL ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS.
ENCOURAGED BY BELGIAN PRESS, BRUYNOOGHE AND HIS PARTNER LAUR DILLEN STORMS FOUNDED THE WIM BRUYNOOGHE BRAND, PRESENTING THE FIRST READY-TO-WEAR COLLECTION IN SEPTEMBER 2013.
HE SOON FOUND A PLACE FOR HIMSELF IN THE BELGIAN FASHION LANDSCAPE, WINNING THE KNACK WEEKEND AWARD AND OPENING A GUERILLA STORE IN ANTWERP IN MARCH 2015. HOUSED IN A MAGNIFICENT OFFICE BLOCK FROM BACK IN THE DAY, THE STORE PAID RESPECT TO SLEEK AND ELEGANT WIM BRUYNOOGHE GENE.
IN JANUARY 2016, THE DESIGNER WAS FEATURED ON FORBES’ ’30 UNDER 30′-LIST FOR EUROPEAN ENTREPRENEURS. HE WAS SELECTED BY THE AMERICAN BUSINESS MAGAZINE AS ONE OF THE MOST PROMISING YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS OF EUROPE.
ALSO IN 2016, BRUYNOOGHE WAS APPOINTED CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF UCWHY, A BRAND FOUNDED BY ANNE CHAPELLE, CEO OF BVBA 32.
DISTILLATING SPORTS INFLUENCES WHILE QUOTING AND HOMAGING THE WORK OF THE GREAT 20TH CENTURY COUTURIERS, THE NAME WIM BRUYNOOGHE HAS BECOME SYNONYMOUS WITH AN OUTSPOKEN SENSE OF ELEGANCE.
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Helder Antwerp is a young high-end sustainable label, based in Antwerp. We produce organic and fair clothing with extreme care and attention to detail. All our garments are produced in Europe, with respect for the working conditions.
Helder Antwerp was founded in 2016 by the creative duo Ramona Stoica and Marino D’hooghe.
Vieux Jeu
Vieux JeuInfo
About
When you’ve tricked yourself out in a tennis class on a heavy scheduled day, you’ll need a good looking outfit to finish the day in. Hit the court with Vieux Jeu, the modernist sportswear label by Belgian designer Claudia Storme, whose polished yet effortless collection might be just what you’re looking for.
The trend is a classic: we all have a busy schedule but we don’t want to give up our sports class. ‘If you want to make it happen, it’s wise to prioritize style over function’, dixit Claudia Storme.
Discover the boho allure of Vieux Jeu, the Belgian label that captures the mood of a bygone era. Claudia Storme gets inspiration from one of the oldest games. Yet looking to the past doesn’t always suggest a yearning for what’s lost; rather, a desire to reinvent and redeem.
The go-to label for beautiful yet functional tennis clothing and accessories with that easy-to-wear je ne sais quoi, Vieux Jeu celebrates the glamour of a lost era, giving classical shapes a modern spin.
Gigue
GigueInfo
Gigue is a Belgian fashion brand with a decidedly feminine signature. The collections, known for colour, print and sophisticated details, include ready-to-wear, shoes and accessories. The looks exude spontaneous elegance, are superbly tailored and feel fabulous due to the high-quality fabrics. When designing the ever contemporary-chic collections, Gigue designer Audrey Wyckmans is inspired by her respect for a form of casual style, interior design, travel and art.
The looks exude spontaneous elegance and feel fabulous.
Each season is centered around 4 or 5 themes which can be easily combined. Gigue will not give in to radical style overhauls. The collections flow seamlessly into one another, nonetheless they are perfectly in tune with contemporary fashion trends.
Headquartered in Antwerp, Gigue now boasts a distribution network of brand stores, shop-in-shops and more than one hundred fifty multi brand stores, both in Belgium and abroad.
Gigue’s history dates to the beginning of the 1980s when founder Jo Wyckmans introduced the preppy look in Belgium with his ‘A Different Dialogue’ collection. In 1991 he founded Gigue and instantly put the label on the map, by earning the title ‘Designer of the Year’.
Around the year 2000 Gigue evolved with the arrival of designer Audrey, daughter of the founder, and her ultra-feminine collections. For about 25 years now, Gigue has remained true to its identity.
Gigue has always devoted considerable attention to its image. Since the label was founded, top photographers and up and coming international models have worked for Gigue, giving brand images and catalogues that extra special touch. The Gigue clothes and models are always portrayed in a very natural way without excessive make-up or glitter.
Head office Boomsesteenweg 12/1 Aartselaar 2630 Belgium