In her boutique-atelier at rue Van Artevelde, Brussels, Valérie Berckmans designs a women’s ready-to-wear line since 2006. Under her eponymous brand, she creates a collection in a graphic and minimalist style, evoking an airy femininity often brightened up with particular details.
Each piece that leaves her workshop is meticulously crafted with fair trade, organic or alternative raw materials (deadstock of fabrics, upcycled vintage pieces).
She is having her collection produced exclusively in Belgian and French workshops to maintain the local know-how and reduce the ecological footprint of her project.
Since April 2021, she works in duo with the fashion designer Théo Auquière on the design of the collection.
In the “boutique-atelier”, nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed into ethical & ecological creations!
From this philosophy was born their zero-waste project. The fabric leftovers from the women’s production are offering new stylistic, practical and circular perspectives, translating into a children collection, ladies underwear & cotton pads, among others.
Valérie Berckmans also sells in the shop creations of other Belgian designers who share the same sustainable philosophy : Atelier Content (shoes), Géraldine Bertrand (knitwear), Aymara (knitwear), O’Leary (leather accessories).
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.
To hunt and to collect – verbs that define a means of survival, as well as a way of life. Recently, modern culture has witnessed a new strand in human evolution – the emergence of a global community that is becoming more and more mobile, constantly craving cutting edge ideas and up to date information. We now belong to a society that uses the Internet and the latest technological developments to literally hunt and collect the products that correspond best to the lives of each individual.
Hunting and Collecting”, a Brussels based boutique and platform founded in 2010 aims to respond to the needs and desires of this new community.
Occupying a 200m2 space, “Hunting and Collecting” carries a constantly rotating selection of more than 30 exclusive brands for men, women and children. The store also provides footwear, accessories, design objects, and press dedicated to modern culture.
The selected brands all hold a common link: each possesses a clear vision of style and a distinctive identity that results as the product of true artistic creativity and individuality. Rather than following trends, these brands create them, giving them additional value and importance within modern culture. In order to maintain a certain uniqueness. Each season, the choice of products will evolve, both online and in store. The choices for each selection will be based on the items that Hunting and Collecting loves, the quality of the products, and the universes that they represent.
“Hunting and Collecting” actively participates as well in cultural manifestations such as art and design exhibitions, fashion events, parties and nightlife, either as a host or in and around Brussels and online.
Be sure to check the facebook page for daily updates !
OPENING HOURS
Tuesday – Saturday from 11:30am till 6:30pm
Mondays from 2pm until 6pm
n.d.c. made by hand was created in 2001 by two friends passionate about shoes. Unable to find the shoes they really wanted to wear, they launched the brand to fulfil their personal need.
n.d.c. made by hand immediately opened a new dimension in men’s and lady’s footwear, offering luxurious materials, comfortable lasts and rejuvenated classics. The collections aimed to be appealing to a wide range of customers — trend setters, luxury lovers, quality freaks, etc — who are in pursuit of understated individualism.
NOM DE CODE
The brand name nom de code — or ‘code name’ – reflects our conviction that the strength of the brand is the product itself. Four key factors define every n.d.c. made by hand collection: simplicity, quality, originality and constructional know-how.
HAND CRAFTED
All of our shoes are hand-crafted by the best European artisans using only carefully selected hides from Italy’s expert tanneries. Our passion for footwear is reflected in the use of quality materials, traditional shoe constructions — blake, goodyear, sacchetto, espadrille, etc — and exquisite finishing techniques. We do our best to turn every pair into a hand made work of art.
ICON has been housing an international selection of upcoming to established designers for over fifteen years and stands for a personal and obstinate selection. Surprising with new designers every season, great attention is given to the unique & own identity of all in-store designers. From clothing to jewellery, shoes & bags, each piece is chosen with special care.
KINAMANIA gives object-oriented creative workshops where Kristina mixes her passion for leather and pattern making with modern technologies: 3d printing, laser and cnc cutting technologies meet with leather lacing techniques to create beautiful and functional leather pieces.
—
The workshops are a moment of sharing where time stands still : a unique immersive experience in a cosy atmosphere where participants return home with a personalised leather piece and a strong feeling of pride 🙂
—
Experience is not required. Only good eyes, and your good mood!
—
You will find below the calendar of workshops. And at the bottom of the page you have more info & pictures about each workshop.
—
Note that we also offer customised and team building workshops. Do not hesitate to contact us 🙂
The Brand
Kinamania is an independent Brussels-based atelier with a passion for leather. We make fine iconic footwear inspired by cultural heritage and revisited with elegance and dare. The shoes are made in Spain and Portugal.
“I find my inspiration in basic footwear styles that have stood the test of time to which I add fashion-forward details. This is my way of reinventing heritage.” Kristina
The brand has two main lines – The Essentials which are timeless collections and The Collaborations where Kristina partners with artists, artisans and craft-based NGOs to put their craft in the spotlight.
Collaborations
Kristina has a deep appreciation of makers and cultural heritage combined with a passion for leather as a primary raw material. Driven by her curiosity and her hunger for discovery of creative works, she collaborates with artisans and artists on her shoe collections and takes great pride in partnering, when possible, with craft-based NGOs that drive real changes in people’s lives.
The founder
Former designer and production director to the Johnny Farah House of leather accessories – between Beirut & NY – Kristina Zouein spent countless hours in artisans’ workshops. As a self-taught designer, this was a very formative experience.
In 2015 and with more than 10 years experience, she decides to create Kinamania, a slow fashion brand of accessories with a balanced mix of humility, sobriety and dare.
Of Canadian-Lebanese origins, Kristina lived most of her life in Beirut, until she met her partner and moved to Brussels a few years ago
A committed brand : Kinamania X Cancer
“In November 2019, I was diagnosed with breast cancer which pushed me to redefine the way I am leading my life and my business. Statistics show that 1 in 8 women are diagnosed with breast cancer, and I was chocked when I learnt those numbers, especially to discover that so many women, like myself, below the age of 40 go through this for reasons that are still unclear. Since then, I have committed to support cancer research.”
Leather and sustainability
Kinamania shoes are made from domesticated animal skins that are raised in agricultural settings and treated in European tanneries that are certified for their environmentally friendly working method.
The European leather industry is at the forefront of the conversation and innovation towards lower impact and circular practices :
+ to reduce chemical usage, water, and waste compared to traditional tanning processes.
+ to make sure that animals from which the hide is used are being treated well
+ to ensure that people who produce the leather are treated fairly
Fun facts to know 🙂
+++ It is through a failed romance with a Spaniard that Kristina discovered the abarca sandal style. This traditional Spanish sandal was the trigger to her shoe brand.
+++ KinaMania is a brand name with roots in ‘menorquina’, the alternative name for the abarca sandal which was originally handmade on the island of Menorca in the Baleares. The mania for Kinas is born from menorquina mania!
+++ The shoes have singer name and the subtitles refer to uplifting songs that align to the Craft Your Day tagline.
+++ The tag line says CRAFT YOUR DAY with two dashes. The two dashes symbolise the craftsmanship and hand-stitched design signature of the Kinamania fine footwear atelier.
Atypical leather-craft workshops
Kristina also offers creative leathercraft workshops combining leather and modern technology.
The objective behind those workshops is that participants personalise a beautiful object – in a warm and friendly atmosphere – and proudly return home with a unique souvenir.
WE ARE OPEN !
In the prestigious Royal Gallery of Saint Hubert, center Brussels !
The Brand