CLEAN LINES

When I stumbled across the work of Scandinavian designer Beate Godager the first thing that struck me was the clean lines and subtle textures; keeping a collection to one colour means that you’re pairing it back, allowing the viewer to see the foundations of the design. I love the lookbook styling of the contrasting stripper heels and platform sneakers, also the clear vinyl shopper bags with the cut out gloves. The AW12 collection is wearable and elegant despite the conceptual nature of her designs; I’m looking forward to following Beate’s career and seeing what she does next! You can see Godager’s work here and here.

Photo: Amanda Hestehave

Make-up: Tina Kristoffersen

 

A SEED CAN’T HELP BUT RISE UP

The work of Egle Cekanaviciute, found whilst stumbling through another new discovery drkmttr blog – a must go to for interior inspiration, Egle’s 6 piece collection focuses on the idea that the human species are powerless against nature. Basic minimal silhouettes have been created out of materials such as potato sacks or tailoring canvas, and distorted to make room for the growing plants that have seeded in amongst the fabric. The whole idea is beautiful and poignant, I’ve been thinking a lot about nature recently and this marries my two loves of nature and fashion beautifully. 

HALELUJA

 The first shop I noticed when I arrived on the streets of Brussels was Stijl. I had heard about this place and it certainly didn’t disappoint, stocking all favourite designers like Raf, Haider, and Ann; and not their most commercial garments, that have lost their excitement from the runway, like we seem to do here in London. It’s exciting flipping through the racks and makes you totally fall in love with design.

In London we could learn a thing or two from Sonja Noël; the razor sharp buyer with an eye for creative talent, that opened Brussels first fashion mecca, Stijl, 20 years ago. Last year Sonja opened a new set of doors, Haleluja. It’s impeccably designed space features hand picked designers from all over the world, creating sustainable garments, from ethically sourced cottons and silks to recycling.

 Sonja told me that as an entrepreneur you have to be bold and take risks, starting a new business takes years and years to build up and she’s ready for a new challenge. Halaluja is doing something truly revolutionary to fashion: proving that ethically sourced eco-friendly pieces are also desirable, contemporary and high fashion. After all, “sustainable clothes have to be desirable products, otherwise there’s no point in selling them.”

You can visit Haleluja on the Nieuwe Graanmarkt.