Wandering in some small streets already covered between the shops of Anvers famous designers. Let’s have a break with fashion now and surf in narrow stress, with Virgin at buildings fronts corners. Northen light and southern slow motion. Beautiful weather. Chiseled roofs and tulips sloping by the North wind remind the nearby Holland. Slowly walking to the river banks till the port. Ballad song. For infos about Anvers.
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Posted in "On the road again"
Tagged Antwerp, Architecture, Ballad, Belgium, City Guide, City Walk, Europe, Harbour, Medieval City, The Old Town, Travel, Walk
Till August the 16th 2009, at the Antwerp Fashion Museum, MoMu: “Paper Fashion“. A samll museum with really refined exhibitions. Who’s ever known Tapa? Me absolutely not! Tapa is the pioneer of paper, made by the Ituri, Pygmy of Congo. Matter softer than Papyrus, painted by women under hallucinogenics. Wow! A resume of men history in an exhibition gathering pop art, artists, fashion designers, restoration of Japanese Edo era’s clothes etc… A real pleasure! The scenography is simple and fun. An eclectic walk in times and cultures for our eyes. « Light » as a sheet of paper! And for all like me who doesn’t read captions at exhibitions, enjoy reading the small booklet at a table outside, under the spring sunshine! Quick and interesting! MoMu: Nationalstraat28/B, 2000 Antwerp
The letter: “Airmail Dress”, Hussein Chalayan
The underground: Travis Hutchison’s pictures
Pleats: Issey Myake’s “8 Dresses In Pleats Paper”
Poetry: “Uptown NY”, Allen Ginsberg
The tribute: to Anna Piaggi (dress: JCDC, cape: Angela et Giovanni Grimoldi, hat: Stephen Jones and vintage stick)
The restoration: Edo era Kamiko coat, Japan
Pop animals… Lost the caption: Mademoiselle you‘re not seroius!
Sixties: Fancy Color, dress to color (inspired by Warhol and Nico)
The symbol: Twins Towers, picture of Sara Caplan
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Posted in "On the road again", Arts, Fashion/Mode
Tagged Allen Ginsberg, Andy Warhol, Anna Piaggi, Antwerp, Atopos, Belgium, Bob Verhelst, City Guide, Congo, Culture, Edo, Exhibition, Fashion Museum Antwerp, Giovanni Grimoldi, Hussein Chalayan, Issey Myake, Ituri, Japan, JCDC, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, Kamiko, MoMu, New York, Nico, Nineties, Paper Dresses, Paper Fashion, Photographers, Pictures, Pleats, Prints, Pygmy, Sara Caplan, Sixties, Stephen Jones, Tapa, Travis Hutchison, Twins Towers, Vassilius Zidianakis, Vintage
Since the playground, you’ve been rocked by the Belgium gifted fashion designers of the prestigious Modeacademie of Antwerp, like Martin Margiela & cie…? Rush to Anvers for a plenty day dedicated to fashion culture and shopping. First, go to the Antwerp hottest street, the Nationalestraat, thanks to Dries Van Noten who was the first designer to open a shop there. And visit the MoMu, the famous Fashion Museum of Antwerp, based in the ModeNatie building (an old huge warehouse). The big hall of the museum looks like a German expresionnist movies set. The exhibition: Paper Fashion, till August the 16th. My prefered piece: this Darvadore-origami dress (picture below).
“Place of pilgrimage”: Dries Van Noten’s flagship (I really like!). Cool welcome like in Paris! No comment, fortunately there was one nice seller. For the gossip: a long time ago, Dries Van Noten family used to own warehouses in this area. That’s why he choose to base his flagship in this neighbourhood. Dries Van Noten: Nationalestraat 16, 2000 Antwerp
Yohji Yamamoto is not a gratuate of the Antwerp ModeAcademie, but his shop is adjacent to the MoMu: so chic, isn’t it! Yohji Yamamoto: Maria-Theresialei 17, 2000 Antwerp
Walter, the concept store of the most unclassifiable Belgian fashion designer, Walter Van Beirondonck. Warm welcome in a great place, where you can find the Men and Women collections of Bernard Wilhelm and my Darling Eley Kishimoto and discover the designer of the great “Clay Furniture” serie, Maarten Baas (the second picture below). Walter Van Beirendonck: St.Antoniusstraat 12, 2000 Antwerp
Now back to the Nationalestraat, stop at those two charming shops. Lila Grace: for trendy bohemian soulfoul women mix hyppie chic with fifties pin-up feminity. Lila Grace: Nationalestraat 83, 2000 Anvers. Access: to make really nice colourful gifts, like lovely candles, refined decoration items and sugar formed from butterfly. Access: Nationalestraat 75, 2000 Antwerp
Louis, with a really refined selection: Lanvin, Balenciaga, Margiela… Louis: Lombardenstraat 2, 2000 Antwerp
Princess is a huge maze store with a superb dome. Different atmospheres and decorations for each ranges (women, casuel, children). Great volumes. And don’t forget to look at the outfits! Me I’ve simply forgotten! Don’t worry it’s a high range multibrands, with Marc Jacobs… There are many shops, including Princess Blue: with my now crush designer Sophia Kokosalaki (you can find her collection almost everywhere in Antwerp).
Philip’s Biscuits: traditional delicious shortbread biscuits! Oups I’ve forgetten the Flemish name! Antwerp classics. Philip’s Biscuits: Korte Gasthuisstraat 11, 2000 Antwerp
If like us, you’ve walked six hours: relax at the Verso Café‘s tables outside. The front of the building reminds me Milan. For: those enjoy Armani Café in Saint Germain des Près, in Paris. The home made hamburgers are impressive (not tasted). And if you don’t get enough of shopping, Verso first is a high range multibrands for men and women (Roberto Cavalli, Giambattista Valli, Kris Van Assche…)! Verso Café: Lange Gasthuisstraat 11, 2000 Antwerp
Check this when you will go dowstairs to the very dark toilettes of Verso: there is a thick huge door of an old safe (like in 1920’s) where you can have dinner. If you are claustrophobic, forget it!
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Posted in "On the road again", Fashion/Mode, Shopping in...
Tagged Access, Antewerpen, Antwerp, Artist, Balenciaga, Belgium, Bernard Wilhelm, Boutiques, Café, Cakes, Concept Store, Dries Van Noten, Eley Kishimoto, Exhibition, Fashion Designer, Fashion Museum Antwerp, Fashion Paper, Flanders, Giambattista Valli, Kriss Van Assche, Lanvin, Lila Grace, Louis, Maarten Baas, Maison Martin Margiela, Marc Jacobs, Meir, Modeacademie, ModeNatie, MoMu, Mutibrands, Nationalestraat, Pastry, Philip's Biscuits, Princess, Princess Blue, Ready-to-Wear, Roberto Cavalli, Shopping, Shops, Speculos, The Old Town, Trends, Verso, Verso Café, Walter, Walter Van Beirendonck, Yohji Yamamoto
