Belgians in Paris - A triumphant lookback at Paris Fashion Week

This season of Paris Fashion Week the Belgians were omnipresent. On the PFW official calendar alone, there were no less than 7 Belgian brands, alongside 5 Belgian creative directors for international houses and 4 designers with a Belgian background or education. Next to many other shows, presentations and showrooms by Belgians designers and brands in the city.

Finale of the show by Julie Kegels during Paris Fashion Week

For Belgian designers and brands, Paris Fashion Week is still the number one place to go and present their work. Closeby, accurately curated and ideally staged for the eyes of the world.

Belgians on the official calendar 

Julie Kegels, Dries Van Noten (with creative director Julian Klausner), Marie Adam-Leenaerdt, Christian Wijnants, Florentina Leitner (Austrian but based in Antwerp), Façon Jacmin (making their PFW debut) and Meryll Rogge were all included in this season's official calendar. Next to several Belgian designers working as creative directors for big fashion houses: Anthony Vaccarello for Saint Laurent, Nicolas Di Felice for Courrèges, Pieter Mulier for Alaïa, Glenn Martens for Maison Margiela and (French-Belgian) Mathieu Blazy for Chanel. Various other brands and designers with Belgian roots or studies at the Antwerp Academy or La Cambre Brussels, were also selected for the calendar, such as Ann Demeulemeester, Veronique Leroy, Julien Dossena for Rabanne and Noir Kei Ninomiya.

Belgians in the picture

This season Flanders District of Creativity worked with two prominent fashion critics and opinion leaders in fashion:
Journalist and content creator Susanna Lau (@susiebubble) was the inspiring voice who followed some of the upcoming (and female) generation in the Belgian industry: Julie Kegels, Marie Adam-Leenaerdt, Bernadette and Meryll Rogge.
Fashion critic and content creator Hanan Besovic (@ideservecouture) covered the shows of the Belgian labels on the official calendar.

Julie Kegels x Marie Jo x Scapa

#belgiansinparis is a recurring action dedicated to celebrating Belgian fashion during Paris Fashion Week. The goal is to spotlight Belgian creativity and bring together the many talents shaping the fashion industry—both in Belgium and abroad.

After previous editions with Meryll Rogge and Florentina Leitner, Flanders District of Creativity now collaborated with Julie Kegels, supporting her in the development of two exciting collaborations for her SS26 collection 'Quick Change' : one with Scapa and one with Marie Jo. Both collaborations playfully sharpended the collection and were unveiled during her fourth show in Paris, on September 29.

'Belgian fashion is characterised by boldness, individuality, and an inquiring mind. Often the most interesting moments arise just outside one's comfort zone. Challenging tradition creates excitement.' - Julie Kegels

Julie Kegels collaborated with Marie Jo's design team and seamstresses on various lingerie-inspired items. Kegels chose deadstock materials from Marie Jo Avero, the iconic lingerie set with checkered patterns and daisy straps that celebrates its 30th anniversary next year. This resulted in five exclusive designs – from bras to bodysuits – each underlining the common values of both parties: know-how, craftsmanship and sustainability.

With a shared love for timeless design and Belgian craftsmanship, Julie Kegels also joined forces with Scapa Sports, to reissue a true style archetype: the Scapa Sports polo shirt, originally released in the summer of 1999. This collaboration bridges generations, reinterpreting the iconic polo shirt from a contemporary perspective by adding refined details.

#belgiansinparis

Because Paris wouldn’t be Paris without an apéro, Flanders District of Creativity warmly invited Belgian designers, brands, experts, as well as friends and fans of Belgian fashion to join in an inspiring evening of connecting and sharing experiences, visions and drinks. The evening was hosted by Inge Grognard, Elke Hoste and Tony Delcampe and was attended by more than 150 guests.