Edith Vervliet, head of the FFI

The Showroom Antwerp in NY was a succes. After Paris, the city that never sleeps was covered by Antwerp designers. Dries Van Noten & the other five stayed at home. This was the moment to shine of Stephan Schneider, Anna Heylen, Anke Loh, Indriz Jossa, Lenny Leleu, Marc-Philippe Coudreye and Peter Ceursters to show their pieces of art...

Edith Vervliet (photo), head of the Flanders Fashion Institute, is taking care of 'her' seven children. But will they eat out of the Big Apple?



Wat was the basic idea of the ASNY?
Edith V: "The concept of Showroom Antwerp is to show a mix of new talent with established names, which will increase the attractiveness. The magnificent panorama of New York that the Flanders House offers, gave a exceptional cachet to the event."

How was the NY experience?
Edith V: This first edition of Showroom Antwerp in NY has been mostly a lot of resonance in the press, both in the USA as in Belgium. There were 280 attendees at the opening of Antwerp showroom. It is clear that Antwerp is a strong brand and appeals to the U.S. market. But we are also aware that it is not so easy for buyers (potential outlets for designers: multi-label boutiques and department stores) about to come on.

Will there be a sequel?
Edith V: "Showroom Antwerp was set up to be continued, but obviously in the coming weeks we need to evaluate before deciding whether we'll go back in September 2010. Everything can always be improved and this also applies to the first edition of Showroom Antwerp NY. Our experience with Showroom Antwerp in Paris taught us that we need three to four seasons before the initiative is up and running. Rome wasn't built in one day ... Our ambition is to continue with Showroom Antwerp in Paris and New York."



What can we expect in the near future of the FFI?
Edith V: "We have some exciting things going on. From March 5th till the 9th the Antwerp Showroom runs during the Paris Fashion Week Autumn / Winter 2010-2011 women's collections.
Closer to home we look forward to Vitrine Antwerp in June. Designers show their work in shop windows and unique public spaces in the city of Antwerp. And recently FFI (together with Antwerp Tourism & Congress) created a new edition of the Antwerp Fashion Map launched in five languages (NL, F, E, D and Sp) and for sale at the info desks of Tourism Antwerp and Copyright Book Shop."
Thank you Edith, keep up the good work!


Diane von Fürstenberg came to visit the Antwerp Showroom in NY.