Let's sale!

Antwerp is covered, like the rest of Europe, with pure white joy! During these cold wintertimes you can warm up with a search for the best sales in town. If you want to find some real good bargains, go to the Sint-Antoniusstraat 12. There you'll find the Walter Shop, the business of the most colorful designer of the Antwerp Six and head of the Fashiondepartement of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Antwerp: Walter Van Beirendonck. It's not just sales, but TOTAL sales due to enlargements. Be quick, because it will stop at the 25th of this month! Sales up to 75%!!!



The January-sales is a period when we never go and do some Personal Shopping, because you cannot give the exclusive personal service when people are standing in a queue to just get into the fittingrooms. No, we start our business again in February with a brand new and fresh item. You'll read more about it soon-soon-soon!

Famous Face-off

If there is one Antwerp Designer who's the most mysterious one of them all: than we're talking about Martin Margiela. As a former student of the Royal Academy of Antwerp in '79, he started in the '80s as a design assistent for Jean-Paul Gaultier in Paris. In 1988 he started his own label called 'Maison Martin Margiela', based in Paris.
The succes of this fabulous house you'll find in the simplicity: everyone is an important part in the proces of fashion: whether you're the head designer or the cleaning lady, they all contribute to the organisation of making clothes.


His global victory translates into many shops all over the world: Paris, Munich, New York, Beverly Hills, Milano, Moscow, Dubai, London and ofcourse Brussels, Belgium!

Famous wears famous


Michelle Obama wears his special shoes...

Jay Z even sings about the designer. The song "Run this Town" mentoins the House of Martin. Take a look at this clip and find out.



Paris Hilton wears his famous 'Incognito' sunglasses. A flat uniform lens runs over the front and sides of the face like black strip concealing the wearer's identity.
A step from Miss Hilton to Barbie is a very small one. For the 50th anniversary celebration of the doll (I'm talking about Barbie from Matel) several world famous designers like Karl Lagerfeld, Christian Lacroix, Jean Paul Gaultier and Martin Margiela made unique outfits for the little mother of all dolls. Here's Martin's interpretation of Barbie in Margiela clothes...

Barbie in the famous 'Wig-Coat' of Maison Martin Margiela

October 2008

Starting in the mid-eighties, Martin wanted to stay out of the spotlights. Fashion itself is more important than the looks of the designer, he said. He could hide his face untill fall 2008. The New York Times revealed an old photo of 1997 of Mister Margiela. That was the end of the mystery...

Moreese.com

Maurice Engelen is not a new kid on the block. Crazy shows full of music and lights with a slide of (for some people) shocking material: that's what you can expect of this master in electronic music. For many years he performs with different people under the names of Praga Khan and Lords of Acids. You can find his music on sountracks of 'Basic Instinct' and 'Sliver'. This time he's back with a splendid new and fresh show with ... Michel Janssen!



In the summer of 2009 Maurice was visiting all kinds of festivals to find the right crew for his new show. In Michel he found a fantastic dancer and a great singer. So now he's playing throughout Flanders the leading roll in the new show 'Moreese.com'. Searching for your creativity and keeping the child within is what the show is all about.



Ofcourse the clothes are very important when you're on stage. Michel is totally dressed in 'Les Hommes' as you can see. Simple cut T-shirt and wide pants, even the belt is from this Belgian duo: Tom notte and Bart Vandebosch (both former students at the Royal Academy of Fashion, Antwerp)



Tickets To Win!

I'm very proud when I see him on stage, so i want to share it with you guys. One person can win two tickets for the show in Turnhout on Tuesday the 12th of January IF you can tell me which constellation Maurice and Michel share.
Send us the right answer to gids@tanguyottomer.com. The winner will be anounced on monday the 11th! GO-GO-GO!!

Visit the website for tourdata: Moreese.com

Tanguy Ottomer

Queen Paola of Belgium

In 1959 the house of Delvaux gave Princess Paola a special designed bag called Le grand Bonheur as a wedding present. At the end of the fifties Delvaux held the royal warrant again and they still do. The Princess became a Queen and she, along the whole Royal Family of Belgium, carries a lot of luxureous bags of this wonderful House.




A few weeks ago our Queen visited the exhibition "Delvaux: 180 years of Belgian luxury" in the Fashionmuseum of Antwerp. Open from 10-18 Tuesday-Sunday. Go and visit just untill the 21st of February!




Thank you for the photo's MoMu Facebook

Christmas Big Time

There are many ways to get in your personal christmas mood. Some people donate money to charity, others will buy some presents for loved ones. Another fine way to get into the right mood is to visit the 'Stadsfeestzaal'.



Built in 1907, this monument had one main goal: hosting parties for the city. Different ballroom dances, fairs, graduationparties and Christmas markets. We all enjoyed it and have many exciting memories of this palace of parties. But then in the early morning on the 28th of december 2000 something horrible happend. The whole place burned down...




It's a date many citizens of Antwerp still remember. Another pearl of a monument we lost in this lovely town.
But then in oktober 2007 this magical place was completely rebuilded and renovated like never before. We were extremely happy with the result and we all can enjoy it every day of the week, exept on sundays.
Nowadays it's one of Europe's most wonderful shoppingcenters. The large offer of different shops is a plus. The first Urban Outfitters of the European continent, Antwerps very first Nike shop and ofcourse Cos.

Be Cos
The upscale version of H&M with lovely costumes for men and fancy dresses for the ladies, all at acceptable prices. The staff is treating you like a king, which is always nice.
During our personal shopping sprees we often pass by this Cos-y shop. The way they help us and our clients, is almost unique in it's way. A drink, a chat and the right help for the perfect outfit: splendid!

It's good to be a boy!

Not so long ago we were looking and laughing with the craziness of the queue of fashionistas in front of H&M for the special designs of Jimmy Choo. Waiting early in the morning with many raindrops falling on their heads. It was fun to watch on the other side of the street ... under an umbrella!



The whole collection was sold out in no-time, what did you expect?
This week I was going for a shopwalk in this wonderful fashioncity. I passed H&M and believe it or not, I saw the last three articles of Mr Choo for men! Black shoes, beautiful, the right price and they were in my size! Grab, pay & enjoy. I tell you, it's great to be a boy in Antwerp City!

Will fashion save the world?

Hannelore Knuts for Weekend Knack

A good cause is always good. When you're helping endangered species or your grandma with her groceries: you are trying to make the world a better place. And that is something we all should encourage.
DAA, Designers Against Aids, is a born-in-Belgium-project since 2004. This great organisation known all over the world wants to make young people aware of the effect of unsafe sex. Several international celebs like Tokio Hotel, Katy Perry, Roisin Murphy, Pharrell Williams/N.E.R.D., Estelle, Yoko Ono, Dita Von Teese, Dangerous Muse, Cyndi Lauper, Yelle, Robyn and Katharine Hamnett, they all participated with designing T-shirts for DAA- H&M.

Take a look at one of Belgium's finest models, Hannelore Knuts her video for safe sex...

Kiehl's for Beauty-President!

Kiehl's, based in New York since 1851 and now spread all over the world, started as a sort of beauty pharmacy. They present you the best products for skin & hair. Their very first shop in Belgium is located in ... ofcourse Antwerp! In the shoppingarea "Wilde zee" (the Wild Sea) are no cars allowed, so it's very nice to walk in these streets and let yourself go on your shoppingspree. But for the ladies with great heels, be carefull, the pavement is a little adventure on your 'higher level'...



They have many excellent products for women, men and even for babies. My personal favorite product is this wonderful parfum called "Forest Rain". But the greatest advantage when you just visit the shop, is the friendly staff. They will explain everything to you over and over, and they won't lose their smile...



Kiehl's
Lombardevest 80
2000 Antwerpen
+32 (0)3 226 14 60

Malice in Wonderland

On a rainy evening in Antwerp, there was a magical place where you could find out and get to know the fantastic world of 'Malice in Wonderland'. Location: Boulevard Leopold, a splendid Bed & Breakfast right in the middle of the jewish neighbourhood of Antwerp. Evy Gruyaert presented her very first collection of juwelery...



For centuries, pigs have been used for the extraction of truffles. Their exquisite sense of smell and their natural affinity for rooting into the earth for food, makes them the perfect truffle hunters. This time, they have a smell for fashion.
The magical journey of Malice in her own wonderland makes you feel like visiting a fairytale. The setting was very smooth and right. Names like 'Fairy Tale gone bad','Mister & Misses Ego' and 'Stupid Cupid' makes you feel like buying the whole collection...

The realistic dreamer

Stylist and Fashiondesigner Harald Ligtvoet (°1975) presented his first complete collection "I'm a dreamer" at a magnificent location: an abandoned church in Antwerp. His wonderful collection is a trip back into the fourties and fifties, when fashion was all about being sexy and elegant...



Born in a little Flemish village called Hamont-Achel, Harald studied back in the nineties first photography. Later he started fashion at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Antwerp but quitted after one year. "Not really my cup of tea" he said. Happily his creativity was too big, so he started to study fashion in the city of Sint-Niklaas. He finished in 2003 with the highest (!!) grades ever seen in that school... Do we need to say more?




After he saw the faces of all his guests at the show during a standing ovation, Harald just knew it for sure: I want to dress women in a very elegant and nostalgic way. Although he's a stylist for many years, this is the best way to express his creativity... Let's hope he will soon start a men's collection...



Feel like buying his very first collection? Be quick, because there is a chance that all this will be sold out in no time! This saturday and sunday 28-29 of november from 11am till 6pm you can find his pieces of art exclusively at Mood Shapers in Antwerp.

Mood Shapers
Minderbroedersrui 9
2000 Antwerp

Met dank voor de foto's van de defilé: Ellen Goovaerts

The Shopping Fifties

These november days can be very wet & cold. If you're looking for a shelter in style, go to one of the cozy shoppingcenters in the city. "de nieuwe gaanderij" (the 'new' gallery was build in 1954) is situated between the Korte Gasthuisstraat and the Huidevettersstraat. This fifties-modern shoppingarea has a great mix of different fashion-goals. You'll find a children's shoestore, an optician, a cosmeticary-store and many other small & lovely shops.


(An Demeulemeester-Marina Yee-Walter van Beirendonck)
(Dries Van Noten-Dirk Van Saene-Dirk Bikkembergs)

Did you know that two of the Antwerp Six, Dries Van Noten and Dirk Van Saene, had their very first shop in this gallery back in the eighties? Well, now you do!

Jimmy "Red Carpet" Choo

No red carpet at the Meir last saturday altough the young luxurybrand Jimmy Choo launched a more affordable collection for H&M. Brussels and ofcourse Antwerp were the only cities in Belgium where you could queue for some madness. The first person at the door was already there for over 24 houres (!!). The whole collection was sold out in no time. What did you expect?






Astrid (21) didn't queue with all the freaks, she was smiling at all the craziness on this early saturdaymorning. As a fashionstudent of the famous Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Antwerp, she was just interested as a spectator, not as a buyer. My eyes couldn't resist her shoes. "I bought these at a little granny-shop somewhere at the seacoast" she told me... Grandma's can look cool, I tell ya.

Let's Fall in love...

Whenever I feel like a little break on one of my shoppingsprees at the most expensive street in Belgium called 'Schuttershofstraat', I go to this wonderful place to have a nice break: "The Botanique" aka botanical garden of Antwerp. In this two hundred years old garden you will find some herbs that are protected by the law! It's located in the heart of the Quartier Latin with the Bourla in the middle (the old French operahouse).



The garden is open from 8 am till 6 pm. Go & enjoy the Fall! I know I will...

The Emperor of the Antwerp Fashion

Since 1989, Dries Van Noten has his first flagshipstore in the heart of what we call these days the fashiondistrict. The MoMu is just one block away, Walter Van Beirendonck two streets.
Not only is Dries a remarkable designer, but he's also a very clever businessman. With his atelier at 'het eilandje of Antwerp' (a smaller version of the docklands of London) he's got a wonderful team working with him. One of the most important facts to attract customers into your store, is to have an amazing window. Well, every time they change the windows, every fashionista is wondering what it will be this time at Dries...

No copies possible?

The great and extravagant designer Alexander McQueen created funny-shaped but fantastic new shoes for his collection of spring/summer 2010. Let's hope women will wear them!

Royal Luxury

The house of Delvaux (the fashion company, not the painter) is more than just a famous house of leather handbags. They started their travel goods production in 1829, just one year before Belgium was founded. The MoMu couldn't let this pass by of course, so they put a great exhibition together where you can travel through fashion years in a wonderful environment...









Go and visit, it's still there untill february the 22nd 2010!