Fashion destination Antwerp. Hardly any other city in Europe has fulfilled its pioneering role in fashion more convincingly and consistently during the past few decades. And the mother of all this success? The Antwerp Academy of Fine Arts, which, believe it or not, is celebrating its 350th anniversary this year. Probably the most important European hotbed for designers achieved fame and glory the legendary ‘Antwerp Six’, who spread their wings and ventured further afield to put Belgian design on the fashion map. And the fact that Antwerp’s streetscape is still visibly profiting from this legacy is something we saw for ourselves during our trip to the city on the River Scheldt.
Plus:
Bruno Pieters attended the traditional school of the Antwerp Academy of Fine Arts, and also made an international career as a designer – recently at Hugo Boss as the art director of ‘Hugo’. Now he has returned to Antwerp to launch his high-end collection called ‘Honest by’, which offers something other labels don’t: complete transparency along the entire production chain – including the pricing policy. London journalist Oliver Horton spoke to the Belgian about his vision of ‘cleaner’ fashion.
Nick Ashley, son of the legendary Laura Ashley, also had a vision. Two years ago, when Manchester’s last coat factory was on the brink of collapse, he joined forces with a couple of friends to prevent its closure, resulting in the birthing hour of menswear label Private White V.C. Oliver Horton met up with him at the label’s flagship store on Lamb’s Conduit Street in London…
… before catching up with Javid Alavi, founder of the sixties cult brand Merc – also in the British capital. Javid brought his daughter Soraya Alavi and consultant Miles Gray along with him for a chat about tailoring in the year 2013, the Carnaby Street of the past and present as well as the eternal fascination with all things Mod.
And:
Are fashion and humour mutually exclusive? Not at all, according to J’N’C author Fredericke Winkler. In her essay ‘Fashion is…laughing in spite of it all’, you can read why high-fashion labels like Comme des Garçons, Jean Paul Gaultier, Gareth Pugh and even Prada are not above a bit of self-mockery now and again, and why nothing is more flattering than courage and composure.
Speaking of which: the J’N’C photo shoots in this issue feature a range of interesting characters, ranging from rockabillies, Amish people, grungers and minimalists. So those of you wishing to make a bold fashion statement are just as likely to find inspiration as the advocates of a more laid-back, relaxed style. And the same goes for the 32 street styles that we captured on camera from Paris to Copenhagen, as well as the four shop portraits, in Munich, London, Helsinki and Hong Kong.
Curious?
J’N’C Magazine 3/2013 is available from selected newsagents and from our online shop.
