About the most sympathetic shop in Brussels

Do you have a friend who is so good-hearted, kind and mirthful you could not imagine anyone disliking them? One of those charming people who never cease to be joyful, except when they're angry, which they never seem to be without good sense and reason? For my part, I can think of maybe 2 or 3 people close to me who would fit that description. Flawless as they are, they're one of the grand mysteries of life. They're a bit like modern Jesuses. (Jesi?) You'd rather swallow a Nuremberg Chronicle in its entirety than intentionally upset them.

If by now you're thinking I'm trying to proselytize with all this religious chatter, don't worry. I'm not a very pious type of person. If Dante was even remotely on to something, the 6th circle of Hell is where I'll be spending my afterlife:

(Steam baths, alright! I can't wait.)

No, I'm merely expressing - in a clumsy metaphorical manner - my enchantment with LOwi, a shop in Brussels that is roughly the retail equivalent of the type of person mentioned above. LOwi is a relatively new store. The first time I visited was a few months ago at the occasion of the Modo Parcours. I mostly remember being enthralled by one of their beautifully crafted satchels.

The clothes left an impression as well. The selection (both for men and women) is small, but very nice. The brands (mostly Scandinavian) aren't your run of the mill standard names - you'll have a hard time finding them anywhere else in Brussels. The styles range from down to earth to classic to whimsical to sophisticated- whatever is to the owners' liking, basically. This might sound like utter style anarchy, but it all works great together.

I went to check out the sales at LOwi on my lunch break last week. Accessories and new selection excluded, everything was 30% off. (A small rack went up to 50%.) I found two beautiful woollen sweaters, one of them made by Mads Norgaard and knitted in Denmark, one of them from Maria Westerlind, a Swedish line that will soon be discontinued. It didn't carry a label of origin, so I asked the owner, Wietse, whether he knew where it was made. He deduced it was probably made in Portugal, which made it a-okay to me. I've barely taken it off since, it's so warm and soft and comfortable.

I explained Wietse my goal for 2012 and we had a great chat. I was glad to hear they get more and more customers with similar demands, and even more glad to learn that LOwi barely sells any brands that produce outside of Europe. While we were talking, I was once again mesmerized by the handbag that had caught my eye all those months ago. I asked where it was from, and he told me it was by Hester Van Eeghen, a Dutch designer. All of her work is designed in Holland and handcrafted in Milan. (I'll probably do a separate post on her somewhere in the future.)

I yielded. I've been on the lookout for a new bag, because I only have one right now. I love it, but it's not large enough to carry work documents. On top of that, I'm afraid it will wear out too quickly because I carry too much weight - my bags usually have a lifespan of 6 months. A vintage book satchel aside, my Sessùn bag was first real leather bag ever, and I'd like it to last. The Hester van Eeghen-satchel was designed to hold a laptop, so as far as size goes, it's perfect. It's sturdy, but dainty at the same time, thanks to its girly colours.

The bag wasn't on sale, but I still got a small discount, which I thought was a beautiful gesture. I sincerely think no one could wish for a better service than the one you get at LOwi. They're kind, humorous and most important of all: genuine. You're not just another number here. For example: I told Wietse my friend Eva (hi Eva!) bought a French Connection dress from them a little while ago. Not only did he remember her, he also recalled the friend accompanying her (hi Goele!), and when she was planning to wear the dress. Maybe it's just the workings of a good memory, but I'd rather think it's a sign of an authentic congenial approach to retail. One thing's certain: LOwi is sure of my affections.

Splurging at Icon

When I was a teenager, I passed by Icon on a daily basis, and yet it couldn't have been more removed from my own small sartorial world. (From 12 to 16 I bought H&M and a few fugly second hand finds, that was about it. Oh, and Brantano shoes! Now those were the days.) An acquaintance used to call Icon and the store next to it (now Hallelujah, a shop for ecological fashion; I don't remember the name back then but it sold Yoshi Yamamoto and the likes) 'the shops where nobody ever enters'. How they survived was a mystery to us, for 5 years long we didn't see as much as one soul venture inside.

This week I finally set foot in Icon. The window display looked original and alluring. Instead of showcasing clothing, an enchanting piece of art occupies the window. Obviously Icon doesn't really thrive on drawing in bypassers: their customers are more of the well-informed fashionista set (although we saw people of all ages and styles wandering inside).

Seen from the inside. The name of the artist was on their (frequenty updated) facebook page, but now I can't seem to find it.

I have a weak spot for light design - instant love for the lamps on the right.

The shop is larger than you'd expect from the outside: it runs all the way to the back, where a spacious room accomodates the dressing rooms. The big slouchy couch looks like a great prop for exhausted partners or co-shoppers. I didn't try it out, but boy did I want to. If I would own something like this, I would use it to host futuristic tea parties and movie nights on it every week:

The art and attention for detail is what makes Icon's interior stand out. This piece of art next to the dressing rooms makes me think of Marcel Duchamp, constructivism and cubism at the same time:

The trompe l'oeil embodies a certain playfulness you find in the store, I think. Beauty, thoughtful design, meant to have fun with. They sell brands like Acne, Isabel Marant , Phillip Lim and Vanessa Bruno, but also lesser-known designers. The garments go from classic to bold to statement with the snap of a finger. Icon is nowhere as stiff as my teenage self imagined it to be. The staff is well-informed and helpful - although I might be a bit prejudiced, because one of them actually went to school with me.

I bought two things, one of which can be justified by its functionality, the other by its sheer genius. The first is a wallet from Alexander Wang. My wallet was stolen about a year ago, and I've been using a borrowed one ever since. From my boyfriend's mother - who was excellent taste. When I saw this baby, I knew it was time to stop hoarding her possessions:

Told you I have a thing for lamps.

And books. Did I mention books?

I bought this wallet before I wrote my previous post on not buying anything produced outside of the EU. I only found out yesterday that Alexander Wang products proudly wear a 'Made in China'-label. At least he's not trying to hide it like so many other designers, but it still bummed me out.

The other object is a scarf from Unbreakable Evolution. It's slightly tacky, it's amazing, it's a little scandalous but not so that I can't wear it to work. It's a cashmere and silk blend with the most awesome. print. ever. (I've never owned anything cashmere before. Why didn't anyone bother to tell me it's like wearing sunlight spun to a delicate chiffon feeling?)

Unbreakable evolution is an Italian brand, but the label doesn't mention where it was made, which makes me fear the worst. I technically wasn't bound by my resolution at the moment I bought it, but it still feels like I flaked out. That doesn't stop me from enthusiastically pointing out to people I'm wearing a cloud of half-naked women around my neck. Super classy!

A bird's-eye view of Brussels and Gent shopping areas

I've got a ton of stores I want to talk about, but somehow don't get round to actually writing about them. So tonight, I decided to procrastinate productively and fooled around with Google Maps. I made a google map that lays out the main shopping areas in the centers of Brussels and Gent. It's not at all complete, so feel free to comment, suggest, ... I've added the stores I reviewed, so it's easy to get an oversight.

See Brussels shopping areas on a larger map

View Gent shopping areas on a larger map

Modo sales and a bracelet obsession

I'm writing this post a day late and a dollar short (quite literally). I went to the Modo Sales two weeks ago, but couldn't write about them since I was about to embark on my trip to Venice. The event takes place twice a year though, so I think it's worthwile sharing anyway.

The Modo Sales are an initiative by Modo Brussels, the organisation behind Modo Parcours (which I wrote about here) as well. Modo Brussels is doing a great job putting Brussels on the map fashion-wise. They very much increased the visibility of Brussels designers. Part of this are the sales they organise twice a year, during which designers can sell their overstock. This year sales took place on Friday the 18th & Saturday the 19th of November.

I thought I'd be smart and go during my lunch break on friday, thinking it would be less busy in the early hours. Turns out I was wrong. A lot of people were browsing, grabbing, checking labels, pulling out cash. A little too busy for my tastes. I found some dresses by Sandrina Fasoli I liked and waited what felt like an eternity in line for the dressing room to fit them. There weren't even that many people queueing, but there was only one (1!) dressing room (more like three curtains with a mirror inside). It took the middle-aged British lady in front of me forever and ever to make up her mind. She was constantly asking over one of the salespeople and asking for different sizes and his advice on this and that. He looked a little desperate by the end and couldn't help rolling his eyes to me when she called on him for the 7th time. I had trouble keeping a straight face when all I wanted to do was burst out laughing. The women behind me were seriously annoyed, though, and were muttering French curses more and more furiously as time flew by.

I rushed in and out when it was finally my turn (much to the relief of the people behind me) and returned the dresses. Their sizing was somewhat to small for me. I wanted to buy a black merino wool sweater with beautiful silver details, but a man from Sandrina told me I couldn't take it with me while I perused. I offered to take it to the register and buy it first, but much to my surprise this wasn't an option. You see, I didn't carry any cash, because the website advertised you could pay with debit & credit card. This was the first year the organisation had the option, but the designers had to sign some sort of contract for it, which the people from Sandrina Fasoli hadn't done. I was a little annoyed by this, but mostly because the guy in front of me seemed more preoccupied with upholding his artsy cool image than behaving in a customer-friendly way. Maybe it was just me.

I left the sweater behind and decided to hastely explore the back of the building. I got intrigued by the oh-so-light and gossamery jewelry of Vanessa Aerts. (She has a webshop too, so eat your heart out!) Her work is almost ethereal, but very modern and down to earth at the same time (mostly because she uses leather and modern shapes). She had some necklaces I very much liked, but I seem to have developed a slight obsession for bracelets these days and decided to buy this one:

Priced at 120 euros on the website (I paid 85). Mss Aerts was very nice and keen to help. She wrote down the amount I had to pay on one of her business cards and told me to take it to the register. On my way to pay (now very much pressed for time), I passed by Michael Guérisse O'Leary. I remembered his beautiful clutches sold by Valérie Berckmans and couldn't help taking a look. Perhaps I shouldn't have, because I saw yet another bracelet I wanted. He told me it was 20 euros (the original cost was about 60 euros) and gave me a business card as well.

My hurray-I'm-buying-pretty-things-glee soon faded away when the lady at the register told me I couldn't pay with a credit card after all, because of some or other bureaucratic problem. This would've probably pissed me off if she hadn't been so very nice and apologetic about it. Stupidly enough, the money I had on my debit card could only be accessed by internet. I had to go and tell I couldn't pay for the bracelets. Mss Aerts kindly offered to put it aside until I could come back for it, which I accepted. When I told Michael Guérisse O'Leary about my problems, he was really sympathetic. He gave me his bank account number so I could make a deposit later in the day and told me I could take the bracelet with me. I hesitated about putting this online, because people abuse kindness all too often, but it was too kindhearted a thing not to share.

Luckily, I was able to access my bank account after work, so I quickly returned to buy both bracelets. I'm a sentimental baby and I can get really touched by random acts of trust, so I stopped by the Pain Quotidien to get Michael a raspberry tartlet. That's what karma will buy you, people.

SO after all the trouble, the loot. I couldn't find a place to photograph them well, and than my eye fell on this little guy. He's an old gift from friends and you have to admit: he's quite fierce. Look at him smizing!

Yeah, I had a fantasy phase. Didn't you?

Guilt free splurging: the flea market in Brussels

Sunday in Belgium (otherwise a most godless country) is still a day of rest, much to my frustration. Basically, the choice is between hiking, visiting family or brushing up on your art knowledge in an overcrowded museum. Or you can go to the Marolles/Marollen in Brussels! It's a pretty poor but colourful and fascinating neighbourhood that has one big attraction: the flea market at the Vossenplein/Place du Jeu de balle. (It's surrounded by cool cafés, by the way.)

If you can't take a bit of chaos, this might not be the place for you. Some of the vendors carefully display their goodies, others just throw them on a blanket and some just sell straight out of cardboard boxes.

Stylish, right? You'll see this kind of installations every weekday (Saturdays and Sundays can get quite busy, especially when the weather is nice) from 7 am to 2 pm. When closing time is near, one of the cardboard vendors will usually give a signal that everything he displays can be taken away for free. It'll be mostly old cutlery and fake porcelaine, but it's always fun to watch the frantic searching and grabbing.

There's few things you won't find at the Vossenplein. Some of the clothing (especially the ones with labels - we spotted a beautiful Max Mara coat, too bad it was made for a woman the size of an elephant) is lucky enough to come with hangers and racks, but most if it form soft piles of thrifting discipline on the unforgiving ground. This kind of piles of clothing scares me at Zara during the sales as well as here:

I mean, for all you know there could be a small Bulgarian family living underneath those layers. Or a rabies infested dog looking for a nice nest. I'm all for budget buys, but I ain't risking my hands for them.

This looks safer, too bad most of the shoes are pretty fugly:

Diagnosed with bad eyesight or desperate for a bit of geek chique? These glasses are probably as cheap as they come!

If you buy perfumes just because of the pretty bottle, you can save yourself some money right here:

There's also quite the collection of old suitcases and leather purses:

Fur coats to imagine you stem from Russian nobility:

That white coat! Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Look at this:

Now tell me there isn't a resemblance! Me thinks Leandra Medine could do a really great styling with this.

If you're not really the vulture type, common magpies will love the array of trinkets:

Last week I found this bracelet on the blanket in the middle:

I'm not usually into gold and swirly whatevers, but I kinda liked this one. It got me some compliments too, mostly from men. One of them told me it looked like something straight out of Lord of the Rings, so I styled it on a gollum-like creature:

He was thrilled, obviously.

Anyway, back to the market. Just some random scarves:

There's a booth with some really nice hats, too. There's a little mirror and people trying every hat they can find. I bought the one in the middle of the picture, black with a small leather bow. (If I get lice out of this, I'm killing the friend who talked me into buying it.) Don't try to haggle, the guy selling them will yell at you because you're crazy and he's already selling these handmade hats way under their price, I mean, you couldn't even pay for the material for that kind of money let alone the working hours! But other than that, he's nice.

And finally, I found a kick-ass crystal cocktail shaker.

Again, I'm not the gold-and-crystal kind of gal, but I liked this. Got it for a bargain too, my mom (ever the budget conscious woman) was real proud. It wasn't until I got home that I realised it looked a little like the bottle of one of my favorite perfumes:

Maybe from now on I'll drink Petite Chérie and spray myself with a zesty cosmopolitan. Hope you had a great weekend as well!

Coups de foudre in Brussels and Bologna

I had this really thoughtful and well considered plan for my winter wardrobe: I was going to buy a tartan/check blouse, a duffle coat, jeans and warm boots. I even made a polyvore set out of it, just to remind myself that this was the plan and I should stick to it:

I don't know how I did it, but the past two days I spent almost my entire november clothing budget on totally different objects. The first one was a bracelet, bought at Mapp. friday night. They were part of the Modo Parcours. We only did the rue Léon Lepage/Léon Lepagestraat, and some stores in the Rue de Flandre/Vlaamse Steenweg. There was a lot to be seen - and drunk, mostly champagne. Martin Margiela served theirs in plastic cups. Not that I mind a bit of tackiness, but still a weird choice, considering the cheaper stores did make an effort to, you know, rent glasses. Maybe it was a postmodern statement and I totally missed the point. I have the impression Léon Lepage is quickly becoming the new Dansaert, by the way. The latter is being invaded by more known brands and the former is buzzing with hip and young designers. I'll do some reviews on them later on, but this post is going to be long enough as it is.

I liked the clothing selection in Mapp., but the accessories were what really caught my eye. The selection of necklaces especially was great. Expensive, of course, but absolutely beautiful. Then my eye fell on this bracelet: simple, romantic, in sale. Just the way I love my jewelry.

It's by Médecine Douce Paris. Quite expensive, but it was a typical coup de foudre. Half my wardrobe consists of coups de foudre, now that I think of it. Trying to combine things is always a disaster. I have zero vision when it comes to buying clothing, but it doesn't stop me from sitting in front of my closet, happily eyeing all of my darlings. Kind of how I imagine Anna Dello Russo spending her days when she's not causing a ruckus at fashion weeks.

I spent the rest of my money on shoes yesterday. I'm currently in Bologna, visiting my boyfriend, who got a grant to study and do research here for a year. He told me upon his arrival that it was a great city for shopping, and I have to say, he has an eye for these things. The coolest thing about Bologna is that there's not really sidewalks, but porticos. Wikipedia tells me the city is famous for it:

In total, there are over 45 kilometres of arcades, some 38 in the city center. The longest portico in the world, about 3.5 km (2 mi), extends from the edge of the city to Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca.

(We're planning on walking to the sanctuary tuesday, even though I was practical enough not to bring any proper walking shoes.) The effect is lovely. This is what shopping in Bologna looks like:

Charming, isn't it? Just out of sight are two old ladies who took offense in my boyfriend's bag being in their way and bumping into him in the rudest way possible. Feisty.

Shopping seems to be a big part of life here. It's food - clothing - bars - book shops everywhere you look. Aimed to please ladies of leisure from all over the world! The shops are really cool, too, not the thirteen in a dozen you'll usually find in cities this size. In a short walk around the city we managed to pass by a myriad of independent perfumeries (one of which was called Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, you have to appreciate the morbid sense of humour), a Muji, lots of jewelry stores, a Borsalino outlet, unaffordable luxury, ... The best thing about Bologna are the shoe shops, though. A wide selection, okay prices and great quality. When I saw this pair of United Nude in Daniele Ancarani in the Via San Vitale, I couldn't resist:

The picture doesn't quite capture them, but they're lovely and really comfortable. I walked 3km in them earlier and I don't feel a thing! The price was slightly lower than the online price, too. I did feel a bit stupid buying them, because I couldn't really chat with the shop assistant - who was excessively nice otherwise. She even managed to look classy while wearing grey sweatypants, which is a pretty impressive achievement in my book.

Some other pictures:

The Borsalino outlet. I wanted to try on a hat consisting of peacock feathers, but decided not to when I saw the price. I don't want to mess up an 800 euros hat. Also, I was under severe pressure by my boyfriend, who gets stressed by walking into a store and not buying anything. Pansy. :)

Fabulous ice cream just around the corner! I love how they make little flowers out of ice cream instead of scooping. A little gay, but pretty.

That's it for now. If anyone's got tips for Bologna, be it food or shopping, I'll be glad to hear them!

You never really know a city

The coolest thing about cities is the endless discovery options. I love the countryside (I've had my fair share of catching grashoppers and digging ponds), but someday I'd like to live in a city where you can easily go to a different bar or restaurant every day of the year, year after year, without reruns. I'd probably be overwhelmed by the choice and end up staying in every night, watching Twilight twice a week to connect with my angsty inner self (just the first one though, the others suck*), but still!

Brussels it's cool, but it's not up there with Berlin, Paris or London. I don't want to pretend I know Brussels through and through - I don't, really, there's neighbourhoods I've never even walked in. I do think I know the Dansaert area pretty well, however. I went to high school there, met up with friends many a time for drinks, eating and random stupidities and now I work just around the corner. And yet, even though I drank my first cosmopolitan (and many after that) in a great bar in the Rue des Chartreux/Kartuizersstraat, I somehow managed to completely neglect a cuter than cute store right at the end of it.

I'm talking about Valérie Berckmans' shop in the Rue Van Artevelde/Arteveldestraat, which I only discovered because the window display caught my eye when I accidentally got off the bus there. It's simple, minimalistic and colourful at the same time. This photo from Zone02 paints a clear picture:



The white cabinet you see is chock-full of shoes and accessories like gloves, buttons and clutches by Michael Guérisse O'Leary. The clutches especially were remarkable - colourful and refined, handmade apparently, but really not that expensive. 85 euros I think? Still a lot of money to most people, but considering the quality, it's a bargain. The buttons were nice, too, with original designs. They were priced between 4-12 euros.

As for the clothes, they feel like a grown up version of the Who's That Girl-style. Less crazy patterns, but the same casual retro feel. Simple, clear cuts; nice materials. They all felt very natural, my guess is you won't find anything too synthetic here. The prices were a bit steep, but some items were on sale and the discounts were great. Definitely inspiration material, even for those who can't afford it. By the way, you have to ring the bell to get in. Sounds a little snobby, but the owner is really nice and helpful, from what I witnessed. And for those who don't really care for Brussels or never get around to it: when I checked the website, I noticed that Twiggy in Gent, which I blogged about here, sells Valérie Berckmans' clothing as well.

Didn't buy anything but I'll probably go back for some buttons - they make the perfect little gift!



*(Okay, the first one sucks too, but you've got to give me something!)