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Haute – à-Porter exhibition at the Modemuseum Hasselt, BE

I am thrilled for having paid a visit to the Haute – à-Porter exhibition at the Modemuseum Hasselt. It runs until this Sunday so you’d better make it because saying that it’s so worthy is an understatement. The iconic pieces I saw are a must for any fashion villain, blogger, personality, fashion lovers, and even haters.

I’d like to break down in three the reasons why I loved so much this exhibition. I’ll start with the pleasure of seeing works of John Galliano so extensively. I haven’t found much of his work exhibited fashion exhibition I’ve been to, and I’ve been to a great many. Seclusion perhaps? Who knows. Galliano’s brilliance is displayed to celebrate him and it feels very good. One of the most iconic moments that I remember from his tenure at Dior was that Egyptian dress from the s/s 2004. It is such a statement, goodness. I also remember seeing the show and the models walking down the runway looking like couture drag queens who barely could walk. I’d say that was one of the moments when I fell in love with fashion undoubtedly.

The second reason is having Filep Motwary to curate the exhibition. The job he did was just perfect, I enjoyed it through and through and I did not expect to find so many unique legendary pieces under the same roof. It was bliss. The photography, I suppose from Kinsky’s archive, also upgraded the experience delightfully. Finally, Isabella Blow’s hats at the cabinet of curiosities were the cherry on the cake. I mean, do I have to elaborate on that one? I don’t think so.

Thank you Filep Motwary.

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Object Dyed Meltlock, Arthrosic Elbow 1B. Jacket details

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Game Changers – Reinventing the 20th century silhouette

The ModeMuseum (MoMu) in Antwerp has brought the theme ‘Game Changers – Reinventing the 20th century silhouette’ as a central thread of their first opening of 2016. The expo consists of a selection of designers whose talent for rethinking the body in relation with clothing has made them unique in their craft.

The designers consistently displayed in the exhibition shared an iconoclastic aesthetic, or as dubbed by the press, deconstructive. The truth is, they have exerted an enormous influence in the fashion industry and have installed new perspectives to looking at fashion. Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto, who once worked for Commes des Garçons and dated Rei Kawakubo, are all featured in the show. The Belgian share came under Martin Margiela, Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten, and at certain extent, Iris van Herpen. The exhibition featured others influencers such as Chanel, Madeleine Vionnet, Alexander McQueen.

However, the central figure of the exhibition throughout is Cristobal Balenciaga. He is hands down the quintessential Game Changer.  His mastery was first developed by dressing the socialite of San Sebastián and the royalty of Spain. It did not take long before he made his debut in the Haute Couture industry in Paris. Balenciaga was recognised by his peers, Coco Chanel and Dior, as a master for couture.

The exhibition is an invitation to expand one’s perspective of fashion and the body which inhabits the clothes.

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The collection of Christmas cards designed by Yves Saint Laurent for his clientele at his house in Marrakesh, Morocco.

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Majorelle Gardens house to YSL

During my stay in Marrakesh, I paid a visit to the Majorelle Gardens which served of house and inspirational destination to the designer Yves Saint Laurent. Although the place was crowded by the presence of tourists surrounding the house built inside the garden, one could breathe a sense of peace and yet feel a vibrant energy in the place. One could say it is due to a lingering presence of Yves himself whose ashes were scattered in the property.

Marrakesh is such an enigmatic and exciting place full of colours, textures, saviours and contrasts which make me have no doubts of the way how Yves got seduced by all of it. From his house here, Yves created many of his mot iconic creations such as the ‘Mondrian collection’ and also wrote Christmas cards to his clientele wishing them ‘Love’. The house is one striking element in the Garden because of his vivacious blue colour named ‘Blue Majorelle’, a name trademarked by the architect of the house Jacques Majorelle in 1924.

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FOOTPRINT exposition - MOMU Antwerp 15/16

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The Belgians

Belgium has long fostered a relation with fashion, and more accurately with the textiles. The country got to be known for the manufacturing of tapestry and lacework which thrived back in the sixteenth century in Gent, the most important trading port of the world by that time. Later in the early twentieth century, the Maison Norine, one of the first Belgian Haute Couturiers presented dresses decorated with art-deco motifs to rich clientele in Paris and with contemporaries of the time like Dior and Balenciaga.

Undoubtedly, this heritage must have influenced the emergence of the Belgian Fashion during the 80’s. The competition the ‘Gouden Spoel’, an initiative conceived under the ‘Textile Plan’ was an attempt of the government to support the development of the Belgian fashion. The contest led to shed the lights over those designers winners of the award, namely An Demeulemeester (82), Dirk Van Saene (83), and Dirk Bikkembergs (85). They, together with Marina Yee, Walter Van Beirendonck, and Dries Van Noten became worldwide known as the Antwerp Six.

Martin Margiela, who is contemporary of the Antwerp Six, paved the way long before them in the beginning of the 80’s making commotion with his collections in Paris and building a reputation from the anonymity of his laboratory of creative ideas.

Other relevant names within the Belgian fashion spectrum are Diane Von Furstenberg who based her brand in NY, the Colombian Haider Ackerman who was brought up in Europe and is known for his simple cuts, and Raf Simons who recently stepped down as creative director of Dior in order to dedicate his creative process to his own brand.

There is no doubt that Belgium has forged a solid stand on the fashion industry which is bound to last.

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Colombiamoda 2015 en la caja de madera donde los diseñadores patrocinados por Vogue Latinoamérica tuvieron su muestra de moda.

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Colombiamoda 2015

Manage Mode estuvo presente en la vigésima sexta edición de Colombiamoda que se celebra anualmente en Medellín, la ciudad de la eterna primavera. Desde Bélgica y como representante de Manage Mode viajó Andrés Franco para presentar a diseñadores colombianos sus propuestas de investigación de mercado y desarrollo de estrategias comerciales para entrar a mercados Europeos.

Participar en Colombiamoda ha sido una experiencia altamente enriquecedora, Manage Mode pudo analizar durante tres días y en una superficie de aproximadamente 3500 m² las fortalezas que tiene el país en temas de moda. Para nosotros es muy importante conocer de primera mano el potencial que tiene el sistema de moda colombiano, y así contribuir con su desarrollo en el tema de internacionalización.

Nuestro compromiso con los diseñadores colombianos es conocer su propuesta única como marca y presentarla, con los ajustes necesarios, a un consumidor objetivo en Europa que responda a la estética y al mensaje que la marca propone.

Andrés Franco y el presidente de Inexmoda Carlos Eduardo Botero Hoyos

Andrés Franco y la Primera Dama de la Nación María Clemencia Rodríguez de Santos

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Het meest belangrijke voor me is dat mensen kunnen aanvoelen hoe mooi mode kan zijn en dat het niet alleen gaat over goedgemaakte en dure kleding. Mode is een diverse en rijke activiteit waarbij men zich creatief kan voeden met een veelheid aan inspiratiebronnen, een beetje zoals de kolibri zich voedt met verschillende bloemen.

Dries Van Noten

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The first and most important thing for me is that people feel how beautiful fashion can be and that it is not just a case of well-made and expensive clothes. Fashion is so rich and it is such an amazing occupation because we can draw on so many different sources of inspiration –just like a hummingbird feeds on a multitude of flowers.

Dries Van Noten

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Dries Van Noten - Inspirations (11.07.2015)

I visited the exposition of Dries Van Noten - Inspirations in Antwerp. It was very interesting to see his sources of inspiration and sometimes, exhibited in the expo, the results of his journey represented in dresses, clothing articles or fashion pieces.

Es muy interesante conocer el trabajo de uno de los llamados 'Antwerp 6' y cuál es la expresión en el plano de la moda belga. Amberes tiene una tradición y fama como una de las capitales de la moda y Dries Van Noten es uno de los precursores de este movimiento.

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McQueen 

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Alexander McQueen Spring 1999

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#BrusselsFashionDays

#BrusselsFashionDays

The second edition of the Brussels Fashion Days 2014 brought ManageMode into an atmosphere of talented designers, enthusiastic youngsters, and a growing Brussels fashion vibe. Beyond the runway, I was enchanted by the innovative creations of students exhibited in the corridors. I was taken away by the combination of materials and fabrics such as plastic, rubber, and lace. I got this feeling one gets when one understands the very origin of something, that I got in the ‘inspiration room’ as I decided to call it where boards with ideas on them showed the original motivation of designers that ended up in beautiful gowns.

ManageMode sees the potential that these initiatives might have in the long-term in the fashion scope of a city. The fair serves as a playground where identity is built along with the proposals of the local designers. I have no doubt this is a great initiative for a city like Brussels, however; the fair needs to mature and develop as to find a personality that first differentiates it from other fairs in Europe, and second that offers a unique proposition based on the strengths that Brussels and Belgium possess.

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Andrés Franco is born in Colombia; always curious about cultures the world over, art, fashion, and busy finding and understanding ways of expression. His passion for clothing, aesthetic expressions, and talent for creativity; coupled with his Master in Management Science in Belgium led him to create ManageMode.

ManageMode is inspired by a market opportunity in the fashion commercialisation business between Latin America and Europe. Its ultimate aim is the specialisation in bridging specific-value propositions of manufacturers and retailers from/to Colombia and Europe with solutions and strategies that bring their products further to international markets with a higher certainty of success.

To achieve this ManageMode capitalises on each of its founder’s strengths such as international management, insight fashion business knowledge, empiric interest in fashion, experience in market research and marketing strategies development, and developing knowledge of the Colombian and the European(s) fashion markets to create a special combination of unique resources set that shape the core competences at ManageMode.