Textile companies setting a positive mood at 'MoOD'

On my journey through the creative landscape in my homeland, Flanders - Belgium, our first stop is my beloved capital, Brussels, where today the last day of 'MoOD’ began.

'MoOD' is an international textile fair that presents the latest trends in upholstery, window- and wall covery. It’s a beacon of creativity and innovation where the 'underdog’ is placed on the foreground: producers and manufacturers present their latest collections and the newest textile trends.

Like a reflection of my homeland this rather modest fair has a strong international allure, 80% of the exhibitors come from outside of Belgium, a mix of more than 30 different nationalities. The fair attracts the whole international textile sector to Brussels, during the 'MoOD' fair the belgian capital houses visitors from over 100 different countries. None of those visitors go back home empty handed,  the professional and creative appeal of the fair is a recipe for new ideas and inspirations. And this year people go home with a smile on their face as well. After a few years of crisis for the textile industry things seem to be moving in the right direction again, the general mood at 'MoOD’ this year was one of hope, a positive outlook on the future. But how could it be any different with all of the hard working and talented producers 'MoOD’ offers?!

The struggle to survive in these hard times, the obligation to re-analyze current situations because nothing is self-evident anymore and the need to keep on reinventing ourselves in order to keep up with the tough competition, has proven to be the perfect remedy for the crisis. After a few years of negative speculation and company balances coloring red, things are looking better again and we can all start dreaming of a brighter future. Thanks to innovative minds, positive attitudes and hard workers like those of the companies exhibiting at 'MoOD’, textile business, a sector that has always been part of the belgian history books, can survive, overcome and grow stronger throughout and because of these times of crisis.

All we hear about these days on the radio and on the streets, all we read about in the newspapers, all we see when we turn on our televisions is: crisis. The world seems to be becoming an ugly place and people are sick of it! To show all of us normal folk that the world is still the beautiful, blue planet it has always been the organization and exhibitors of 'MoOD’ have chosen 'Beauty’ as the fair’s theme of this year.

More than ever people are trying to find certainties in times where 'certain’ doesn’t even seem to be part of the dictionary anymore. One of the certainties we can always rely on according to 'MoOD’ is beauty. With the right attitude anyone is capable of finding true beauty at any place, at any time. In times of crisis when we all tend to become a little pessimistic, art and beauty are where we need to find inspiration, a creative and critical outlook on today’s society, a solution for a better future. Rationality is one key to succes, but every once in a while we have to let ourselves get overcome by emotions and be fulfilled with beauty...

Slowing down is what we need to do, take a minute to reflect and enjoy, create a true 'beauty experience’.

'Soul Kitchen’ is one of the trends 'MoOD’ detected in our modern society. We need to take time to slow down and reflect: discover the beauty of our own environment, refocus and see things from a different point of view; find the beauty and soul in our own 'kitchen’. Let the child in ourselves be reborn and see the world from a naïve, innocent point of view in order to unravel unexplored beauty.

This childlike way of looking at and discovering the world creates a nostalgic, innocent reality filled with water colors, sweet and soft tones, garnet, ruby sienna and a revival of modest greens.

<H>Uggs is the second trend presented at 'MoOD’. It’s symbol for a revival of respect for the natural, brutal matters and true designs.

In these times of hightech technology and science there is a strong need to go back to the roots, a refound and renewed respect for traditions. Artisans have never been more respected than they are today and people who truly care about history and nature are more than willing to pay a premium price for what is offered. There is a strange interaction between our current focus on technology and innovation and the refound respect for tradition, in many ways technology has been responsible for the comeback of the artisan. Because we constantly need to find solutions to current problems, because we are confronted with our own boundaries and limitations, we are always obliged to look towards the future, but look back at the past as well, because what is new is not always better and we can and should always learn of what has already been written, said and done.

In our quest to find protection creative and open minds find new and innovative solutions. 'MoOD’ has the honour to present a few of them for example the first organic leather, product of the 'Royal Dutch Tanneries’.

The revival of the natural and brutal matters present us a pallet of earth and soil tones like browns and greens with a touch of brutal rust. Washed browns that tend to beige, orange with a tone of tangarine and sienne brûlée are the more sparkling tones in this earthly color card. The color pallet is an expression of the honest beauty and re-appreciation of nature and the bare essentials this theme presents.

The last trend presented at 'MoOD’ is 'Utopia’, an exclusive beauty found in this new golden age of science, an era in which science and beauty go hand in hand. Man’s possibilities are taking us to unseen levels and we are discovering new territory. The universe, our Earth and the planetes surrounding it, the few seconds before the Big Bang... secrets at the verge of being revealed.

In this theme of 'Utopia’ indigo is the protagonist. The color, described by Newton as: ‚the tone between blue and violet, almost invisible to man’, embodies all of the aspects of mankind exploring our and new territories and opportunities. Vegetable dyes prove the honesty of this theme, seeming almost like an expression of our own, human dna. Whites, with the inevitable counterpoint of shades of black provide an honest and pure contrast of different elements.

Apart from producers and manufacturers 'MoOD’ also gives opportunity to new talent, because business can’t 'Blossom’ and flower without new talent, creative thoughts of still innocent minds. That’s why the 'Blossom’ quarter at 'MoOD’ provides some exhibition space to new talent, students from the famous textile schools 'KASK’ in Gent and 'LaCambre’ in Brussels.

The students are the future of the current textile industry, the hopes for our new generation, the link between innocent creativity and the knowledge and knowhow of the industry. The young minds raise questions about contemporary aesthetic statements, the production process, consumption modes, interest in tradition etc. through their designs.

'MoOD’ is a reflection on recognized quality and a portrait of the search for innovation and creativity, but it is also a pool of new talent. The mix of bot is the perfect recipe to personal inspiration and appreciation of an industry that has been through so much lately, but is so dear to all of us. An industry that has always symbolized Belgium and Europe, but that seemed to be slipping away from us because of emerging markets and cheaper manifacturing options in foreign countries. I’m happy to notice that the trend of chasing paper dreams above all else has made room for a revival of the artisan, a re-appriciation for the more modest, more expensive, but definitely more innovative and creative product. In times of crisis people tend to go back to their routs and find comfort in certainties and that’s not necessarily a bad thing and that is what I saw at 'MoOD’. A crisis that has left its scars, but that has helped many of us to see what’s true and real in the abundance of options we are presented with every day. A crisis that has shown us that megalomania and big bucks aren’t all that great and that modesty is often the key to a slower, but greater success. We need to go back to the roots, we need to look back at traditions, enrich them with technology and see that big quantities and cheaper options are not solutions, but only bandages to temporarily cover our scars. Artisans, natural products, quality, long term visions, re-focussing,... these are the keys to success today and the recipe for innovation, creativity and personal statements in an anonymous world.


This article is a mix of my personal ideas on today's society and textile business, and information found at the trends at 'MoOD' - Brussels and on the 'MoOD' website: www.moodbrussels.com 

Once upon a time in Amsterdam

From the instant you enter Amsterdam you live and breathe the particular atmosphere of the city. Arriving in Amsterdam is really an experience different from any arrival in any other place. The dutch capital is a city that touches many. We all know it for its avant-garde way of thinking, the open minded way of life of the dutch, the conception that you can really say and do anything in Amsterdam, a liberty of life like no other place on earth. These conceptions lead to the true 'Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n Roll’ allure of the city.

Even when I first laid eyes on the crowded streets I already saw the magic the city beholds. People seem to think they really can say and do anything in the dutch capital. Bright colors, particular patterns, a patchwork of cultures, the sound of different kinds of music, the smell of herbs... a bright pallet that teases all of our five senses and makes the city the special place it is.

But Amsterdam is not only the city of what still too often is considered 'the downfall of the world’: drugs on every corner, sexual stimulations behind every little bridge. Amsterdam’s 'no taboo policy’ has changed the city into a playground for those looking for inspiration, an interactive museum for artists, a coffeeshop for open minds, a key to those trying to open the door to finding themselves... a city tolerant to much and many, a place to get to know those around you and their different cultures and lifestyles, a place to enjoy life’s 'prohibitions’, a place to discover more about yourself. 
While some might still consider Amsterdam the capital of so many things wrong with this world, it should rather be seen as the ideal location for those willing to accept the true nature of man; those who aren’t scared of exploring their own boundries, discovering their own hidden longings. Due to religion, due to our social backgrounds, due to general values considered 'right’ in today’s society we too often live trapped like a bird in a cage, scared of others watching us, others judging us, but life is much easier once we open the little door of our cage and fly out of it every now and then. One only truly knows himself if he’s willing to explore and get to know the world around him. How can we truly know who we are if we always stay at the same place; only believe the things we always heard, what’s put upon us by our environment and society; if we are scared to say 'yes' to life?!

And Amsterdam is definitely the city of 'yes’, 'yes' to who we really are. 
Man is an ugly animal, but it’s not that ugly when we learn to accept it and Amsterdam is certainly accepting. The neon lights and obscene windows of the sex shops in the red light district may be symbol to all that’s wrong in this world for many, but it’s also a place of acceptance, accepting who we really are: sexual creatures looking to fulfill their desires, each of us with different needs, each of us trying to find out and accept our inner selves. The strong smell of cannabis interluding a coffeeshop from miles ahead might be considered as the smell of those trying to poison their brains, might be the symbol of irresponsibility, the embodiement of the world’s downfall, but it’s also the smell of bonding, of tolerance, of living the moment and forgetting life’s sorrows in a natural cigarette every once in a while.

Amsterdam says 'yes' to those wanting to be young and wild in order to become young and wise; those looking to enjoy themselves; people saying 'yes’ to life and giving in to their natural needs, but it’s says 'yes’ in a responsible way. Many might see Amsterdam as a big playground, but it’s definitely one with rules and people watching over the players. 


Things that in other countries are considered as 'the edge of society’ have moved to the foreground in Amsterdam and the open mindedness of the Dutch have moved many things from the dark side to the bright one. The high tolerance level of the dutch people has created a more open environment and getting rid of the taboos has made the city safer and less sensitive to extreme outbursts of human madness.

But Amsterdam’s not only a place of moving the edge of society to the centre of it, it’s also a symbol of what’s always been and still is considered as beauty and 'dolce vita’: history, religion, art, fashion, architecture, design, culinary pleasures... A place where every single one of us can find beauty and pleasure.

The melting pot that Amsterdam has become throughout the years and, once again, the tolerance of the Dutch have turned the city into a paradise for artists and creative minds. The beautiful architecture of old times makes a perfect patchwork with the new designs today. Vintage and second hand stores are a nice break from the high-end stores and the fast fashion chaines you find in the centre of the city. The little streets along the 'Amsterdamse Grachten’ are the perfect place for a nice chat in a little caffe, a long brunch on Sunday, a nice time out with friends, a romantic dinner... There are culinary pleasures to be found for all ages, colors and tastes from a typical dutch 'kroket’ to a spicy indian dish, you’ll find absolutely every taste and spice in the city. Even though the city is becoming more and more international, is housing more and more different cultures in its midst, it is still a true dutch city. The typical dutch culture is undeniable and therefore – I think – Amsterdam is an example of a successful melting pot: different cultures blending together, influencing each other to become a better version of themselves.

I can say Amsterdam has truly impressed and inspired me in many ways. I was enchanted by its historical treasures, its different architectural styles, the romance of the 'Amsterdamse Grachten’. I was blown away by the peace I found in the ratrace of a big city: the cozy restaurants, the inspiring caffe's, the relaxing coffeeshops,... a dozen places to meet friends and get to know new, inspiring people. I opened my mind meeting people from all over the world and having the opportunity of getting to know their culture in a city open to them. The fashionista in me was filled with joy and inspiration looking for nice adds to my wardrobe in the little vintage and second hand shops the city holds.

Under the grey skies and my umbrella protecting me from the rain I discovered a light not so far away from my own home, a light that has filled my heart for the first time this weekend and will hopefully brighten it up again soon.

"The home is where the heart is"

Talks and tales about exotic destinations and far away countries have always enchanted and inspired people, but caught up in dreams of adventures, we cease to see the inspiration lying in front of us.


The grass is not always greener on the other side, but it always feels like it is. If we would open our eyes and look down at the grass under our feet, we could try to appreciate it and eventually see it from another point of view.


In all of my dreams of traveling and seeing the world I sometimes forget to see and appreciate my own country and the beauty it beholds. And there is beauty alright, if we look carefully, we can see it peeking around every corner. 


Today Belgium has become a surrealistic state to many. A small country with only 10 million people, 3 language groups, lacking a government for over a year, but with an abundance of arguing politicians. While representing the heart of Europe, Belgians have never had more problems representing themselves. But luckily for us, Belgians, surrealism has always been a very interesting, creative and intelligent art movement offering a different point of view on reality and in many ways Belgium is just that: a small, complicated state struggling to stay united, but in all of its differences lies the source of the creativity found in this modest country. The belgian soil might be wet and hard to manage, but its very fertile: Belgium, home of great intelligent minds, of famous creative hands, of wonderful musical voices, of many culinary pleasures, of enlightening alcoholic beverages,... A country full of traditions, but with an eye on the future. 


Come and join me on the magical journey through my homeland and learn to discover the beauties it holds!

Under these grey skies, in this grim ground lies the birthplace of great things

Children's fashion: 'From calf to cash cow'

In January Firenze is showing, breathing and living fashion. 

The first shot of a month full of fashion is given whith Pitti Uomo, the famous men's wear fair, at the beginning of the new year; followed by Pitti Bimbo, fashion for the smallest of us, human kind; then Vintage Selection, a vintage fair for those who are looking to dive back into history and Pitti Filati, a well known yarn fair, as the perfect ending to the most fashionable month of Firenze's Winter.

All spotlights are directed on the smallest ones amongst us when Pitti Bimbo comes around. The Florentine children's wear fair has grown to be one of the most well know and appreciated in its kind and attracts companies and buyers from all over the world twice a year, once in January and again in June.

The smallest side of fashion - leterally speaking then - has fastly become big business. Children are more and more aware of what they want to look like, what they want to wear and what is 'fashionable' these days. While our generation was still dressing up Barbies, the millenium babies play dress up themselves and fashion has spotted a new booming business: children with a sense of style, mommies with catwalk aspirations and daddies willing to spend that dough... A new cash cow is born!

I myself was able to see first hand how fashion's calf is growing into a big fat cow while I had the opportunity to work at some of the children's fashion shows during Pitti. 

I was a dresser for the smallest mannequins in fashion, but however small they might be, they left quite an impression on me...
Amazing how professional little children can be. From two to ten year olds, little girls and boys all of them loving the spotlight, marching to the music, showing of the stylist's newest creations in a perfect mannequin way and loving the attention. Litlle angels on the catwalk, but if they really are that angelic?!

As elegantly as they walked down that catwalk, as naughty some of them came off it. Some were just the cutest little devils dressed in dolly dots or little vagabonds, but others appeared to be very conscious and self-assured for their age. It occured to me that children's fashion can make a child grow up very quickly. I saw the little 9-year old girls running around the backstage room like they owned the place, watching their own reflection in the mirror with every chance they had, swirling their long hair around and criticizing their little 'friends'. 

Wheter or not modelling is the right thing to do for a child, I'll leave that up to the parents, but working at some of those fashion shows I've seen that children's wear is not all as innocent as it seems. "Business is business" they say and I'd definitely agree on that one when it comes to this calf growing into the fat cash making cow it is becoming...

Let the sunshine in

Sunday January 16th 2011

Sunny - almost seeming Spring - days in the middle of Winter, being Belgian, I haven't witnessed too many of those... The happier I was and blessed I felt when Firenze offered me my first (of hopefully many to come) yesterday!

This city keeps on stealing my heart as it has done for so many others throughout the years.
Rain or sun, it's always fun, but with the sun on your face, the light in your eyes and the sunshine warming your skin, the city becomes very close to my own little paradise on earth...

Where else would I want to spend this perfect day than at my favorite piazza in Firenze: Santo Spirito?
A cozy little piazza at the Oltrarno of Firenze. A place with a very special vibe. A creative and inspiring atmosphere, the sound of holiday and 'Provence'-allures in the middle of 'la bella Italia'. If you are looking for the meaning of 'dolce far niente', this is where you are going to find it.
'Barboni', the homeless people who own the piazza and know it like no one else does, will tell you about it; the young, inspiring and creative people spending their free time there will show you first hand and the children chasing the many pigeons and playing with the streetdogs will be the living proof of how sweetly simple life can be.

I love this picture. The perfect image of the unique vibe of Santo Spirito - Firenze: children, parents, young people, homeless people, dogs... All enjoying the piazza in perfect harmony...

Inspiration hides behind every corner. In the most simple of people, trendy and daring combinations, Italian elegance or creative self-expression. A place where you just have to be yourself...

A child's innocence in the real world. This beautiful little boy was hanging out with his parents and 'family': homeless people in Firenze. As horrible as it might or could be, it was a beautiful sight to see:  a loving environment where everyone is accepted...

Coffee Art

"Beauty hides in the smallest corners"

Life always has ways to surprise us: an unexpected smile, a good grade at school when you thought you were doomed to fail, a sunny day after weeks of rain, a promotion at your job, the Italian bus arriving on time, a helping hand when you have your own full of grocery bags... Yes, beauty lies in the smallest of things and I was extremely pleased when I found out it was hiding in my favourite cup of Capuccino or Macchiato!

The Italians didn't just get the fame of coffee-culture thrown in their laps, they earned it! Firenze has stolen my heart, but I seem to have a bigger heart than I thought I did as it is stealing more pieces every single day. The last one I lost here was in my Capuccino...

On a sunny winterday I treated myself to a lovely cup of coffee in the most amazing bar in the heart of Firenze.

Looking out on the Duomo and being served by elegantly dressed, typical Italian 'baristi' I received the most stunning cup of macchiato. Still in Christmas spirit, the 'barista' revealed himself a true Da Vinci and presented me the most darling little cup of macchiato. The perfect combination of coffee with a bit of creamy milk on top and all of that loveliness topped of with a little chocolate snowman... What is not to love?!

Being the critical consumer we all are they days (after watching way too many cooking shows on reality tv...), I wanted to see if the bartender just had a lucky day or was really thé master of coffee-making. So I dared to go back to that same bar the next day and then and there life offered me one of its nice surprises: the barista made me an even more beautiful capuccino! A perfectly made coffee decorated with an amazing looking flower. Brown, white and red, I never knew a coffee could have so many colours... 'Bravo' I would say!

I guess it just shows life doesn't always have to be too serious and small details and surprises can fill our hearts with joy!
If the coffee doesn't give us the energy we need, at least the smile we had on our face receiving our own personalized coffee and destroying it with our own mouths will have done the trick!

OLD is HIP

"Appreciating the past to learn for the future"

It's a wisdom we should all carry out in our lives and which can be applied to almost everything and everyone. The longing to going back to how it used to be, looking back to the past to help us find solutions for contemporary problems, smiling while remembering those good old days, listening to nostalgic tunes trying to imagine how it once was, watching childhood pictures and wishing we could turn back time, collecting items that were once desired, but somehow lost their glamour along the way,...

The past is always somehow linked to today and today to what could happen tomorrow and more than one person has noticed this. Also in fashion, designers have always found inspiration in past times. The great Yves Saint Laurent saw the beauty and magic of designs from the past and found inspiration to create his "Vintage Collection", celebrities left their new designer dresses in the closet and chose to walk the red carpet in Fifties designer's pieces and now fashion victims all over the world are pimping up their outfits with Vintage accessories.

Thanks to this broadened interest in Vintage it has become accessible and affordable for everyone, the general thought that Vintage is unaffordable has proven to be an urban legend and let's thank God for that!

"Vintage" is generally labeled all of the pieces made between 1920 and 1970. Although, nowadays, lots of experts also consider items from the Eighties as being worth the name "Vintage".

But Vintage doesn't necessarily rhyme with "designer" and therefore "expensive". Your grandmother's Thirties silk scarf is as much "Vintage" as the 500 euro Chanel clutch your fashionista neighbor owns. Nor does it have to be "used". Vintage items can be used, renewed or just new or never worn before.

Nowadays anyone can find Vintage almost everywhere. From Portobello market in London, to Les Puces in Paris to the second hand store on the corner of your street. A keen eye can find a nice vintage piece anywhere!

The definition of how Vintage looks like seems to depend on the place where you find it. I've noticed, for example, that Italian Vintage tends to be more focused on designer items while the Vintage I found in the little streets of Antwerp are more second hand and renewed items.

Big fashion chains don't seem to have missed out on the current Vintage trend either. Stores like "Urban Outfitters" and "American Apparel" are busy looking for fashionable items of past times all the time and make an effort to give them back the beauty and glamour they once had while also suggesting contemporary items to mix and match.

"Mixing and matching" are the verbs one must never forget when thinking about Vintage. To be a real fashionista, to create your own style, to bring something new to the streets and to inspire others, "mixing and matching" old items with new ones and adding your own personal flair is the way to go.

Which brings me to the next question: "Is Vintage accessible to and understandable for everyone?". Vintage isn't (and hopefully won't become) a general streetstyle. It's still quite reserved to who's really intersted in fashion or better, to those who like to express themselves differently than most others and who are looking for their own, unique style every day. It demands interest, research, a good (and trained) eye and a feeling for "mixing and matching".

All in all, whatever one is looking for: recycling to help make our world a better place, soothing nostalgic longings or just seizing the opportunity to express yourself as a creative and unique person; whatever the hidden reason, Vintage seems to be an upcoming - and not ready to disappear anytime soon - trend and streetstyle is being colored by styles of all times and decades, "Old is Hip", we can't deny and how do you feel about that?!

Jutka & Riska - Antwerp

Jutka & Riska - Antwerp



Jutka & Riska - Antwerp



Vintage Store - Florence