september2014
47
DESIGNSEPTEMBER
flyto
brussels
frommorethan50europeandestinations.
brusselsairlines.com
suitablevenuesor evenoccasionally
bringingdesignersandmakers together, as
shedidwithnew furniturecompanyCruso,
introducingdesigner Jean-Françoisd’Or to
founderOlivierStevenat.
And ifBelgiandesignhas longbeen
overshadowedbyFrenchdesignonone
side, Dutchon theother andBritishacross
theChannel, therearesignsof growing
interest. AlongwithDesignSeptember,
public initiativessuchas theMadBrussels
ModeandDesignCentre,whichorganises
exhibitions, seminarsandstudio
residencies for collaborativeprojectsand
helpsdesignersdevelopbusinessor
manufacturing initiatives, theDesign
VlaanderenGalerieand theWallonie-
BruxellesDesignMode,whichpromotes
Belgiandesignersand fashiondesigners,
areall helpingmakeBelgiandesignmore
visible internationally.
“Oneof thestrengthsofBelgiandesign
is that it isabit under the radar–youcan
stillmakediscoveries,” saysGuyDittrich,
author of the first twoeditionsof the
Wallpaper*
guide toBrussels.
Brusselshasa lot to recommend to
fledglingdesigners. Rentsaregenerally
reasonableanddecent-sizedpremises
relativelyeasy to find, often inold industrial
buildingssuchas theBottelarij Bellevue
complex, a former breweryandbottling
factoryconverted intostudios,whereyou’ll
find, amongothers, thedesignersof Jo-A
and theStudiowithaViewcollectiveof
designers, photographersandarchitects.
“It’squiteeasy to findstudioshere,”
saysMarinaBautier, Designer of theYear
2014,whohasset upher studioand the
shopof her furniture labelMA ina 1920s
former industrial building.Onceamonth,
sheorganises lunchon thepremises for up
to20people. “It’saway tobringpeople to
see thestore. I cookand I serveandpeople
arehappy toseewho isbehind thedesign,”
shesays.
“There isagoodnetworkof designers
here. If you really look for them, youwill
find theartisans tomake theprototypes,
but the town isnot saturated in theway
that perhapsBerlinandBarcelonaare,”
addsdesignerPascal Breucker.
Dittrichagrees: “Belgiumstill hasa
strong traditionof craftsmanship that
hasn’t diedout, unlike inmanypartsof
Europe. Abigswatheof knowledge runs
fromAntwerp throughBrusselsanddown
toLiège; youcanalways findsomebody
somewhere tohelpyoudo things. That
expertisestill existshere.”
Thepast fewyearshaveseen the
Dansaert areaofBrusselsdevelop intoa
designaswell asa fashionhub,whilemore
andmoredesignersaremoving into the
St-GillesandForest district. Thisyear sees
several events,under theumbrellaof
KasparHamacher: stools
Hamacher’s
motto is“KasparHamacher loveswoodandhis
chainsaw.”Hecreatesmonolithicwood
furniture from found tree trunksat the frontiers
of art,designandcraft,and isonshow in the
Intersection#3exhibitionat theAtomium.
kasparhamacher.be
FrederikDelbart: lamps
Delbart’sSiblings
lamps,manufacturedbynewdesign label PER/
USE,arebeautifullymade, functional and
advanced,combiningwood,glassandLEDs.
frederikdelbart.be
CharlotteSimonis: upcycled
plastic textile
YoungBelgian
designerCharlotteSimonis is
interested in thepossibilities
offeredbywastematerials.She
makesupcycledplastic textilewith
yarnmade fromcollectingplastic
bags,extending their lifetimeand
creatingnew fabrics,eachunique.
charlottesimonis.com
Pascal Breucker: Similitudes lamp
Similitudes isanewcollectionof lamps,which
combineopalineglassandporcelain.Theyare
namedafter the resemblancebetweenopaline
glassandporcelainandbecause the lamps,
madebyamasterglassmakerandapotter,
resembleeachotherwhilebeing
slightlydifferent.
pascalbreucker.be
JulienCarretero: lamp
TheFrench-borndesigner,who
movedhisstudio toBrussels two
yearsago,explores theboundaries
betweencraftandmassproduction
and theuseofmaterialssuchas
sheetmetal.
juliencarretero.com
Jean-Françoisd’Or: table
Jean-François
d’Ordesigneda table for thenew furniture
houseCruso,createdbyOliverStevenart to
showcasecraftsmanshipandoak.D’Orbased
hisdesignonold tableswithdrawers
underneath,onlyherehehascreatedastorage
space that isbothopenandaccessible.
loudordesign.be
LearnINprocess
Currently
based inNewYork,Belgiandesigner
ArianevanDievoet’sfirst collection
forher studioAvandi isa lineof
versatile furnitureandobjects tosuit
thosewhomove frequentlyorhave
limitedspace.
avandistudio.com
Sevenstandout design items
KasparHamacher
Acombinedcoatand letter
rackby2014BelgianDesigner
of theYear,MarinaBautier
