The Word Magazine - The Essential Luxuries Issue by The Word Magazine

volume 01 — issue 06

Neighbourhood Life + Global Style

lifestyle Sole Brothers

fashion Tainted Love

Do not throw on the public domain.

belgium In-House

— the essential luxuries issue —

design War Games

culture Made-to-Order

ANTWERP BRUSSELS KNOKKE-LE ZOUTE

Other sales outlets 02 351 05 01 zegna.com

editor's letter

Mediocre, obnoxious and bling-prone, luxury as we have come to know it amounts to nothing more than look-alike marketing gimmickry, fl imsy creative collaborations and clever pricing strategies – with a thick gloss. What is more, the presumptuous nature of the industry – be it luxury fashion, design, travel, food or even services – means its patronising essence is undesirable at best, and, at worst, out-of-touch-with-reality. Or at least our reality…

The Word Magazine is Nicholas Lewis Advertising Benoît Berben Editor-at-Large Hettie Judah

Yet growing clique of passionate luxury-enthusiasts is re-engineering the word’s meaning, steering it back to its precursors’ original aim: to celebrate and recognise the effort, skill and know-how put into bestowing the cachet of luxury onto a product or service. And no, we don’t mean that increasingly obsolete and frankly slightly sad ‘Made in Italy’ cachet…

Design Delphine Dupont + pleaseletmedesign

Take our story on Belgium’s oldest dry cleaner for example. What makes him stand out from the rest of them? The phone call we get if a stain persists, the specially-made hangers and the delivery service, if requested of course.

Lithography Olivier Dengis @ Mistral Photography / Illustration Geneviève Balasse Jean-Baptiste Biche Ulrike Biets Sébastien Bonin Sarah Eechaut Sarah Michielsen @ Outlandish Opération Panda Roy Polar Yassin Serghini Gaëlle Sutour

Service. Luxury. Or our feature on specialist shops. When shopping for razors, we want the shop assistant to know his Japanese blades from his Mongolian ones or to explain the difference between brushes made of badger’s hair, to ones with boar’s hair. Knowledge. Luxury. Better yet though, is our newly-acquired commissioning zeal. Looking on with envy at the grandiose commissions of New York’s Moss Gallery, we couldn’t help but take notice and indulge in a little commissioning of our own. In Christopher Coppers we found exactly the artist – and approach – we were looking for.

Writers Hettie Judah Nicholas Lewis Karen Van Godtsenhoven Séverine Vaissaud Randa Wazen

Creative, one-off collaborations. Luxury. And yes, a luxury-themed issue seems utterly inappropriate at times of global fi nancial meltdown and nose-diving consumer confidence but he, we’re not ones to go with the flock now are we? And anyway, somebody once told me the luxury goods industry was recession proof...

Thank You’s Mélisande McBurnie Renaud Huberlant Marie Pok Peter von Grumme

The Word is our oyster… Nicholas Lewis

The Word is published six times a year by JamPublishing, 107 Rue Général Henry Straat 1040 Brussels Belgium.

All information correct up to the time of going to press. The publishers cannot be held liable for any changes in this respect after this date.

Reproduction, in whole or in part, without prior permission is strictly prohibited.

On this cover Tainted Love

THE SIXTH WORD — 7

contents page

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Cover The Essential Luxuries Issue Ad Shiseido Ad Shiseido Ad Ermenegildo Zegna Ad Ermenegildo Zegna Ad Absolut Editor’s letter No6 You’re Looking at It Contents Page No1 Lancel Ad The Page After This One Contents Page No2 Ristorante Bocconi Ad It’s A Word’s World Contributors Cartier Ad Gold-Framed Post-its The Diary Our Pick of Agenda Fillers – Belgium The Diary Our Pick of Agenda Fillers – Belgium The Diary Our Pick of Agenda Fillers – Belgium & UK The Diary Our Pick of Agenda Fillers - UK The Diary Our Pick of Agenda Fillers –UK & Holland The Diary The Diary Our Pick of Agenda Fillers – France & Gifts Galore Körperwelten Ad Title Page The Luxury Papers The Sweet Tooth The Luxury Papers Home Entertainment The Luxury Papers Walk This Way & Dear Hunters The Luxury Papers What Luxury Means As Seen by Gaelle Mais Il Est Où Le Soleil? Ad When Tommy Met Luc Indispensable Aspria Ad The Dry Cleaner The Institution The Dry Cleaner The Institution Rob’s Logistics The Word On Rob’s Logistics The Word On Dress To Impress Belgium The Photo Album Dress To Impress Belgium The Photo Album Luxury – The American Style The Business Luxury – The American Style The Business Luxury – The American Style The Business BMW Ad Card Holders Three of the Best Card Holders Three of the Best The Chosen Few Showstoppers The Chosen Few Showstoppers The Chosen Few & Brussels Business Flat Showstoppers Lee Make History Ad The Muses Mythical The Muses Mythical The Muses Mythical Essentiel Ad The New Romantics The Fashion Word

www.roadster.cartier.com

THE NEW FRAGRANCE FOR MEN

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The Fashion Word The New Romantics The Fashion Word The New Romantics The Fashion Word The New Romantics The Fashion Word The New Romantics The Fashion Word The New Romantics The Fashion Word The New Romantics The Fashion Word The New Romantics Sole Purpose Judging a Man by his Shoes Sole Purpose Judging a Man by his Shoes Dying Breeds The Specialists Dying Breeds The Specialists Dying Breeds The Specialists Dying Breeds The Specialists Design Violence: It’s the Stuff that Surrounds Us Design Violence: It’s the Stuff that Surrounds Us Design Violence: It’s the Stuff that Surrounds Us Design Violence: It’s the Stuff that Surrounds Us Design Violence: It’s the Stuff that Surrounds Us Ad Loewe The Word Is Damn Luxury The Word Is Damn Luxury Shelf Absorbed Well Read Shelf Absorbed Well Read Pencil Perfect Sir-Leech-a-Lot Pencil Perfect Sir-Leech-a-Lot The Commission The Word Viewed by Christopher Coppers The Commission The Word Viewed by Christopher Coppers The Art of Luxury Makeup Artist Ad Sony Eye-Opener Counter Fit Eye-Opener Counter Fit Eye-Opener Counter Fit Eye-Opener Counter Fit Eye-Opener Counter Fit Eye-Opener Counter Fit I Want More… And Then Some The Word on the Street I Want More… And Then Some The Word on the Street I Want More… And Then Some The Word on the Street I Want More… And Then Some The Word on the Street I Want More… And Then Some The Word on the Street I Want More… And Then Some The Word on the Street …And Others we Love Stockists The Word Ad Round Up Advertisers’ Round Up Advertisers’ Give Me Five The Last Word Give Me Five The Last Word The Lazy Issue What’s Next Burburry Ad Delvaux Back Cover

lancel.com

“Légèreté française” depuis 1876

contributors

It’s a Word’s World

Hettie Judah Writer and Editor-at-large

Melisande Mc Burnie Editorial Assistant

McB, as she’s affectionately known at The Word HQ, is probably the only assistant we’ve had telling us to our faces that she ‘doesn’t like doing this, or prefers doing that’. A Canadian-British with an unparalleled bubbliness, she’s more than pulled her weight around the office, helping out with everything from compiling the agenda to styling the model for our design feature’s shoot – a task we’re sure she didn’t mind at all. If the title of honorary member of The Word existed, she’d most defi nitely have it… — Pages n° Most of Them

Lionel Samain Photographer

Hettie’s solely responsible for infusing some much-needed seriousness into the magazine, a task she has took on with all the dedication required. Although having to put up with our sometimes glaring lack of professionalism – and we’ve had to put up with some much-deserved Monday morning rants – the quality we’ve achieved couldn’t have been done without her expert editorial skills. For this issue, she once again lays it down proper with, amongst others, revelations of a worryingly violent tendency in the world of design…

Jennifer had been urging us to get in touch with Lionel for some time now, conscious that his particularly distinctive style would fit right in with our in-house visual aesthetic. And she couldn’t have been more right. It’s no understatement to say that – although the day of the shoot itself when through its own series of challenges – Lionel came back with a breathtakingly exquisite series, befitting the rooms of some of the world’s biggest museums. A true master artist in-themaking… —

—

Pages n° 50, 51, 52, 53,

Pages n° 36, 37, 38, 43, 64, 65

54, 55, 56, 57

66, 67, 68, 70, 71, 78

Gaëlle Sutour Illustrator

Gaëlle’s work inhabits a world of ironic observations and slightly introspect illustrations, forming a sometimes canny take on her surroundings and its various idiosyncrasies. Be it her fresh take on women’s eternal quest for a perfect body in our previous issue, or this issue’s luxury reality check, Gaëlle’s now distinctive style is as intrinsic to The Word as the eye-patch is to Slick Rick. — Pages n° 26

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Dining in Style the art of simple luxury

Bocconi Ristorante, part of The Rocco Forte Collection “Hotel Amigo” Rue de l'Amigo 1, 1000 BRUXELLES | Tel. : 02.547.47.15 | Fax : 02.547.47.67 www.ristorantebocconi.com | bocconirestaurant@roccofortecollection.com

the diary

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the diary

The Next Few Weeks’ Agenda Fillers

Belgium,

Crown Jewels

A luxury-themed issue seemed like the perfect time to tell you about Ghent’s Design Museum and Villa De Bondt’s upcoming collaborative exhibition on the work of master jewellery visionary Hermann Jünger. Regarded as the granddaddy of contemporary jewellery, Jünger exerted major influence on his contemporaries, contributing towards firmly placing the craft as an accessory not to be sidelined. As part of the showcase, twelve jewellery artists – from Peter Bauhuis to Mari Ishikawa – will also exhibit their work, some of which are to be found in the world’s most prestigious collections. A little bling never hurt anyone…

Fujiya & Miyagi @ Balzaal Vooruit 20th November 2008 – bass-heavy and lyrically-light hearted, current British wonder group F&M land in Ghetnt for a one-nighter. An absolute essential.

www.smak.be

The in-betweeners

He Who Laughs

Werner Mannaers – Anyth_= À Until 18 th January 2009 ☞ S.M.A.K, Ghent

www.bozarshop.com

www.muhka.be

Countless artists limbo on the fringes of society within which they exist, forever considered amateurs, in part due to their complex and intellectuallychallenging works of art. Werner Mannaers belongs to this breed. A painter in the truest form, Mannaers is adept at philosophizing his work, apposing cleverly selected excerpts and quotes together with personal references to his life, making for layered yet determinedly serene works. The initial complexity emanating from most of his paintings, however, hides the intrinsic humoristic streak present throughout, one which we commend him for.

The Word Viewed by Christopher Coppers À Until 30 th November 2008 ☞ Bozar Shop, Brussels

Staring Back – Chris Marker À Until 7th December 2008 ☞ Muhka, Antwerp

Self-Serving

We recently asked magazine maestro and long time friend Christopher Coppers to produce a body of work using nothing but previous issues of The Word. We then arranged for the sculptures, spirals and installation to be exhibited in the Bozar Shop, Brussels’ cultural Mecca, throughout the month of November. We had fallen for his deconstructed vintage Playboys as well as for his monumental Deforestations, and had promised ourselves to get around to doing something with the kid when the time was right. Commissioning art. An Essential Luxury. The time was right.

Reflection Eternal

Writer, film director and documentary-maker Chris Marker is universally celebrated for his short-film La Jetté, an account – using nothing but still photographs – of a post-war nuclear experiment. His use of stills as a conduit for narrative is one which has resulted in an overwhelming archive of photographs which help inspire and construct his unique aesthetic. In this context, Muhka’s exhibition presents more than 200 photographs taken over six decades, as well as the director’s recent film/ documentary Si j’avais 4 dromadaires. La solitude du chanteur de fond, in which he uses 800 still photographs to make his point. One the cinephiles out there will devour.

Hermann Jünger À From 8 th November 2008 until 8 th February 2009 ☞ Design Museum and Villa De Bondt, Ghent

www.designmuseumgent.be

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the diary

A Thousand Little Pieces

Kyungwoo Chun – Thousands À Until 29 th November 2008 ☞ Fifty One Fine Art Photography, Antwerp

www.gallery51.com

Fatal Footprints À From 28th November until 30 th December ☞ Place de l’Albertine Albertinaplein, Brussels

www.fatalfootprint.be

Local Flavour

The sheer inevitability of this exhibition means we couldn’t quite get our heads around the fact that such a project has yet to be done in Belgium. The premise of the exhibition is that a certain pedigree of homegrown talent has emerged in the last couple of years, making for a distinctive yet wide-ranging national aesthetic which needs to be put forward if the defi ning characteristics of this generation’s work are to be understood. The exhibition therefore aims to bring together a vast selection of Belgian artists, amongst whom Benoit Plateus and Heidi Voet, in an attempt at constructing a visual narrative of the current national artistic DNA.

Un-Scene À From 29 th November 2008 until 22nd February 2009 ☞ Wiels, Brussels

www.wiels.org

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The Black Keys @ Vooruit, Ghent 23rd November 2008 — Ohio-based blues duo The Black Keys descend upon Ghent’s Vooruit for a night of melancholic hymns and psychotic riffs.

Historic Footprint

On 3rd December 2008, over 100 governments will join forces in Oslo to sign a treaty banning the use of cluster weapons, regrettably still the source of innumerable ruined lives in long-terminated war-zones. In this context, Brussels-based NGO Handicap International is exhibiting the works it has commissioned by three renowned photographers, the main purpose being to raise awareness to the plight of civilians caught up in the remnants of some of the bloodiest wars the planet has witnessed. The three photographers – Gaël Turine, Tim Dirven and John Vink – who criscrossed Colombia, Cambodia, Angola and Laos to document this sad reality, will showcase their photographs on 2.5m lit-up cubes throughout the month of December in Brussels’ centre.

The work Korean photographer Kyungwoo Chun presents at Antwerp’s Fifty One gallery, entitled Thousands, began as a search for his name’s origin. This search took him to a cluster of little villages in China’s Henan region, where close to every resident is called Chun. Thus begins his quest to photograph each and every person bearing the same name as him, in a meticulous, and sometimes repetitious, visual thread. What is more, his wish to leave his subjects exposed for exactly one minute at a time, thus slightly blurring each image, as well as the inclusion of their personal data on the actual plate make for an eerie yet sooting body of work.

Larger Than Life

We’ve been aching to write something about these guys for some time now, and their first solo exhibition seems to be the right time to do so. Consisting of Swiss Grégoire Jeanmonod, Frenchman Augusting Scott de Martinville and Belgian Elric Petit, their Big-Game studio has been churning out consistent winners since 2004, such as the Roe Deer and, our personal favourite, the New Rich Collection. Witty in their approach yet rigorously practical in their thinking, their now distinctive imprint is simply comic genius. The exhibition divulges all four of their previous collections, as well as their latest one, Ready Made. A definite must. Big-Game À Until 22nd February 2009 ☞ Grand-Hornu Images, Hornu

www.grand-hornu-images.be

the diary

United Kingdom,

Having grown up in South Africa and often being forced to concoct his own fun, artist Robin Rhode quickly found himself working with readilyavailable tools – from charcoal to spray paint and chalk – using the city’s streets, walls and pavements as his very own blank canvas. He then devises witty performances within these urban interventions, placing himself as the sole protagonist, fi lming or photographing the end result. For his exhibition at London’s Hayward Gallery, Rhode lets loose on the gallery’s external spaces, whilst the inside presents the last ten years of his career and more recent works.

Radical Precursor

This inspiring tribute to radical Italian architect and designer Andrea Branzi includes exquisite domestic objects in glass, silver, stone and wood, and two philosophically informed architectural installations brought up from the Fondation Cartier in Paris. Against a soundscape created by Patti Smith, the pieces express both the glory and limitations of spaces without borders. A filmed interview explores the overarching preoccupation of Branzi’s career – how to develop a new architectural language for a modern world where traditional buildings seem less important than the connections between people. (HJ)

www.grand-hornu-images.be

Coming of Age

All seems to be happening simultaneously for homegrown talent Mr Moerman, and so it should. Longchamps have just launched a bag bearing his distinctive mark whilst Charleroi’s B.P.S. 22 Gallery put on a fitting solo show paying tribute to his diverse and prolific career. Re-uniting, for the very first time, all the mediums he has worked with – from paper and bronze to leather and, in his earlier days, the city’s walls – the exhibition does a fine job of highlighting the artist’s famously intertwined, colourful and organic abstract forms. Intrinsically energetic and undeniably forward-thinking, we’ve always been big fans of Moerman’s work. Jean-Luc Moerman Connecting Everything À Until 21st December 2008 ☞ B.P.S. 22 Gallery, Charleroi

www.bps22.hainaut.be

Coal Minded

Robin Rhode: Who Saw Who À Until 7th December 2008 ☞ Hayward Gallery, London

Andrea Branzi À Until 1st February 2009 ☞ Grand-Hornu Images, Hornu

www.haywardgallery.org.uk

Love and Hate

Aimé Maeght, founder of Paris’ eponymous Maeght Gallery, was one of the great curators of 20 th century art and well reputed for his exhibition-mounting prowess, his deal-clenching nature and his publishing accomplishments. A true patron of the arts, Maeght backed artists from Miró to Giacometti and Matisse to name but a few. The exhibition draws on the Maeght Foundation’s extensive collection revealing paintings, drawings, sculptures, prints and artists’ books as well as previously unseen footage with some of the artists at work under the watchful eye of their backer. Miró, Calder, Giacometti, Braque: Aimé Maeght and His Artists À Until 2nd January 2009 ☞ Royal Academy of Arts, London

www.royalacademy.org.uk

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the diary

The Shape of Things to Come

The second chapter in a series of exhibitions honing in on art from three emerging economic powers – namely China, India and the Middle East – Indian Highway reflects the humongous country’s roaring arrival on the global art front. Focusing for the most part on contemporary culture, the showcase plans to bring together art, architecture, film, literature, performance and technology, giving visitors a telescopic view of the seismic shifts – cultural or economical – occurring in these exponentially growing regions. China was first, and it’s only befitting that India follows suit.

Indian Highways À From 10 th December 2008 until 22nd February 2009 ☞ Serpentine Gallery, London

www.serpentinegallery.org

Everybody Loves Rothko

Rothko, a Russian-born, New York-based artist, was most famous for his monochromatic, square or rectangular works, presented for the first time in New York circa the 1950s. The result of a brief stint in California, the paintings, known as Multiforms, quickly became his signature style. It is this work, as well as 15 Seagrams – a series he began, but never completed, for New York’s Seagram restaurant –, which London’s ever so timely Tate Modern presents. Focusing for the better part on his later work, the exhibition brings together close to 50 of Rothko’s paintings, revealing colour evolutions the painter went through, culminating in his black canvases. An agenda blocker. Mark Rothko À Until 1st February 2009 ☞ Tate Modern, London

www.tate.org.uk

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War Lord

In a time when wars seem to be shaping the beginning of this century more than anything else, London’s Barbican reflects on conflicts, and their visual representation, through the work of one of the most universally celebrated war photographers, Robert Cappa. Responsible for bringing the world what probably is the most iconic – and, to this day, controversial – war image of our times, Death of a Loyalist Militiaman, Cappa was adept at finding the one picture which perfectly illustrated a given war zone, in this case, Spain’s Civil War. The exhibition draws on more than 150 pictures, revealing the working process of Cappa himself, but also that of his assistant (and lover), Gerda Taro. This is War ! Robert Cappa at Work À Until 25th January 2009 ☞ Barbican, London

www.barbican.org.uk

Steel Works

One of the boldest and most groundbreaking artists of his generation, master steel worker Richard Serra is back in the United Kingdom for two concurrent exhibitions at the gargantuan Gagosian Gallery’s London outposts, Britannia Street and Davies Street. The former plays host to three new sculptures as well as steel drawings (steel plates with slivers of paint dribbling down surfaces called Forged Drawings) whilst the latter presents Serra’s new works on paper. The first exhibition of its kind to come to the UK since the artist’s first solo show back in 1992, this is one not to miss. Richard Serra À Until 20 th December 2008 ☞ Gagosian Gallery, London

www.gagosian.com

the diary

Holland,

Responsive Art

In an era when geography seems to define you more than ever, Eindhoven’s Van Abbemuseum’s Heartland showcase is a step in the right direction. The premise of the exhibition rests on the assumption that, although the United States is probably the world’s most well-known country, its heartland – taking in the Mississippi River, New Orleans, Minneapolis, Omaha, Detroit and Chicago - is often left in the shadow. This exhibition seeks to rectify this, with a host of existing and commissioned works by artists from the region as well as others currently taking up residencies there on show. Add to that a musical winner and this could very well be your best bet at getting acquainted with America’s forgotten land.

Marking the end of Liverpool’s tenure as European Capital of Culture, Ideas Taking Place is as democratic and inclusive as they get. Tate Liverpool, ever the innovator, asked a thousand people what their ideal exhibition experience would be, and then asked leading international artists to create new works in response to the survey. With the entire gallery being transformed into a space facilitating encounters, collaborations and inventions, the initiative and resulting exhibition is sure to be a humorous, ideas-led affair and a fitting way to end the city’s Capital of Culture year. The Fifth Floor : Ideas Taking Space À From 16th December 2008 until 1st February 2009 ☞ Tate Liverpool

Curatorial Diplomacy

www.tate.org.uk

When We Were Kids

Green Drops and Moonsquirters – The Utterly Imaginative World of Lauren Child À Until 15th February 2009 ☞ Weston Park Museum, Sheffield

www.museums-

sheffield.org.uk

www.heartlandeindhoven.nl

Street Chronicler

Children often seem to be left out when it comes to our pick of cultural to-dos. And this isn’t because we don’t consider them a worthy readership, quite the contrary. It’s just that we haven’t yet found an adequate exhibition that caters both to their and our expectations. In steps Green Drops and Moonsquirters, Weston Park Museum’s exhibition of children’s author Lauren Child’s impressive work. Be it her incredibly successful monikers Charlie and Lola or – our personal favourite – That Pesky Rat, Child invariably succeeds at inculcating a little something of interest for everyone. Here, Charlie and Lola’s playhouse is brought to life and their dressing room up for grabs.

Angie Stone @ The Jazz Café, London From 12th to 20th December 2008 – the modern-day answer to Aretha Franklin’s straight up soul, no one sings it better than the fabulous Ms Angie Stone. www.jazzcafe.co.uk

Heartland À Until 25th January 2009 ☞ Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven

When you count Walker Evans and Henri Cartier-Bresson as both friends and mentors, chances are you’re on to something big. And Helen Levitt most certainly was, single-handedly reinventing the meaning of street photography in the early 30s. Her impressive career is the focus of Foam’s retrospective, which draws on her extensive black and white prints, her vintage contact sheets and her dye-transfers, for which she is most reputed. Paving the way for such latter day grandees as Robert Frank and, to a lesser extent, Stephen Shore, Levitt’s contribution to street photography isn’t to be taken for granted. Helen Levitt - In the Street À Until 18 th January 2009 ☞ Foam, Amsterdam

www.foam.nl

THE SIXTH WORD — 19

the diary

& France.

Mystery and Glitter. Pastels in the Musée d'Orsay À Until 1st February 2009 ☞ Musée d’Orsay, Paris

Pastel Perfect

In today’s over-hyped art world, tranquility and serenity aren’t attributes you come by very often anymore. Not so for works in pastel, which are the focus of the Musée d’Orsay’s latest show, Mystery and Glitter. Drawing on its own collection of several hundred pastels – from the likes of Manet, Millet and Redon to name but a few – the museum celebrates this sometimes forgotten, and often overlooked, technique. Allowing artists more freedom of expression and dynamism in their movement, pastels quickly (re-) gained popularity in the latter parts of the 19th century. And we can only hope they are about to make a comeback yet again, if only to remind collectors that big-names and bright colours aren’t always the key to an impressive collection.

www.musee-orsay.fr

Hotel Everland @ Palais de Tokyo, Paris Until 31st December 2008 – Swiss Sabina Lang and Daniel Baumann install their life-sized hotel room on Palais de Tokyo’s rooftop, allowing for breathtaking views of Paris. www.palaisdetokyo.com

Poster Boy

Jacques Villeglé, another of France’s prolific and touted contemporary artist, is given a fi rst retrospective at Paris’ Centre Pompidou. Active on the French scene for the past 40 years, Villeglé has made his stamp by recuperating and working with ripped and lacerated posters. With over 100 works on show, the exhibition is sectioned thematically, thus lending credence to the artist’s different creative phases. One for the grown-up graphic designers. Jacques Villeglé La Comédie Urbaine À Until 5th January 2009 ☞ Centre Pompidou, Paris

www.centrepompidou.fr

What We’re Giving Away Two pairs of tickets to the following concerts Skatalites at L’ Ancienne Belgique, Brussels on Thursday 13th November 2008 Fujiya & Miyagi at Vooruit, Ghent on Thursday 20th November 2008 The Black Keys at Vooruit, Ghent on Sunday 23rd November 2008 Herman Dune at L’ Ancienne Belgique, Brussels on Monday 1st December 2008 Everlast at Botanique, Brussels on Monday on 1st December 2008 What you need to do. Email your full name, postal address and date of birth to wewrite@thewordmagazine.be, specifying which concert you wish to go to in the subject line. The fi rst readers to do so will each win a pair of tickets. Conditions. Until tickets last. Addresses provided should all be for different persons and cannot apply to the same address. Applies to Belgium only. Normal conditions apply.

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The Cureghem Cellars

070 / 25 20 20

www.koerperwelten.be

the luxury papers

— Be it a full-service property hunter, your in-residence opera singer or what can only really be described as the finest of sweet hustlers, this issue’s Papers have a certain whiff of exclusivity to them. And although we aren’t big on the term, we couldn’t help but play it slightly elitist too, if only to prove that we could… and we can. Writers Nicholas Lewis & Randa Wazen Photography Geneviève Balasse & Yassin Serghini

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Home Entertainment the luxury papers

The Sweet Tooth Chocolate is a difficult one to place, especially since we made so much noise about the need to move away from typical Belgian stereotypes, chocolate being the most obvious. We found a twist though. This venture isn’t solely about chocolate. Indeed, fi rst and foremost they are taste-makers and purveyors of the sweet, be it in pastries, chocolates or ice-creams. Secondly - and although based in Koekelberg, Brussels - Debailleul isn’t Belgian as such. No, Debailleul is French, founded in 1983 by Meilleur Ouvriers de France Marc Debailleul. The premise upon which Mr Debailleul launched his grand vision stemms from a simple idea: centralised production, complemented by air-tight logistical frame-works, ensuring all sweet-toothed creations arrived undamaged, their taste and composition unaltered by the uncertainties of transport. And this is crucial, especially if you consider the imprint’s national and international presence for what essentially is a medium-sized organisation: innumerable 5-star restaurants and hotels served in Belgium alone and over

10 overseas boutiques – nine in Japan, one in Hong Kong and a recently-opened lounge and boutique in Antibes. Add to that the countless stores which carry the brand (Brussels’ Rob and La Grande Epicerie to name but a few) and corporate events (Roland Garros and Wembley’s VIP boxes for example) requesting Debailleul as their desserts, and it’s easy to see the inherent potential presented. Mr Pauwels and his wife bought Debailleul in 2005 after having tasted one of their distinctive desserts at a friend’s house. "I was instantly won over by the taste and presentation [of what I was being served]" reveals Pauwels, a bright and energetic character with obvious business acumen. To his great astonishment, Debailleul at the time was only available in hyper-market Carrefour, a strategy which smacked of near-suicide. "It simply didn’t seem right" says Pauwels, who took it upon himself to find out more. A couple of phone calls, meetings and some armwrestling later, he quickly found himself at the helm of the company. "Debailleul was ripe for a repositioning" he goes on, which isn’t to say he came in with plans for a major overhaul.

The company retained Mr Debailleul’s unparalleled palate as the sole decider of the internal “taste genealogy” as Pauwels puts it. "Consistency is key" he tells us, "And it was crucial for Marc to still have the last say over most of the new products being developed". Debailleul is "a sophisticated brand, for a sophisticated person", Pauwels continues as a way of explaining his tireless regard for quality of taste and production. The company is small in comparison to some of its competitors – "some have marketing budgets comparable to our entire revenue" reveals the owner – which allows for quicker responses to changing consumer tastes as well as an increased creative freedom. Their communication is canny and thought-through ("solely in French, as we’re fi rst and foremost a French company") whilst their packaging – intricate and distinctive – is a reason in itself to get hold of their products. And with expansions across the globe in-the-making, it seems like this isn’t the last we’ve heard of the sweet-toothed D. (NL) www.debailleul.com

THE SIXTH WORD — 23

the luxury papers The Sweet Tooth

Home Entertainment The opera has always been a place of prestige, associated with the elite ever since its beginning. Members of the high society would go there every evening, as it was the highlight of social life. But the ultimate luxury in that domain was not going to the opera. It was rather bringing it to you, in the comfort of your home. The wealthy families that rented boxes throughout the year being the patrons of that art form, the great composers and singers would entertain them at private parties, presenting their new material in a preview showing to express their gratitude. The world might have changed a great deal ever since, yet this custom has never faded. Inviting artists for private events is still ever so trendy, and one can book any performer, from classical music to mainstream pop icons, provided that the price is right. But for some, money alone won't seal the deal. Dominique Corbiau, a young countertenor, has been performing since he was fourteen and has sung in the living rooms of Belgium's wealthiest families, and most prestigious artists. During the early stages of his career, private concerts were a necessity for him to get known and make a living but also to try out new pieces in front of a laid back audience of connoisseurs. “It’s was a

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fantastic experience”, Dominique recalls. “It allowed me to experiment new ideas and develop my performances with a lot of creative freedom. It’s a great relief from the formal aspect of the opera. Almost like my very own playground”. Now that he is more established and is building up his reputation on an international scale, Dominique can afford to be selective about his gigs. “These days I only perform for friends and music lovers who supported me since my debut”. He is of course willing to make an exception when interesting projects come up, like performing for the finest of the elite or in an extraordinary setting. "I’d love to sing in the house where George Sand lived, a Venetian palace, or being accompanied by a piano used by Chopin" he muses. Those who hire him are upper class music lovers who have an active social life, lavish houses, an ear for music and who, after having discovered his talent, wanted to share that pleasure with members of their circle. However, it is important to note that there are certain requirements if one decides to throw a private reception with an opera singer. It is an absolute must to dispose of a spacious living room, equipped with a piano if possible. But most important is the respect for the artist, as Dominique explains. “That’s a crucial point because I cannot sing while the dinner is being served or if

people do not pay attention. As an artist I am putting up a show for the audience and it must maintain a certain level of prestige. This is also why I am brought to decline offers if the circumstances don’t feel right. If I accept to sing in any old environment, it can be very bad for my image. One must stay very selective. It might seem obnoxious to say that, but it is important as an artist, in order to maintain some credibility.” Yes, having the pleasure to sit through a private opera concert is definitely a luxury reserved to the happy few. Thankfully, the mere commoners we still are can enjoy the thrills of a good old-fashioned jam session, although this isn’t to say we won’t call on Dominique when we have the living room to justify it… (RW)

Dominique's solo album, Memoria (Universal), comes out at the end of November. He will also be performing on Brussels' Grand Place / Grote Markt on the last Saturday of November and every Saturday of December, from 20h00 to 20h45.

www.dominiquecorbiau.be

Walk This Way & Dear Hunters the luxury papers

They count some of the biggest corporate players around as clients, have engineered some of the funkiest online presences to grace the world wide web – their Escape from L.A work for Dodge the fi rst to spring to mind - and yet this isn’t why we fi rst had heard about them. No, we fi rst had the luxury of hearing about them, or rather seeing them, in our inbox, under the cute, if not slightly mysterious, moniker of walking men. The folks at Walking Men – a Brusselsbased design bureau founded by Katelijne Van Loo, Nicolas Glinoer and Pitou Jadot (pictured from left to right) – have religiously, for the past couple of years, been sending out Un Site Par Jour (or One Site Per Day). The concept is simple: sign-up and you’ll receive one ground-breaking, often disruptive in its own field, website per day. But why, you might be wondering ? Very simply, to educate, as one of the overriding challenges they faced when setting up shop was the brick wall which existed between them, and their potential clients. “Advertising agencies and their clients didn’t understand web developers and we thought it’d be a good idea to send them links to websites we liked” explains Nicolas. “We needed to

Walk This Way

create links between the ad and web worlds, and this seemed like a good way of getting to know the people we needed to work with” continues Pitou. And 1,800 sends later, what was really only intended as a simple means to an end seems to have outgrown its initial purpose, becoming an integral part of the design outfit itself.

And, we have to ask, but why Walking Men? “Because we take our time, don’t follow the tide and hate jogging” says Pitou. Need we say more ? (NL)

www.walkingmen.com

Be it pushy, commission-based real estate agents or owners with questionable ethics, potential buyers often find themselves spending more time rebuffing inadequate offers rather than getting excited at their new prospects. And why is that? Put bluntly, because the person entrusted with their property search isn’t as concerned with putting the right roof over their head as they are with meeting the payments on their recently purchased souped-up Polo. Not so for new real estate outfit Property Hunter, opened at the beginning of September 2008 by Frenchmen David Chicard and Julien Dessauny. Their innovative service is one which smacks of sound business logic: allocate an ‘account manager’ to each potential buyer and rid him of all the unpleasant realities of fi nding the ideal property. You might call it a concierge service for the real estate market… How does it work in practice? Clients’ needs are fi rstly determined through a 60point plan which evaluates everything from the type of neighbourhood preferred to the

Dear Hunters

proximity to a school or the need for an outdoor terrace. Once the search contract is signed, the account manager’s task of scanning the market for a match to his client’s expectations begins in earnest: market analysis, pre-viewings, visuals of potentials and even, if required, assistance with negotiations. The advantage to the client: hassle-free property

search, executed by specialists, in a limited time-frame. An essential luxury indeed… We haven’t yet had the luxury of having to search for a property to buy or let, but know whose services we’d enlist if and when the time comes… (NL) www.propertyhunter.be

THE SIXTH WORD — 25

as seen by gaëlle

What Luxury Means

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It’s my fashion

www.ousoleil.com General stores 7GJM:AA:H Place du Châtelain 38 02 538 82 77 6CIL:GE:C Museumstraat 2 (hoek Vlaamsekaai) 03 238 33 60 E6G>H 12 rue des quatre vents 75006 Paris 01 43 26 58 48

Indispensable

When Tommy Met Luc — Tommy Simoens is young enough to still be in college and yet his schedule is as tight as the prime minister’s. Considering he’s been working, for the past three years, for Luc Tuymans, one of Belgium’s most in demand artists – and currently the most expensive one, it kind of makes sense. Writer Randa Wazen Photography Ulrike Biets

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When Tommy met Luc about eight years ago, the fi rst thing he asked him was "would you like me to be your assistant ?" At the time, Tuymans didn’t see why he would need such a person. Today, he simply can’t live without him. Apart from keeping track of exhibitions, managing different proposals, organizing his agenda – basically doing all he can to reduce the pressure on Luc – Tommy intervenes a great deal in the creative process. He’ll help with the production of paintings, research topics and visual effects, offer his advice, but most precious of all: give his honest opinion at all times. "It’s important to be able to oppose my ideas to Luc’s and to provide him with a fresh look on his work, especially when he just spent the last eight hours painting it. It’s also important to be able to say no. We get so many proposals for exhibits and sometimes Luc will be on the phone and get enthusiastic about a project that is impossible to fi t into the agenda. At that point I actually have to stand in front of him with a big sign saying 'no'!" Another challenge is fi nding affordable solutions for museums and arranging the transport of the artworks, because as their prices get higher, so do the insurance costs. And with Luc’s name becoming ever more international, Tommy is of course brought to travel a lot. Whether it be Warsaw or Shanghai, wherever Luc goes, Tommy goes. It comes as no surprise that he is practically never at home. In October, Tommy spent less than 13 days in Belgium, "and it’s only getting worse", he jokes. Fortunately, he doesn’t mind the hectic lifestyle. "I feel like I’m on tour with a band!" Needless to say, his is a job light years away from a 9 to 5 one. It is essential he be available 24 hours a day, 7

days a week. Luc exclusively works with him and they keep in touch all the time. So what would happen if Tommy were to request a week off or get badly ill? "Then we would have to design a very special agenda…" As a matter of fact, Tommy hasn’t had a holiday since 2006. "But every day feels like a holiday to me", he cheers enthusiastically. An artist himself, Tommy unfortunately doesn’t have much time left for his own creations. "The last six months have been crazy. I haven’t had the chance to take a look at my own work." He did however manage to slot in an exhibition of his pieces in Mexico, in a small institution called Petra. But it won’t be until the summer of 2009 and that’s the earliest he could do. As overwhelming as his job might seem, it seems clear that Tommy truly loves it and realizes how lucky he is to work with such a high profi le artist at a young age. "I get to travel a lot, meet very important art curators and work in a highly professional environment." Most interesting of all is the bond Luc and Tommy have forged over the years. "We truly became best friends. We talk a lot and spend so much time together, there is a real exchange between us". An artist of Luc’s importance would normally have an army of 15 to 20 assistants, but his is a case of less is more. Working as a reduced team allows them to achieve results in the best way possible, even if it means pulling all nighters. "As a team we strive for quality", Tommy explains, "and my main goal is the constant search for quality control". More than just a personal assistant, Tommy has become a friend/manager/confidante/lifesaver. And that not only makes him essential to Luc, but also simply irreplaceable.

is in dire need of a workout, and we’ve found just what we, and you, need: Aspria Club. As such, we’re offering 30 invitations for you to sweat it out with one of their experts during a sport-full day at the club. What you need to do ? Send an email to marketing@aspriaclub.be together with your details (name, address and phone number) and you’ll receive a confirmation email from the club. The first 30 readers to register will each receive a free invitation.

the institution

The Dry Cleaner — The older you get in life, the more appreciation you seem to have for certain things you simply couldn’t quite get your head around to before. Take oysters for example. You know they’re good, and belong to the set of finer delicacies in life which somehow reveal a certain coming of age of sorts, yet you still can’t bring yourself to appreciate their assumed finesse. Dry cleaners, or at least a certain breed of dry cleaners, belong to this same category, a necessity some dish out for without giving it second thought, whilst others view it as a luxury, albeit an essential luxury, but one which often looses out in the hierarchy of household spending priorities. Not if you knew about De Geest that is… Writer Nicholas Lewis Photography Geneviève Balasse

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The fi rst thing that strikes you when entering De Geest is the serenity and library-like calm prevalent in the shop. Dry cleaners usually are noisy, humid and smelly affairs, defi nitely of the in-and-out category, although this is far from being the case at this stain-buster. Picture the following… A dramatic and curvaceous single-pieced wooden counter greets clients upon entering. All the garments and other pieces ready for pick-up are neatly arranged along the boutique and its back room’s walls, for the most part on a long-ended automated machine which allows for a rapid and accurate fi nd of clients’ wares. Middle-aged women, almost all of which are integral to the boutique’s fittings, operate their specific responsibilities with the discipline of army generals; indeed, you’ll be damned if they can’t fi nd the item your picking up, such is the professionalism put into making of De Geest a well-oiled outfit… Consider the journey taken by a single garment, from the minute it is dropped off to the minute it is ready for pick-up. As soon as it is deposited by clients, a piece is ticket-stubbed and marked (“the most crucial part” reveals current owner Mr Hees, as a number of ‘specials’ need to be determined: hung or not? Morning or afternoon pickup? Express service?) then it is sent off to the relevant departments: pre-stain removals or cleaning. A controller then scans the piece for any leftover stains. If stains persist, it is sent back. If cleared by the controller, the piece goes to ironing, then to the mending department (if necessary and if requested by the client). The controller then once again lays his or her expert eyes on the piece, before clearing it (or not) for fi nal packing. Roughly 48 hours after drop off (24 hours if express serviced), the fresh, pressed and hung garments are ready for pick-up - and on a house hanger at that. This lengthy yet essential process goes some way in explaining the sometimes hefty price tag – befit of a true luxury service - which often comes with the De Geest imprint. Asked why his was a more expensive type of dry cleaners, Mr Hees perfectly arguments the inherent added value in using De Geest: “We take our time in understanding clients’ needs at reception, which means asking them exactly where the stains are and what they are, and if any special services are required. We’ll also wash particularly diffi cult and un-dry cleanable stains – such as wine stains – by hand”. What is more, if stains persist, the dry cleaner will wait for their client’s approval before pushing

through with slightly more aggressive removal techniques, for fear of damaging the piece. All this makes for an intentionally personal service provided, one which puts its knowledge and experience of the trade to the service of its clients. De Geest fi rst set up shop at the turn of the century, in 1846 more precisely. Its founder, Benoit De Geest, had initially opened a dyeing service, at the time calling his company “Aux Belles Couleurs” (or “The Nice Colours”). In those days, taking good care of the more expensive pieces in your wardrobe meant dyeing them in a given colour, thus insulating them from past and potential accidents – something often undertaken by the kingdom’s wealthy masses. In its dyeing heydays, “Aux Belles Couleurs” was well-known for its dyeing prowess, especially with the city’s couturiers: Ascott, the now defunct eponymous couturier then located on Brussels’ Avenue Louise / Louizalaan, was a regular client. The company’s fi rst shop was on Rue de la Violette / Violetstraat, before moving on to Rue de la Paix / Vredestraat, and then fi nally to Rue de l’Hôpital / Gasthuisstraat, where the eponymous dry cleaner is still housed today, together with its staff of 35. The premises, stretching behind the boutique, are testament to the city centre’s hidden workshops: a sprawling 1,700 m2 atelier is the whole operation’s nerve centre from which all clothes are cleaned, washed, ironed, hung or folded and then packed. The 1900s saw the advent of solvents (benzene and naft fi rstly, then chlorine) and, with it, the revolution of dry cleaning. Although slightly more resource-intensive than dyeing, dry cleaning quickly took-off, partly as a result of ever more complex textile structures within the very pieces dyers were being asked to wash. Benoit Hees, De Geest’s current owner together with business partner Benoit Cambier, took over the company some 26 years ago, on the back of advice received from a trusting source. “A man I respected a lot, and to whom I showed the books, told me that if I didn’t take the company over, he would” explains Mr Hees as way of explaining how he got convinced of the long-term potential inherent in taking over the family business. And although he says he wasn’t predestined to becoming a dry cleaner – he was working at HP at the time whilst his partner was at Sega – , having worked in the shop during the summer months as a student gave him a certain sense of familiarity with the business.

The Dry Cleaner the institution

In a league of its own: Dry Cleaners De Geest

And a business it most defi nitely is. The house enjoys a wide variety of clients, spanning the institutional to the private. Be it the House of Representatives’ office carpets, embassies’ curtains or the opera’s stage costumes, De Geest has developed and nurtured a somewhat exclusive hold on the business of cleaning. Holder of the Royal Warrant of the Court of Belgium means it automatically is the fi rst port of call for some of the most prestigious jobs up for grabs: big concerts (“We cleaned Bono’s stage clothes when he was in town for a U2 concert” remembers Mr Hees amusingly), orchestras and theatres all get the De Gees treatment. Which isn’t to say individuals aren’t part of the client list. “We have business men who make the detour to drop their clothes off, whilst others [preferring to eschew the week’s clogged-up traffi c] come in on the weekend” he states, reminding us of an interesting twist to the current structure. From the little we know about dry cleaners, most of their business model rests on proximity: their ability to be closely situated

to their clientele. Yet this isn’t a trump card De Geest is likely to play, as it is nestled in the heart of Brussels’ city centre. And although it does have a clientele-only parking spot, its location doesn’t always make for easy drop-offs. “My family has long said I should vacate our downtown outpost” reflects De Geest, going as far as saying it would be much easier for him to be situated in some bland and faceless industrial zoning. But that would totally be missing the De Geest genetic composition as well as its role on the city centre’s retail landscape. Indeed, attached to the De Geest entity is a certain brand of romanticism. Together with its home hangers, impeccable service and 35-staff-strong atelier is its beautiful downtown shop. And, although it doesn’t make for stress-free drop-offs, the boutique – just as much as the company’s house hangers – is intrinsic to the De Geest DNA. What is more, where would De Geest move to? “Our clients are so dispersed that the centre of Brussels offers the best geographical compromise”.

Asked about well-documented current issues regarding dry cleaning’s effect on the environment as well as on the industry’s workers, a visibly concerned Mr Hees says he thinks about the question on a daily basis, but is yet to fi nd the ultimate solvent which cleans well, and doesn’t pollute. “We know of two dry cleaners in Brussels which use water-only machines”, he says, although he remains skeptical at their suitability for each and every job: “I am not about to put a €15,000 skirt in a machine” he states, reminding us special jobs often get the special (hand) treatment at De Geest. De Geest now fully discovered, we promise to bump dry cleaning up a couple of notches on our list of household priorities, and can only recommend you do the same.

Rue de l'Hôpital 39-41 Gasthuisstraat 1000 Brussels

THE SIXTH WORD — 31

the word on

01.

Rob’s Logistics — In a world of just-intime production lines and vertically-integrated distribution networks, Rob’s manually-handled logistics – perched atop its Brussels store – stands out like a sore thumb. The Word steps into the wonderfully-illogic world of the foodie paradise’s chaotic yet impeccably held stock rooms… Photography Sarah Michielsen @ Outlandish

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Rob’s Logistics the word on

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01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07.

The Wine Cellar Rob's Outter Shell The In-House Laundry Room Jam-Packed Archaic Transport The Archive Room Bar-Coded

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THE SIXTH WORD — 33

the photo album

Dressed to Impress Belgium — Our portfolio of yellowwashed forgotten imagery sees us reflecting on our compatriots’ varying schools of style. From Sunday-dressed families with their seemingly ubiquitous dogs to the fur-clad grand-dame, we lay to rest any claim that style isn’t intrinsic to our national genetic make-up.

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Dressed to Impress Belgium the photo album

Pictures Chosen With a Nose in the Air

THE SIXTH WORD â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 35

the business

LuxuryAmerican Style — The first American Express card - a modest oblong of purple-printed cardboard – was issued 50 years ago last month, on the same day that the American space agency NASA started operations. The space age in America, and the hi-tech consumer hunger that came with it marked a new era of accessible luxury or populuxe. Writer Hettie Judah

That first wave of credit offered by the early American Express cards gave its carriers access to kitchen appliances, convenience goods and a new leisure culture. It was not the first credit card, but from the start it was marketed as a premium product offering not just practical value, but prestige. Within five years there were one million Amex cards in use. Fifty years on, the notion of popular luxury has undergone radical transformation. This year American Express announced a partnership with Christie’s auction house in New York. Provided that they have the credit history to back it up, card carriers can now have the instant gratification of walking out of an auction with their new Jeff Koons tucked under one arm. Why wait, after all? These days art is just another product. As it has reinvented itself from cardboard, to plastic to titanium, the history of the Amex card is tightly bound with the development of the luxury industry; a halfcentury of recognisable brands, sophisti-

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01.

cated advertising, mass production, status symbols, celebrity endorsements and increasingly global markets. I Prefer The Term African-American Express

The black card - aka The Centurion - is the contemporary icon of luxury par excellence. Launched in 1999, Amex’s legendary invitation-only card emerged because, as Kristine Olson, UK-based Head of Brand and Premium products tactfully puts it “we realised that there was an opportunity to address the needs of the super affl uent.”

The Centurion card brings with it a concierge service that handles everything from travel reservations, to VIP passes, to sneaking you into the Maserati factory to watch your new sports car being assembled. “We can go pretty far,” agrees Olson. “It’s a very bespoke service – the beauty of it is that we operate a global network and can tap into experts who are authoritative on a local level.” Requests such as locating out of season black truffles for a meal in Moscow, or flying a Japanese Yamamoto fruit to London are trifl ing beside some of the events that the team has had to stage. “A cardmember wanted us

Luxury – American Style the business

to organise his wedding proposal to his girlfriend to the last detail,” recalls Olson. “A boat cruise down the Thames, to a special spot of our choosing for a picnic, a butler waiting to meet them off the boat and all the food and champers already laid out waiting on the bank – oh and we had to check last year’s weather forecast to choose a day that was most likely to have good sunny weather.”

" Locating out of season black truffles for a meal in Moscow, or flying a Japanese Yamamoto fruit to London are trifling beside some of the events that the team has had to stage. " Because the team is in regular contact with cardholders – alleged to number 17,000 - they have an unrivalled sensitivity to the shifting demands of the ultra wealthy. Conscience is on the up; they are becoming more concerned about the environmental impact of the hotels they stay in, they are buying more eco-friendly home products and giving more to charity. They are also becoming more knowledgeable as consumers, and more sure of what they want and why. As the market expands to cater to the swelling global pool of ultra-rich individuals, so their concept of luxury continues to evolve. Do You Know Me?

Two years ago, American Express commissioned a report on luxury in the 21st century. Their panel of 100 experts included designers Giorgio Armani and Alexander McQueen, restaurateurs Heston Blumenthal and Alain Ducasse, and hotelier Ian Schrager. The report identified five cycles of luxury that develop in step with the local economy and level of consumer sophistication. The fi rst cycle is Acquisitive luxury, characterised by conspicuous consumption; bling, Bentleys and Cristal. The second, Inquisitive luxury, involves the exercise of taste and judgement; quality rather than size, bespoke suits, discreet branding. The third, Authoritative luxury, is the cycle of the collector – the consumer who’ll chase up rare wines, who’ll travel to buy art or experience special foods in unusual settings.

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Opposite Page 01.

The First Ad For The Eponymous Gold Card (1968)

This Page 02. 03.

Another American Express Ad (1969) The Green Card

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THE SIXTH WORD — 37

All images courtesy of American Express

the business Luxury – American Style

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The fourth is a cycle currently emerging at the top end of many developed economies – Meditative luxury. Here the understanding of luxury encompasses every aspect of an experience, whether that involves shopping in a store designed by a radical architect and decorated with its own contemporary art collection, or designing your own engagement ring in a series of private sessions with a renowned silversmith. The fi fth cycle only exists in the market of imagination – Enlightened luxury – the practice of a future-perfect consumer who controls his expenditure to purchase only the absolute minimum of things. Instead of consuming for thrills, you buy for life, purchasing pieces so exceptional that you’ll only need one. Wear an Hermes Scarf; Your Russian Sister Does

The development of consumer sophistication has not been a clean line – in most markets all four cycles are still present to greater or lesser degree. That partnership with Christie’s in New York is a case in point – to

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serious art connoisseurs, such pandering to instant gratification is nothing short of naff.

" Cycles of luxury that develop in step with the local economy and level of consumer sophistication. " Identifying who top-level consumers are and what they will want is increasingly complicated by American Expresses’ expansion into new markets. Since 1996, the company’s Global Network Services has started identifying partner banks to issue its cards around the world, so far issuing 23 million cards through 125 partners in 120 markets. Over the last three years, that expansion has focused heavily in Central and Eastern Europe, including a high-profile launch in Moscow in 2005. “In Russia there is a huge demand for premium products; we launched the full range

of products from Centurion to Green cards, targeting both the affluent and super affluent as well as the emerging middle class,” explains Siggridur Sigurdardottir, VP, Marketing for the region. “When we launch Platinum or Centurion in other markets, we might hold a press conference; in Russia we actually held a party in the Kremlin. That’s an indication of how much of a priority it takes in that market.” According to Sigurdardottir, the excitement over the arrival of Amex is partly the access to the special services the card brings with it, and partly a symbolic victory. After half a century, American-style luxury is now available in Roubles.

This Page. 04.

Announcing The Card's Colour Change From Purple to Green

BMW 6 Series

www.bmw.be

Sheer Driving Pleasure

The beauty is the beast.

BMW 6 Series New Generation: the first diesel-engined sports car. It has always been a beauty, and the delicate restyling only enhances its aura. But beneath the sporting elegance of the body, the BMW 6 Series New Generation, Coupé or Convertible, conceals more than ever the temperament of an authentic thoroughbred. As well as totally new petrol engines, it now comes with a superb diesel engine which has already become a legend. This fabulous 6-cylinder with Twin Turbocharger develops 286 HP, but only needs 6.9 litres/100 km. The BMW 6 Series New Generation also benefits from the BMW EfficientDynamics technology, which comprises all activities for the ongoing reduction of fuel consumption and emission, combined with the enhancement of sporting, performance and dynamic motoring so typical of BMW. Models available: BMW 630i Coupé, BMW 650i Coupé, BMW 635d Coupé, BMW M6 Coupé, BMW 630i Convertible, BMW 650i Convertible, BMW 635d Convertible and BMW M6 Convertible.

Environmental information (RD 19/03/04): www.bmw.be

Average fuel consumption (l/100km)/CO2 emissions (g/km): 14.7-6.9/352-183

G&CO

BMW Financial Services offers innovative ﬁnancing options for both private and business users. With advantageous BMW Serenity maintenance and repair contracts, your BMW is now maintained in perfect condition. Your BMW is also covered by the mobility services of BMW Mobile Care for 5 years.

three of the best

Card Holders — Continuing in our quest to break the world down into threes, our Essential Luxuries issue sees us bringing you the definitive in visa card bodyguards: Mister Magnetic, Mister Mythic and Mister Majestic… Photography Opération Panda

1. Mister Magnetic 2. Mister Mythic

Imprint

Dior Homme

Imprint

Made Of

Hermès

Glossed Grainy Leather

3. Mister Majestic

Made Of

Will Set You Back

Imprint

Mysore Goat Skin

100 Euros

Delvaux

Will Set You Back

Uniqueness

Made Of

266 Euros

Comes with a Coated Leather Gloss and Multiple Filing Sections

Grainy Calf Skin

Uniqueness

Its See-Through Window

Will Set You Back Happiest Holding

80 Euros

An Unlimited Credit Platinum Card Happiest Holding

A Maxed-Out Visa

Uniqueness Most Appropriate In

V-Necked Open Clutch

GQ Bar, Moscow Most Appropriate In

Happiest Holding

Chelsea Football Club’s Chairman Box, London

A Worn-Out Gold AMEX Most Appropriate In

Le Baoli, Cannes

40 — THE SIXTH WORD

Card Holders three of the best

THE SIXTH WORD â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 41

showstoppers

The Chosen Few — The following pick of ripe-for-consumption delights tilt more towards the essential than the luxurious, although this isn’t to say they aren’t infused with a little “OTT-ness”. You see, luxury to us defines a quality of production, a passion behind the product and, ultimately, an acquired know-how. And the following selection most certainly spells out all three of these feats, albeit at different levels. Writers Nicholas Lewis and Hettie Judah Photography Opération Panda

01. The sleepless nights we’ve had to put ourselves through over the last couple of months mean we’ve become near experts at choosing skincare products which do a fine job of dissimulating our wrinkled eye lids. Dior’s latest skincare innovation, L’Or de Vie, developed in collaboration with worldrenowned winery Chateau d’Yquem, is as close as you can get to achieving a near-perfect skin complexion. Barring its hefty price tag (€ 406 for its 15ml extract) for a minute, you’ll quickly come to terms with the benefi ts of its rich and satin-like textures. Apply gently and you’ll instantly feel revitalisation of your pores. Shiseido’s Bio-Performance range, a slightly more affordable and professional alternative, also sets the bar high when it comes to skin pampering. We first were told all about the merits of this one during our Green Revolution’s fashion shoot, and have been hooked ever since. (NL) Top left. Christian Dior’s L’Or de Vie Cream (50ml) Top right. Christian Dior’s L’Or de Vie Extract (15ml)

www.dior.com Bottom. Shiseido’s Bio-Performance Advanced Super Revitalizer N (50ml)

www.shiseido.co.jp

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The Chosen Few showstoppers

02. We’re a nostalgic bunch here at The Word and often wonder how production teams used to put together what were great publications back in the 1970s. Imagine having to produce Domus with nothing but a typewriter and fi lm photography. So we thought this would be an appropriate time to celebrate what started it all: the typewriter. Invented by Mr Christopher Latham Shodes in 1865 and commercialised by the Remignton Arms Company eight years later, the typewriter revolutionised the world, until the onset of computers. Oh how simple a world without megabytes and hard drives would be. (NL)

03. Want to know why design snobs look so miserable? For years the world of plasticfantastic fun was a no-no because sex toys were too naff to be a turn on. Hallelujah for Swedish vibrator designers Lelo; they make luxury pleasure objects sleek and swooshy enough to satisfy Zaha Hadid. Top of the range is the €1220 Yva –her ergonomic curves are gold plated, making her richly more, more, more-ish. (HJ) From top to bottom Inez, Olga & Earl

www.lelo.com

THE SIXTH WORD — 43

showstoppers The Chosen Few

04. Any self-respecting frequent traveller with just a little class will agree that these shoe blocks are what separates a connoisseur from the hoi polloi. Being somewhat shoe fetishists, we’ve become adept at the art of protecting our shoes in transit. What good is it splashing out on a pair of classic Hardy shoes worth over € 300 if you don’t have the accessory to keep them in shape? (NL)

All Pearls from Atchoum Rue des Renards 20 Vossenstraat 1000 Brussels

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mythical

The Muses — Reflecting on the ultimate luxury of a designer or other creative forces, we came to the subject of muses. As far as sources of inspiration go, they embody artistic inspiration through song, dance, writing, art and, well, simply being. And although nine muses were defined by ancient Greek myths, we chose to zoom in on three: a muse in the past-tense of the word, a modern-day one and a muse in-the-making. Writer Karen Van Godtsenhoven Photography Arnaud de Harven

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Past: Fundji

Fundji has modeled for over twenty years now, doing fittings and shows for everyone from Brussels-based hat designer Elvis Pompilio to Japanese fashion stalwarts Yohji Yamamoto, Commes des Garcons and Issey Miyake. Over the years, her relationship with these designers blossomed into one of mutual respect, interaction and creativity. No longer was she merely being asked to try clothes on, but was also increasingly sought after for her uncompromising and opinionated feedback as well as for adding her unique stamp to a given creation. Her relationship with Elvis Pompilio was an especially close one, with the designer creating pieces specifically for her to show, as he could imagine no one else wearing them with the attitude and panache Fundji bestowed upon his creations. Lovingly comparing Pompilio to the great Italian film director Federico Fellini, she considers herself more of an interpreter, dare she say actor, bringing to life the creations of a 'metteur en scène'. Similarly to a director’s relationship with his headlining actress, a muse needs to thoroughly understand the designer’s vision,

interpreting and, sometimes remodeling it, a feat Fundji is particularly adept at. Where does she draw her own inspiration from ? “I am fascinated not so much by people as by the objects, melodies or artwork they create. I can fall in love with art déco or other design schools, a jazz tune, a sculpture or architecture. All these things inspire me in my work." And work she does. Be it her own jewellery creations or her stints directing fashion shows for Lanvin, Hermès, and other big names, our woman is a busy cookie in her own time. "Directing shows is very much like directing a movie. I like to re-use some theatrical ideas, often picked up at Elvis' shows. I guess you could say he in turn also inspires me. His outof-the box thinking fits perfectly with my own way of seeing things, which is very unique and defined. I think that's why the more 'artsy' designers liked me and why I never did a lot of couture shows, because emphasis there is on the pretty, silent muse. I like to interact with designers, as I believe creation stems from action-reaction, it's like a river, always in flux and always changing". A fitting description for an inspiration of a woman…

The Muses mythical

Now: Layna

In no more than a seven month period, Layna has gotten off to quite a start: having started modeling under the auspice of Bruno Pieters, she has just fi nished doing showrooms in Paris for none other than Dries van Noten and appears in Le Fabuleux Marcel de Bruxelles’ latest campaign. Our contemporary muse, Layna, is without the inch of a doubt the modern day embodiment of a muse, navigating Antwerp’s sometimes precarious fashion scene with an almost child-like insouciance, part of a tight-knit group of friends whom she relies on for her inspiration. "My circle of friends is my engine, and I think we’re all muses for each other in one way or another. I couldn't do my job without them. When a shoot is one person short, I just call one of them and they complete the job. Hence we often work together, one inspiration bouncing off the other." How did she get started in this whole fashion game? "Bruno Pieters gave me my fi rst break, which then led to me being discovered by my agency. Bruno's was my fi rst show, and, as with other fi rst times, the fi rst show is very meaningful for a model.

He is a perfectionist, and I really admire the way he works from the conception of a collection through to the fi nal result (Layna also does the fi ttings year-round). He inspires me a lot, and I like to think I also inspire him, as he keeps working with me. "Can she be herself with Dries and Bruno? "Well, it's different working for them, I'm not an artist with a view, although I have to say, both are very appreciative of feedback. Once we approach the shows, they'll ask me whether something feels good, if I can walk in it, and whether I would change something. But, as Ann Demeulemeester once told me, a good showroom model has to be able to 'see, hear, and shut up', although this is a bit hard for me as I like to speak my mind." Layna's own inspiration stems from the said circle of friends, as well as independently-minded rock icons such as Robert Smith, Bowie, Ian Curtis, Alison from The Kills, and Siouxsie and the Banshees. With her striking defi ning looks – one of the reasons we had picked Layna for our Secret Society issue’s Fashion series - , this is one you’re sure to see much more of in the coming months…

THE SIXTH WORD — 47

mythical The Muses

Future: Serafina

Her name could literally be translated as 'The Angel from God's Garden'. Sparkling and smiling from behind her curls, she explains the way she works with video artist Javier Barçala (for Christophe Coppens), photographers, short fi lms directors and designers: spontaneous as she is, she likes to work on an impulsive basis, but not without a clear view of where it's going. She likes throwing ideas on top of a concept, and having a laugh whilst doing it. Surrounded by creative minds, she sees the artists around her as friends, fueling her own creative activities. Serafi na creates her own perfumes, plays the drums, takes fashion photographs of her best friend Tess (in ethereal clothes by Kaat Tilley, for whom Serafi na's mum used to work), and likes knitting or sewing whatever objects that come into her mind. With her photography, she likes to hunt for locations and weird props. When cycling around town, she often sees places that inspire her, then looks for props and clothes, and the right moment to shoot. Music is less of a passion than photography, though she has become better now that she plays the drums mainly due to added room

48 — THE SIXTH WORD

for improvisation and personal expression. "When I played the piano, I just had to exercise and practice prefabricated melodies. That was really boring. Luckily, with the drums, you can play your own tunes very fast." On the prospect of being a muse, Serafi na seems unfazed: "I don't think I'm special or extraordinary, I just often like things that are a bit out-of-the-box, and I hope to be able to keep doing stuff I like with likeminded individuals. A lot of my classmates don't always like the things I wear or do, but I don't need applause, I just want to be left alone, and be appreciated by the right people." She's quite mature for a 13 year old girl, since teenage girls can be quite unforgiving with a girl who's got a different and eccentric style. When asked about her own muse, she is quick to point at her friend/model Tess and Swedish pop singer Robyn. "Robyn is the exact opposite of Paris Hilton: she just does what she likes and isn't obsessed about being pretty." The words of a defi nite musein-the-making: not only is she playful, outspoken, creative and beautiful, she also has that little ‘je ne sais quoi’ quality that makes her instantly stand out…

Photography Assistant Stanislaw Jagiello Make Up Eleonore Nataf with Givenchy

www.essentiel.be

the fashion word

Set against a dramatic background of superimposed architectural mysteries, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re blurring the lines this month to reveal an eerie, quieter modern aesthetic. Photography Lionel Samain Fashion Jennifer Defays

50 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; THE SIXTH WORD

Dress Celine, Boots Dries Van Noten

Shirt Balenciaga Men, Underwear La Perla

Left. Suit Dior Homme, Jewellery Ann Demeulemeester Right. Overalls Maison Martin Margiela, Scarf La Perla

Wrap Blouse Ann Demeulemeester, Palazzo Pants Giogio Armani

Top with Scarf Gucci, Straight Skirt Alena Akhmadullina, Boots Celine

Slim-fi t sweater Jil Sander Men, Clutch Bag Hannelore Delvaux

The New Romantics the fashion word

Photographer Lionel Samain Stylist Jennifer Defays Make Up Eleonore Nataf with Givenchy Hair Adrien Coelho for Close Up by IMM Models Klodiana M. @ IMM Elizabeth Devriendt @ NewModels

Shirt Balenciaga, Pumps Giorgio Armani

THE SIXTH WORD â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 57

sole purpose

Judging a Man by His Shoes — We believe men don’t pay close to as much attention as they should to their shoe attire. And given the importance of shoe choice when postulating for a new job, we find this insouciance disconcerting and aim to remedy it with our Polaroid-pick of bottom-of-the-wardrobe essentials.

Black Suede Loafers with Tassle by NDC Black Velvet Shoes by Giorgio Armani

Photography Roy Polar

Leather Brogues by Gucci Black Tylers by Paul Smith from Balthazar

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Judging a Man by His Shoes sole purpose

Soft Brown Suede Boots by Ermenegildo Zegna Brown leather Boots by Diesel

Brown Suede Brogues by J.M. Weston Low Brown Show with Lacet by Filippa K

THE SIXTH WORD â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 59

dying breeds

The Specialists — We believe in everyone having a particular forte, a trait we seek out when shopping for those everyday life-enhancers. Be it a steamed wig, ‘catdicks’ candy or a roll of relief parrot wallpaper, these specialists’ ability to cater to sometime frivolous demands is what makes them so, erm, well, special. These single-product storekeepers are the true embodiment of our take on timeless luxury… Writer Karen Van Godtsenhoven Photography Sarah Eechaut

Gillis Modistes (1914)

Gillis Modistes’ current owners Sylvie and Catherine took over the shop about 15 years ago. Autodidacts with experience in knitwear and theatre costumes, they create and produce all sorts of hats (gala hats, berets, bonnets) for every type of customer and head. Felt is the material of choice, and is meticulously steamed in the atelier where it rests until it is fi xated. Rue du Lombard 17 Lombardstraat 1000 Brussels

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The Specialists dying breeds

Coutellerie Jamart (1821)

The Cielen family has owned the Coutellerie Jamart since 1929. The boutique houses over 2,500 articles, for the most part cutting utensils such as knives, razorblades and brushes with badger hairs. Men of all sorts come in to purchase hard-to-fi nd Japanese kitchen knives, or pocket ones with Damascus blades. Women come with vintage ebony cutlery sets, whose rusty blades the Cielens replace with shiny new ones, just as they grind, sharpen and repair the knives they sold throughout the years. Rue de l'HĂ´pital 7 Gasthuisstraat 1000 Brussels

Linssen Wigs (1900s)

Mariette Moreau, owner of the Linssen wig shop, used to take care of her hairdressing husband's administration, which is how she got into the hair business. The store used to essentially work with theatres, but later got split up into two separate entities. On the one side, a carnival and theatre boutique, and the other, Linssenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wig shop/atelier offering a wide range of both natural and synthetic wigs for individual customers. Sadly, most customers are chemotherapy patients, but Mariette and her staff make sure they only get the best wigs around. Boulevard Anspach 144 Anspachlaan 1000 Brussels

THE SIXTH WORD â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 61

dying breeds The Specialists

Priem Wallpaper (1928)

Ghent's historical centre harbours three Priem Wallpaper shops, together amassing thousands of wallpaper rolls. The two sisters and their assistant claim wallpaper’s obvious eco-friendly attributes as well as its refreshing nature has resulted in a wallpaper renaissance, especially among Ghent taste-makers. Glancing at the thick retro and baroque wallpaper in the boutique, we understand why. Walk in, and we dare you to walk out without packing a roll or two underneath your arm. Kraanlei 8 Ghent

Télesco Umbrella's (1857)

As a child, Télesco’s owner Annie used to play with umbrellas instead of dolls, paving the way for her taking-over the family's umbrella business. A canny businesswomen, when it didn't rain for two years some while back, she stopped producing them herself and started also selling luxury gloves and leather bags. Umbrellas remain her thing though, and she still takes in each and every one which she has sold for repair. Singing in the rain for life indeed. Groentenmarkt 14 Ghent

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The Specialists dying breeds

Temmerman Candy (1904)

With sparkling eyes, Ms. Temmerman explains how she grew up in the candy business and still feels like a child in her own store, eating a healthy 2kg of candy a day. Stocking a variety of over 500 kinds of gums, anise candy, Ghent-favourite ‘catdicks’, sour balls as well as chocolate, most of the candy available is locallysourced and produced. We recommend the raspberry nosegums… Kraanlei 79 Ghent

THE SIXTH WORD — 63

design

Violence : It’s The Stuff That Surrounds Us — There’s a thick cord binding luxury to violence; if something is desirable, it’s likely that someone will want it enough to take it by violent means. Violence certainly has its own aesthetic, whether or not one wants to engage with the political implications. Writer Hettie Judah Photography Opération Panda

From Left to Right. Gun Lounge Lamp by Philippe Starck for Flos, Bloody Hell Wallpaper by Timorous Beasties, R ATATA Wooden Toy Gun by Tomm Velthuis, Smoke Dining Chair by Maarten Baas for Moooi from Espace Bizarre, Bound by Blood Necklace by Chi Ha Paura...?, Paper AK47 and Grenade by PostlerFerguson, Pantheon Throw by Studio Job for Moooi from Espace Bizarre. All Clothes from Stock Americain

64 — THE SIXTH WORD

Violence: It's The Stuff That Surrounds Us design

THE SIXTH WORD â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 65

design Violence: It's The Stuff That Surrounds Us

The Lan club in Beijing has décor so decadent that it amounts to a kind of aesthetic assault. Lavishly framed artworks hang from the ceiling, there are thrones in the lavatories and even some of the curlicues have curlicues on them. Lingering between the gilt day beds and cabinets of curiosities there are guns; handguns, AK-47s, a golden arsenal masquerading as a collection of lampstands. Philippe Starck’s gun lamps are hardly new news – but presenting them in such lavish surroundings, lighting the martinis of China’s new money, they become shocking; gross even; a constant reminder of the proximity to violent death. Are products that make overt reference to violence simply decadent excess, or do they hint at something darker ? Over the last few years a hard edge has crept into the design world. Sometimes there is simply a desire to shock, sometimes a fascinated nod to the aesthetics of war and mortality. Elsewhere, there is a measured response to recent events; to the visible confl icts around the world and their invisible links to the big bucks pumping into the design world from the new ultra wealthy. Harnessing the energy of violence is a neat trick. Maarten Baas pulls it off with the controlled destruction of his charred wooden Smoke series – chairs that have endured a violent act, magically stabilised and turned into something functional. Despite having torched chairs by many of the most prominent designers of the last century, Baas argues that there’s nothing hostile about these works. “They’re not a statement against anything; I just wanted to make a good object,” he explains. “I think it’s beautiful.”

collection was priced at $700,000 and sold within the fi rst hour of the show. “We wanted to create an inventory for a violent person,” explains Job. “Not violent on the street but on a larger scale; a big captain of industry or a dictator; very violent, dominant people who gain a lot of money on the back of the poor. It’s a timeless theme; what’s happening now in this crisis is totally done by robber barons.” Job is not naïve about where the money comes from to support the market for top end design pieces – he jokingly refers to himself and partner Nynke Tynagel as modern-day Robin Hood figures; “we sell the pieces to the rich and we give the money back to the workers. A lot of violent things happen on the back of the art market and it’s the same with design.” Same Old, Same Old: Breaking News

Comfort vs. Confrontation

“In design, people always try to create something comfortable for good people; fantastic lounging shapes for a happy situation. We’re not there to make people’s lives more comfortable. Our pieces are about our experiences. Violence is in our society, it’s happening all day long. We use it as an inspiration because it seems to be very close to human beings – as well as love, peace, happiness, sickness and disease.” Job Smeets, Studio Job Death and destruction are familiar companions in the work of Studio Job. The fragile curves of the hominid skeleton are etched in the crisp porcelain of their dinner plates; death’s heads and tanks punctuate the frieze of their Pantheon throw. If it’s not there in form, it’s suggested by their materials. Rendering everyday implements in bronze and putting them on a pedestal func-

66 — THE SIXTH WORD

tions as a kind of post-industrial vanitas; the things we make will outlive us: the things we prize cannot save us. “Materials like pure gold and diamonds are very connected to violence,” says Job. At last year’s Miami art fair, the duo presented the Robber Baron suite, a set of furnishings cast in bronze that included a cabinet that appeared to have been blasted through the middle with a shotgun. The

“Violence in certain situations is acceptable; on TV or in a painting for example. In a textile for some reason people are up in arms about it. There are very pre-conceived ideas of what images people should use in textiles.” Paul Simmons, Timorous Beasties. Nominated for Designers of the Year by London’s Design Museum in 2005 - the year they launched a toile fabric featuring their native Glasgow - Timorous Beasties inhabit a world of print at once shockingly contemporary and historically learned. Their Glasgow toile showed a desolate urban cityscape populated by mourners and the homeless, with a foreground image of a man shooting up heroin on a park bench. In Milan this year they launched a new range called Bloody Hell; a pattern featuring tanks, guns and dripping blood printed on top of old damask-patterned wallpaper.

Violence: It's The Stuff That Surrounds Us design

The Beasties’ depiction of poverty and violence on their wallpaper and textiles are the antithesis of what we might call the Neutral Element - those who aspire to inoffensive good taste. The Neutral Element use their surroundings as a barrier against all the nasty shit that happens beyond their walls. Timorous Beasties’ Bloody Hell wallpaper resembles what happens when all the nasty shit actually manages to seep through the walls and manifests itself shockingly through the existing paper.

" For industrial designers, the machinery of war presents fantastic challenges and awesome budgetary possibilities " There’s nothing particularly modern to the idea that our domestic interiors don’t have to be nice, neutral spaces. “There has been historically far more violence than I’ve ever put into a toile,” says Paul, citing patterns dating back to the 1770s. “There’s a toile from Lille in the Napeoleonic times and it shows Spanish soldiers raping a woman and the French soldiers fi ghting them off. The toiles were stories.” Bloody Hell is shocking because there’s something gruesomely honest about it – war is the backdrop against which we live, and curiously, the modern era of rolling news seems to have made it more banal, easier to ignore. Sometimes violence catches our eye, but most of the time it seems endlessly repetitive. Timorous Beasties have found an unexpected medium through which to show the world back to itself, though Paul explains they’re unlikely to start printing off a fabric answer to CNN. “If there’s a stock-market crash I don’t necessarily want to make a textile about it, but war has been going on so long, it’s a kind of generic theme that can apply to any period.” Beautiful, Like a Gun

“Light, functional, affordable, elegant; with more than 100 million offi cially produced, the Kalachnikov is one of the great industrial design successes of our generation. Mr Kalachnikov doesn’t touch the royalties. He often complains about it. So I’m giving a commission to poor Mr Kalachnikov from

the sales of the representation of his model. The rest I’m giving to Médecins Sans Frontières. I wonder why.” Philippe Starck, text for the Gun Lamps collection. Violent oppression makes handsome use of designers – just check out how much Saddam Hussein and Leopold II spent on glorifying themselves through building projects. For industrial designers, the machinery of war presents fantastic challenges and awesome budgetary possibilities, although apparently it’s not an area that design academies devote much curricular time to. As Starck suggests, few designers can hope to have their works in such constant demand as Mr Kalashnikov. Arguably the most recognisable and popular industrial designer of his era, Starck’s own Juicy Salif lemon squeezer has sold in the hundreds of thousands. Impressive, but small fry by comparison. The build-your own paper AK-47 kit created by the young German-American duo Postler Ferguson was created in part to show how design could illustrate concepts in science, economics and technology on a more fundamental level than words or diagrams. The designers met at the Royal College of

Art in London, where works exploring violence cropped up a number of times in their portfolios. Early projects include the Point & Shoot – a camera attachment that photographs both the target and the shooter of the gun at the moment they pull the trigger. The paper Kalashnikov is a design about design itself, and yet it communicates on many levels; nerdy, aesthetic, political, industrial; can you really separate the admirable design from the questionable function?

THE SIXTH WORD — 67

design Violence: It's The Stuff That Surrounds Us

“We built it with plans we found on the Internet,” explains Martin Postler. “The AK-47 is a very well designed and constructed product that is fi nancially successful. We had to understand how the gun is really built to make it as a model. Carrying a lifesize AK-47 is quite an exciting thing, even though it’s made of white paper. We are interested in how young men are affected by wearing a weapon and how that can seduce you and make you do things you can bitterly regret.” Damn, that’s Cool!

“We’re living in a world where people move around a lot, you get integration of different cultures and religion, and with that you sometimes get extremism. I wanted to make a new interpretation of prayer beads; I wanted to show that we are more or less the same; that it’s the same blood we share. Bound by Blood also refers to the many wars that have been fought in the name of religion, that’s why I decided to dye the wooden beads dark red.” Katja Prins, designer of Bound by Blood for Chi ha paura…?

68 — THE SIXTH WORD

War, like religion, has a resonant language of symbols and uniforms that reinforce its power. Civilian fashion has aped military uniforms since the things were invented, and there are still few collections that go by without some reference to the clothing of combat. Uniform shows a united front, and with unity comes power, but warriors have always had a tendency to swagger and style that goes beyond the functional. A New York Times reporter once even described the Taliban as ‘dandyish’ for their silky, black, trailing turbans and predilection for eyeliner. As PostlerFerguson noted of their paper AK-47: just the act of holding a gun, even a paper gun, has a transformative power. Similarly, Katja Prins’ Bound By Blood necklace takes iconic power from the double punch of religious symbolism and suggested violence. The necklace combines prayer beads of four religions; a Rosary, a Tasbih, a Mala and a Juzu. “It’s sort of a pacifier maybe,” says Katja. Production Mélisande McBurnie Make Up Eleonore Nataf for Givenchy Model Yves at Dominique Models With Thanks to Stock Americain

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the word is

01.

Damn Luxury — After a visit to Antarctica, designer David Trubridge became keenly aware of his environmental responsibility. On a recent visit to Europe, he explained to us why society has never been in greater need of designers Writer David Trubridge with Hettie Judah

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In London I wandered around the Design Festival looking for new directions from British designers. What I saw was accomplished design, but it often seemed to give off a whiff of desperation in a search for something new. In Maori there is the concept of turangawaewae, or your place to stand. I think it is very important for designers to discover this personal place of empowerment and identity, and in doing so fi nd their integrity - their own artistic centre from which to tell their stories. Most of the works I saw did not have this; instead the designers resorted to gimmicks as a point of difference. It saddens me to see design training and good talent being wasted like this. When I talk to designers they share concern about the future of design, but somehow in their work they are not able to address this. We are all agreed that we cannot continue the current binge of consumer consumption, but nobody knows how to stop it. I wish that these designers could explore their fantasies like I have been lucky enough to do over the last 30 years. But the brutal reality is that if we are all to lead a truly sustainable lifestyle - one that can continue indefi nitely, allowing equal opportunity for everyone on earth, without detrimental impact on the planet - then we cannot justify using up irreplaceable resources and energy on gimmicks any more. This would seem to imply a regressive step to a basic bucolic

existence which is of course impossible with current populations. There are simply not enough caves or wild boar ! This scenario misses the value of our culture, of what it is to be human. The real challenge to the designers of today is to continue to add to the richness of culture, while at the same time drastically reduce our use of physical resources and energy. I have asked myself what people are paying for when they purchase one of my lights. It is not a light per se that is far cheaper at a hardware store -rather it is an overlaid experience, an emotion, a connection with nature, or a story of place and people. In short, a little bit of culture as a form of social or spiritual nourishment. Is our hunger to buy and consume a symptom of ill-nourishment ? Are our houses, and the things in them, designed to act like junk food, leaving us obese and only craving more? If we can design far fewer objects that provide a lasting nourishment, and buildings that provide long-term cultural identity (rather than statements of self aggrandisement) will that help us kick our consumption habit? The process has to start with groups of designers working as artists, communicating closely with people and place, to develop a language that speaks of that people and place. One of the worst manifestations of illnourishment must be infatuation with luxury. I am increasingly sickened by the luxury messages conveyed by glossy “ life-

02.

Damn Luxury the word is

03.

" Luxury is the pernicious wedge that drives extremes of want far beyond the limits of need. " In the search for true sustainability, everything has to be redesigned. Apply design, not to creating new objects - we have too many already - but to the WAY we do things. Don’t design a better car - that is just swapping a slightly improved, but still dirty object for an old one. Design a better transport system, or even a better lifestyle that does not need transport. There is a pressing need for the creativity of design thinking to be applied to the greater abstract structures of

style” magazines. Paul Theroux said that (in relation to travel) “ luxury is the enemy of observation.” More generally, it is the enemy of sensitivity. How can any caring person be pampered on an empty private beach in the Maldives where the original fi shing inhabitants were forcibly removed from this ancestral home to tin ghettos far from the sea? And when the timber to build the lodge came from never-to-be-replaced tropical rainforest? Luxury is the pernicious wedge that drives extremes of want far beyond the limits of need. Designers must choose between supporting the parasitic luxury industry, and creating more nourishing and lasting alternatives. 04.

our society (such as economics, politics and urban planning) for the equal well-being of everyone on the planet. This is a fantastic challenge and opportunity to those designers who can take it up. Never, since the early days of our existence when the design of huts, clothing and tools enabled the human race to survive, has society been in greater need of designers. Never have we had so many well-trained designers capable of doing it, if only they can be encouraged and assisted to direct their energy in this way. The problem is making the fi rst step; to break the inertia there needs to be a collective push, either from a critical mass of opinion, or from government, or from nature itself. I am not sure which will come fi rst.

01. 02.-03. 04.

Trubridge Teaching Class Time at The Vitra Summer School Trubridge's Snowfl ake Lamp

THE SIXTH WORD — 71

shelf absorbed

Well Read — Although far from being literary snobs, this issue’s pick of shelf loungers somehow geared towards the selective, custom-made and unique. Sat upright against a marbledbackdrop and you have yourself an essential collection… Writer Nicholas Lewis Photography Yassin Serghini

72 — THE SIXTH WORD

Products for a Happy Life (2007) By Jennifer McKnight-Trontz Mark Batty Publishing

This little wonder hit the spot as soon as we stumbled upon it. A cunningly-curated selection of essential, everyday products, the book is a cute manifesto for a far simpler life. Consisting for the most part of industriallymanufactured items, Products for a Happy Life provides a welcome reminder of times gone by, ones which favoured functionality and ease-of-use above aesthetic and marketing return-on-investments. Be it a pair of scissors, a toothbrush, a zig-zag ruler or a pair of skates, this delight of a book is to be opened whenever the new economy starts becoming too much. Diamonds, The Quest from Solid Rock to the Magic of Diamonds (2008) By Christine Gordon Tectum Publishing

This mammoth of a book is about as exhaustive as they get in documenting a diamond’s long journey from mining to retailing. The fruit of a collaboration between specialised Diamond writer Christine Gordon and two photographers, Diamonds is a compelling, illustrated account of the diamond industry’s inner workings and the changes forced upon it since the introduction of the Kimberley Process. Objective and extensively - researched, the book is an essential verdict on the industry’s coming of age in the 21st century.

Couture Interiors (2007) By Marnie Fogg Laurence King Publishing

We tend to squirm at the thought of yet another fashion house branching out into the world of interiors. Be it an Italian Haute Couture dynasty opening a luxury resort on the coast of Brazil or a fashion conglomerate decking out a Saudi Sheik’s Boeing 747, it seems there isn’t an inch of textile left untouched by today’s fashion industry. A point made succinctly clear in Couture Interiors, albeit in a slightly more light-hearted and positive tone. A coffee table book per excellence, it explores the blurring of lines between the worlds of fashion and interiors, celebrating the imaginative way in which fashion has stepped into households the world over. One Off, Independent Retail Design (2008) By Clare Dowdy Laurence King Publishing

“Retailers I fi nd interesting are small, local and niche” states Tom Dixon, chairman of design heavy-weight Habitat, setting the tone for One-Off, a book celebrating the resilience of independent retailing in the face of increasingly homogenised high streets. Drawing on concept stores and boutiques from around the world, it is the definite bible the global anti-chain zeitgeist has been longing for. With favourites Papabubble in Barcelona as well as Comme des Garcons’ now infamous guerrilla outfits, the title is testament to the necessity and energy emanating from independent retail design.

Well Read shelf absorbed

Art & Sole (2008) By Intercity Laurence King Publishing

Adorn, New Jewellery (2008) By Amanda Mansell Laurence King Publishing

Over the last decade, sneaker culture has firmly entrenched itself as a force to be reckoned with in today’s fast-moving fashion world. The industry has mastered the art of creating a buzz through the clever use of one-off initiatives and re-issues, often collaborating with established creative forces in developing exclusive kicks and cutting-edge designs. This is made even clearer when fl icking through Art & Sole, which does a fine job of bringing out the creative side of sneaker couture. Pulling in close to all sneaker brands available to man, the book presents some of the most visually-striking sneaker designs around, from Gary Baseman’s plasticised work for Onitsuka Tiger to Streetwise’s concrete sneaker sculptures for Nike.

From headpiece to toe ring, including everything from earrings, necklaces and bracelets to rings and body pieces, Adorn is the new testament of contemporary jewellery design. Showcasing the works of over 170 jewellery designers, it provides an authoritative run-through on some of the most exciting imprints in the industry, putting to shame anyone’s claim of the craft’s demise. And although some of the designs featured are sometimes too conceptual for their own good, the book’s exhaustive selection makes for an interesting journey in the expressive world of jewellery design.

From Left to Right:

Products for a Happy Life by Jennifer McKnight-Trontz (Mark Batty), Diamonds by Christine Gordon (Tectum), Couture Interiors by Marnie Fogg (Laurence King), One Off by Clare Dowdy (Laurence King), MOMU’s Maison Martin Margiela 20 exhibition catalogue, Art & Sole by Intercity (Laurence King), Adorn by Amanda Mansell.

THE SIXTH WORD — 73

Illustration Jean-Baptiste Biche

— Fresh, pressed and ready-to-leech, every each one of you knows a Sir Leech-A-Lot, although you might need a magnifying glass to spot him. From the smug and slimy two-bit charmer to the sly and sneaky pseudoaristocrat, we thought now would be the perfect time to let off a little steam...

Sir-LeechA-Lot

pencil perfect

Glorified business cards, consultant being the “profession” of choice.

A sparkled-smug grin, sure to charm the most gullible of party host and parking valet…

THE SIXTH WORD — 75

Sews designer labels into his jacket.

Wears his watch on the inside, for a quick glance at the time to ensure he doesn’t miss the next party to leech at...

Lipstick on his champagne flute’s rim, because it isn’t his glass…

Sports J.M Weston shoes nicked at the latest pool party he went to…

Wears a reversible suit: smoking on one side and a clean-cut blazer on the other.

Keeps his hand in his pocket to hide his fake signet ring when talking to actual aristocrats.

the commission

— Commissioning works of art is usually the remit of the upper echelons of society. For the artist, it often represents a certain coming of age, a recognition by some of the deepest-pocketed collectors around that their distinctive streak is now more in-demand than their usual work. For collectors, it represents an accumulated yielded power, an ability to get whatever you like from whoever you like, similar to getting your very own blend of Chanel. Well, luckily enough for The Word, it got a little Chanel of its own… and decided to make an exhibition out of it too.

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The Word Viewed by Christopher Coppers

Christopher Coppers is a Brussels-based artist whose work consists, for the most part, of interventions, either with, within or on magazines. Combining his love for printed matter with an obvious urge for creative destruction, Christopher painstakingly revisits magazines in a way which somehow gives them a second purpose, a second life. What are sometimes referred to as graphic interventions come in any of three forms. The ones which he probably is the most well-known for are his brilliant, intricately – carved magazine covers, near-manic cut-ins which dramatically reinterpret any given cover. Our all-time favourites are his Spruce magazine remixes, as well as his now essential Playboy series. You then also have his more installationbased work. Be it his Binoche de Romeo,

his Tour D’y Voir or, our personal favourite, the ever-so-ironic Deforestation – where he see-saw sculpts his way through tones of magazines, creating mountain-like entities of recycled monthlies –, these fully illustrate the energy and freedom of movement which make his work so strong. His more recent creations are rather confidently more politically-inclined. In a nod to times of global diplomatic crisis after diplomatic crisis, our magazine-buff has re-created the flags of the eight G8 countries, using nothing else but shredded magazine pages, framed in solid blocks of resin. With Belgium and the UK represented above, these offer an impressive and hard-hitting body of work, befitting some of the world’s most heavily-guarded receptions.

The Word Viewed by Christopher Coppers the commission

Bringing us to our very own commission. This being our Essential Luxuries issue, we thought it’d be timely to get Christopher to work his magic on some of our previous issues. Having created three pieces of work – one of which’s sequenced evolution you can see above – we arranged for it all to be exhibited throughout the month of November.

The folks at Brussels’ Bozar Shop having lovingly ceded three of their most prominent windows, Christopher will be investing them as off 7th November 2008. Expect his revisited logo, a towering spiral as well as a mountain of Word’s to be the order of day. Needless to say you simply must drop-by.

The Word Viewed by Christopher Coppers Until 30 th November 2008 Bozar Shop Rue Ravenstein 23 Ravensteinstraat 1000 Brussels With thanks to France de Kinder and Leen Daems at Bozar and Pierre Lefevre at Bozar Shop.

THE SIXTH WORD — 77

the art of luxury

Makeup Artist — Critical theory, psychology and the latest beauty trends mesh powerfully in the work of Karla Black. Writer Hettie Judah

Like a newly opened jar of face cream, Karla Black’s work has a mesmerising relationship with our sense of touch. Our brain tells us how her works might feel – the luxurious deep unguence of petroleum jelly, the velvety matte powder of chalk dust or plaster, the greasy slick of cosmetic concealer, or the fragile crackle of sugar paper infused with hair gel – but ramming your fi ngers deep inside for a good, destructive squeeze would destroy the tension that makes it precious.

78 — THE SIXTH WORD

The winner of last year’s Champagne Perrier-Jouët Prize at London’s Zoo art fair, Black returned to this year’s show with a solo exhibition, and her work is currently on display as part of Witte de With’s selection at Brussels Biennial. The next couple of years are now scattered with major shows around Europe for the 35-year-old Glaswegian. The award committee – led by curator Sir Norman Rosenthal – was impressed by the delicate balances in Black’s work. The pieces dominate their space while appearing intensely fragile, they reference both feminine and masculine, sculptural permanence and the transience of performance art. Us ? We’re attracted to her use of materials, which include nail varnish, moisturiser, fake tan and lipstick. Black, it turns out, is surprisingly excitable about makeup and says that she gets much of her inspiration for colours from makeup advertisements, with Clinique ads being a particular favourite. “I’m aesthetically thrilled by looking at makeup in glossy magazines; it is very difficult to resist,” she says, sipping a cup of green tea in the cold Biennial exhibition space. While she may be tempted to splash out on luxury labels for herself, the work tends to use budget makeup brands, (although she does treat her sculptures to body butters from The Body Shop).

Black equates the transformative power of makeup with the act of artistic creation. "It’s the gap between the promise and the possible – the promise of how beautiful you’ll look if you wear a particular product is as impossible as making a beautiful piece of work." She cites a recent interview with Karl Lagerfeld in which the designer described his persistent disappointment; “ he said that he felt as though he’d done nothing and achieved nothing. The gap between how you imagine things and their physical reality is like trying to go through a glass wall.” For Black, the screen that we create around ourselves, through fashion, makeup and selfimage, are an important part of what makes us civilised humans. She equates this control over our own image with the role punctuation plays in language – something that tames the wildness of it and makes it more comprehensible. “Barriers and cover-ups are what civilisation is based on – if you didn’t have them you’d be very exposed and weak. It’s something people can take power from.” Show Me, Don't Tell Me Part of Brussels Biennial Until 14th January 2009 Post Sorting Center, Brussels

www.wdw.nl

*among digital SLR models equipped with Live View function, as tested by Sony February 2008. ‘Sony’, ‘ a’ and ’like.no.other’ are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Sony Corporation, Japon.

The fastest autofocus Live View Capture that moment with the new a300

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eye-opener

— Over the last couple of months, we’ve come to know Mr Bonin a little more with every series we’ve shot with him. An ironic, sometimes even cynical, character, his photography often is an extension of his cunning observations and uncompromising nature. And to those who manage to decipher the following of his images, you’ll know exactly what we mean... Photography Sébastien Bonin

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Counter Fit eye-opener

THE SIXTH WORD — 81

eye-opener Counter Fit

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Counter Fit eye-opener

THE SIXTH WORD — 83

eye-opener Counter Fit

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Counter Fit eye-opener

www.sebastienbonnin.com

THE SIXTH WORD â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 85

the word on the street

— We barely knew of François when we first were introduced to his work, but instantly fell for his creative stroke of genius. Illustrating our theme with utmost precision, his somewhat perverse take on modernday luxury living is as refreshing as it is hard-hitting. Featuring most of our favourite sins, we hope you won’t recognise yourself in them... Drawings François Jacob

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I Want More… And Then Some. the word on the street

THE SIXTH WORD — 87

the word on the street I Want More… And Then Some.

88 — THE SIXTH WORD

I Want More… And Then Some. the word on the street

THE SIXTH WORD — 89

the word on the street I Want More… And Then Some.

90 — THE SIXTH WORD

I Want More… And Then Some. the word on the street

franski.canalblog.com

THE SIXTH WORD — 91

stockists

Stockists… and Others We Love L’Ancienne Belgique www.abconcerts.be

Espace Bizarre www.espacebizarre.com

Mary Mary Gallery www.marymarygallery.co.uk

Alena Akhmadullina www.akhmadullina.com

Filippa K www.fi lippa-k.com

Moooi www.moooi.com

Ann Demeulemeester www.anndemeulemeester.be

Flos www.flos.com

N.D.C www.ndcmadebyhand.com

Balenciaga www.balenciaga.com

François Jacob www.franski.canalblog.com

Paul Smith www.paulsmith.co.uk

Balthazar Avenue Louise 294 Louizalaan 1050 Brussels 02 647 7737

Giorgio Armani www.giorgioarmani.com

Philippe Starck www.philippe-starck.com

Gucci www.gucci.com

PostlerFerguson AK47 www.gestalten.com

Hermès www.hermes.com

PostlerFerguson Grenade www.kith-kin.co.uk

J.M Weston www.jmweston.com

Rob www.robfi nefood.be

Jean Biche www.jeanbaptistebiche.com

Sébastien Bonin www.sebastienbonin.com

Jil Sander www.jilsander.com

Stock Americain www.liquidoma.be

L’Ancienne Belgique www.abconcerts.be

Studio Job www.studiojob.nl

La Perla www.laperla.com

Tectum Publishing www.tectum.be

Laurence King Publishing www.laurenceking.co.uk

Timorous Beasties www.timorousbeasties.com

Maarten Baas www.maartenbaas.com

Tomm Velthuis www.tommvelthuis.nl

Botanique www.botanique.be Bozar Shop www.bozarshop.com Celine www.celine.com Chi Ha Paura… ? www.chihapaura.com David Trubridge www.davidtrubridge.com Delvaux www.delvaux.com Diesel www.diesel.com Dior Homme www.diorhomme.com Dries Van Noten www.driesvannoten.be Ermenegildo Zegna www.zegna.com

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Maison Martin Margiela www.maisonmartinmargiela.com Mark Batty Publishers www.markbattypublisher.com

Yes, We’ve Sold Out! (And now that we’ve got your attention, hear this) Starting with The Word’s January-February 2009 Issue Receiving six issues of The Word at home will cost you € 18

Why ? Because for starters, the postman isn’t free.

But, But Why ? Because, if you subscribe before 31st December 2008, you’ll also get The Word USB-only issue with our January-February 2009 Issue.

What You Need to do Transfer € 18 to bank account 363-0257432-34 to continue receiving The Word at home in 2009.

The Word still is a free magazine (for our many distribution points go online at www. thewordmagazine.be). The € 18 merely represents the cost of getting it delivered at home.

advertisers' round up

page 4 - 5

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10/23/2008

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Dining in Style the art of simple luxury

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It’s my fashion

What you need to do ? Send an email to marketing@aspriaclub.be together with your details (name, address and phone number) and you’ll receive a conﬁrmation email from the club.

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94 — THE SIXTH WORD

advertisers' round up

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BMW

Brussels Bussines Flats

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BMW 6 Series

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The beauty is the beast.

BMW 6 Series New Generation: the ďŹ rst diesel-engined sports car. It has always been a beauty, and the delicate restyling only enhances its aura. But beneath the sporting elegance of the body, the BMW 6 Series New Generation, CoupĂŠ or Convertible, conceals more than ever the temperament of an authentic thoroughbred. As well as totally new petrol engines, it now comes with a superb diesel engine which has already become a legend. This fabulous 6-cylinder with Twin Turbocharger develops 286 HP, but only needs 6.9 litres/100 km. The BMW 6 Series New Generation also beneďŹ ts from the BMW EfďŹ cientDynamics technology, which comprises all activities for the ongoing reduction of fuel consumption and emission, combined with the enhancement of sporting, performance and dynamic motoring so typical of BMW. Models available: BMW 630i CoupĂŠ, BMW 650i CoupĂŠ, BMW 635d CoupĂŠ, BMW M6 CoupĂŠ, BMW 630i Convertible, BMW 650i Convertible, BMW 635d Convertible and BMW M6 Convertible.

Environmental information (RD 19/03/04): www.bmw.be

Average fuel consumption (l/100km)/CO2 emissions (g/km): 14.7-6.9/352-183

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24/10/08 15:29:30

*among digital SLR models equipped with Live View function, as tested by Sony February 2008. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Sonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC; aâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and â&#x20AC;&#x2122;like.no.otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Sony Corporation, Japon.

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Yes, Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve Sold Out! (And now that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got your attention, hear this) Starting with The Wordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s January-February 2009 Issue Receiving six issues of The Word at home will cost you â&#x201A;Ź 18

Why ? Because for starters, the postman isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t free.

But, But Why ? Because, if you subscribe before 31st December 2008, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll also get The Word USB-only issue with our January-February 2009 Issue.

What You Need to do Transfer â&#x201A;Ź 18 to bank account 363-0257432-34 to continue receiving The Word at home in 2009.

The Word still is a free magazine (for our many distribution points go online at www. thewordmagazine.be). The â&#x201A;Ź 18 merely represents the cost of getting it delivered at home.

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THE SIXTH WORD â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 95

the last word

Give Me Five — When you count famed Japanese fashion designer Junya Watanabe amongst your many clients, you’d be forgiven for resting on your laurels. Not so at La Ganterie Italienne, who has built on its more than 100 years of glove-making experience to continue bringing the world perfectly-produced and original-designed leather gloves. Writer Séverine Vaissaud Photography Geneviève Balasse

A Glove Dynasty Spanning Three Generations

The Pauwels family has been in the business of glove-making since the 1890s; the founders’ portraits still hang on one of the shop’s wall, as if keeping a close eye on everyday affairs. The shop, fi rmly entrenched in Brussels’ centre, has remained a family business ever since and has, for the past 25 years, been managed by the 3rd generation of Pauwels. As we discuss the sinister evolution of the glove-making industry with Mr Pauwels, a woman and her daughter hesitantly come through the door. Looking to buy a present for a young lady friend of the daughter, Mr Pauwels invites the pair to have a look at his extensive and beautiful selection of handcrafted gloves. And what a plethora of choice he has: from Peccary, Italian and French kid leather to lambskin, elk, deerskin and ostrich, the myriad of possibilities are all neatly arranged in dozens of little drawers crawling up to the ceiling.

96 — THE SIXTH WORD

A Demoiselle for a Young Lady

Then begins the much-rehearsed ballet of fitting: Mr Pauwels appraises the teenager’s hand with his expert eye, and solemnly declares: “six and a half”. She then is asked to place her right elbow on a silk cushion, her hand in an upright position. Mr Pauwels grabs a wooden instrument called a “demoiselle” (used to widen the leather fi ngers of a glove) and then fits the glove on the hand of the bemused girl. Obviously thrilled with what she tries on, the girl settles for a pair of red hand-sewn lambskins designed by Mr Pauwels himself. The adventure does not stop there though. Both mother and daughter set their hearts on a pair of lambskin and lamb wool “glovelettes”, fi ngerless gloves that are worn over leather gloves, an essential accessory to keep fi ngers warm during winter. On The Brink of Extinction

The satisfied ladies having left, we resume our interrupted foray into the industry’s fate. Mr Pauwels predicts quite a sombre future for himself and his colleagues. Indeed, glove craft has slowly been disappearing for two main reasons. Firstly, gloves have today become a luxury rather than a necessity. They used to be worn for everyday purposes as well as for special occasions, however this is not the case anymore. Weather conditions and modern-day dressing codes are such that even during the winter, people don’t necessarily cover their fi ngers anymore. The second reason being the paucity of young people willing to take up the trade. For instance, there is no school as such that teaches you the craft, which is made up of many skilled and specialized techniques. From skin cutters, stretchers and fourchettemakers to stitchers, embroiderers and crochet makers: current specialists working with the Pauwels are slowly but surely fading away. Fortunately for the family, things are in safe hands as Mr and Mrs Pauwels are still young and one of their four sons will most likely take over one day. Two of them already sell trendy hats and umbrellas at Monsel’s, just across the gallery. The Ganterie also enjoys a very loyal clientele, of which we witnessed a rare example: a man in his thirties enters the shop to buy the last four pairs of his much-loved gloves. Mr Pauwels explains that unfortunately he will not be able to produce them exactly as they used to be for lack of French kidskins. They will be cut in a thicker Italian kid. A sad sign of the times…

Skins and Furs

To a leather neophyte, the choice of skins is not vital but as we are quickly to fi nd out from our host Mr Pauwels, it is in fact crucial to the glove-making process. His grand father was a skin “coupeur”, responsible for preparing the hide before it was cut.

" Current specialists working with the Pauwels are slowly but surely fading away. " Mr Pauwels has since built up a lifelong experience working with leather skins, which serves him well when visiting leather fairs or when clients tip him on where he’d get special animal skins. This, however, isn’t his only quality, as he also expertly designs, cuts and hand-sews his own collection. The boutique also offers the possibility of ordering customised gloves, such as a pair of armlong leather gloves with adjustable hems. Approaching the end of our visit, Mr Pauwels takes us up to his workshop via a tiny spiral staircase. Leather skins and furs hang beneath an ancient stone and brickvaulted ceiling, bolts of valuable cashmere and silk awaiting their fate as “ inners”… And to all you non-believers out there, La Ganterie Italienne is not only for the deeppocketed. Prices level at € 49 for a pair of kinky mid-season lambskin gloves available in many colours – we opted for the green ones. But if you’re the discerning wearer, a pair of hand-made ostrich and peccary gloves with alpaca wool linings will set you back € 235. Who ever said luxury was overpriced?

La Ganterie Italienne Galerie de la Reine 3 Koninginnegalerij 1000 Brussels

Give Me Five the last word

01.

03.

01. 02. 03.

At Work in The Basement Workshop Skin Stretching Standing Proud: Glove-maker Mr Pauwels

02.

THE SIXTH WORD â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 97

what's next

98 — THE SIXTH WORD

delvaux.com Astrid Baguette – Vernis, Patent calf leather – 100 examples