New kids on the block

The last couple of weeks have revealed a lot of fresh talent in the Belgian fashion scene. Like every year the fashion students of the Academies in Ghent, Antwerp, Sint-Niklaas and Brussels show of their collections.
Below are some of my favourite silhouettes, shown this year.

Nele Sarens - Persona (Kask, Ghent)

Nele Sarens - Persona (Kask, Ghent)

Nele Berckmans - I am my past - I am my future (Kask, Ghent)

Hannah Jacobs - On the road (Kask, Ghent)

Lucas Sponchiado - La Cambre, Brussels

2nd Bachelor - La Cambre, Brussels

I recently discovered the talented Belgian designer Anthony Vaccarello, who finished his third collection this year. The Belgian from Italian descent graduated from La Cambre visual arts school in Brussels in 2006. I like his angular take on the classic little black dress. Although I love a lot of color in my personal outfits, it's refreshing to see what he can do just using black. Anthony Vaccarello: "There are lots of different kinds of black for me." That statement is being reflected in his Fall 2011 line, where he uses fabrics such as black felt, cashmere, silk jersey, gauze and velour which gives all of his dresses an unique look without using a lot of different colors. His muze and inspiration is Parisian belle, Lou Doillon but Vaccarello also uses the canvases of French painter Pierre Soulages and the works of Piet Mondriaan as a reference. Personally I definitely see the Mondriaan shapes being reflected in his dresses. The Dutch painter has been an inspiration in the fashion world for years; it was Yves Saint Laurent who not only used the straight angles but even copied the colors of one of Mondriaan's famous paintings as an inspiration for a dress.

Lou Doillon in Vaccarello's 2011 Fall look book

My personal favorite. Vaccarello says he likes legs

and why disagree if you can show them off

in a fabulous dress like this?

The famous dress by Yves Saint Laurent inspired by Piet Mondriaan