Wim Bruynooghe photographed by Maxime Ballesteros for Sleek
After a couple of days on the road with mb! by Mercedes-Benz, with a visit to Amsterdam behind us, we wondered how important location was to the talented young designers we were interviewing. In this shrinking world, does it matter where you study? Wim Bruynooghe graduated from Antwerp’s School of Fine Arts with a collection that used rubber, illustrations and bodycon dresses to explore the complicated relationship between the muse and her artist. He is Belgian-born and proud of it: “I really love Belgium. It’s an honour that I was born here. The downside: you will always be compared to the Antwerp Six. You don’t have to look at their work to be able to talk about my work.”
Though perhaps occasionally annoyed by that, Bruynooghe still sees the positive aspects: “They made a little road to the fashion world. I am thankful for them but I hope I will never be compared to them – I think it’ll always be like that though.”
Apart from the Antwerp Six, what else does Bruynooghe think Belgians are known for? “We have a good reputation for being modest and not very loud. Sometimes we are thought of being intellectual too – but I’m not saying that!
Read more about Sleek’s trip from Berlin to London via Amsterdam and Antwerp in the next issue of Sleek, publishing this month. Find out more information on The Search at mb! by Mercedes-Benz.