Graanmarkt 13 & Antwerp, Antwerp, Antwerp
A new post on Belgium, more upbeat than the previous one.
Another month, another new concept in Europe’s (other) fashion capital, adding to Antwerp’s enviable list of amazing retailers with a twist, all of them featured in our previous guides: Hospital, Clinic, Walter, Furniture + Clothing Selection, RA13. This time it’s Graanmarkt 13, situated erm… on Graanmarkt 13 in a beautiful period house a stone’s throw from Rubens House. The twist is a basement restaurant, a garden, an art space, and an intimate fashion (womenswear) and design emporium.
Needless to say, in a city where concept stores are a birthright, the duo behind Graanmarkt 13 – Ilse Cornelissens and Tim Van Geloven – didn’t intend to serve us a mixed bag of same old recipes and the store is a creative partnership between the country’s finest, pushing the concept store genre to a new level (even by Antwerp’s stratospheric standards): the building was renovated by Belgian architect Vincent Van Duysen, the graphic style sheet is by Base Design; in the restaurant, superchef Seppe Nobels was Belgium’s Best Junior Chef (2005) and Bob Verhelst is curator and art director of the exhibition space. Phew! It’s a bit early for a full review but we will write about the opening soon… Opens 13 February (first sketches below).
This is a great start of the year for Antwerp’s fashion and art scene. After a dithyrambic coverage in Wallaper*’s Next Dimension, the RA13 team will be showcasing a panel of homegrown fashion designers and artists at Galerie Foret Verte during Paris Men’s Fashion Week (21-27 January 2010) – a nice addition to Antwerp’s revolving presence during Paris Women’s Fashion Week (3-11 March 2010) – usually at Galerie Baudoin Lebon also in the Marais.
On a more humble scale, Turnleft Towers is putting the finishing touches to a small event that will feed cool Antwerp stuff to London media folks: on Tuesday 19 January, Turnleft and Visit Flanders will be sponsoring Schmooze & Booze, a bimonthly gathering of 100 or so young, festive London journalists (isn’t it the best name?). We will be offering a few drinks to celebrate the new year and we will run a competition with a trip for 2 to Antwerp to be won, courtesy of VLM Airlines and Hilton. The winner will take it all and our Antwerp goodie bag will include MoMu tickets, drinks at Hospital, exclusive perfume and Hospital’s signature doctor’s coat by Antwerp knitwear designer Sigi. MADE. TO. MEASURE.
That’s just us! (if you’re a journalist and would like to attend Schmooze & Booze, get in touch quickly)
Graanmarkt 13 Graanmarkt 13 (Antwerp) - RA13 Kloosterstraat 13 (Antwerp) – MoMu Nationalestraat 13 (Antwerp) - Hospital De Burburestraat 4 (Antwerp) – Galerie Foret Verte 3 cite du Petit-Thouars (Paris 3) – Galerie Baudoin Lebon 38 rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie (Paris 4) – Sigi www.sigi.eu - Schmooze & Booze www.schmoozeandbooze.co.uk - Visit Flanders www.visitflanders.co.uk – VLM Airlines www.flyvlm.com
