Fashion shopping in the streets of Ghent, that little gem of a city
Set in the heart of a 17th-century building, a boutique where you can buy clothes and accessories sourced from around the world for the quality of their fabrics and their minimalist design.
Belgium loves fashion, and has just celebrated it with a festival which, in early June, transformed Antwerp into an international catwalk featuring fashion shows, installations, talks and exhibitions. So here, just 50 kilometres from the Flemish capital, is a boutique in a 17th-century building in a small gem of a town like Ghent: Oorcussen. For Caroline Naudts, who opened it 35 years ago, it is a dream come true. ‘I opened it right at the start of the Antwerp Six era. Right from the start, I stocked them all – from Dries Van Noten to Marina Yee, from Ann Demeulemeester to Dirk Van Saene, from Walter Van Beirendonck to Dirk Bikkembergs. Then I began to broaden my search to include other brands and designers. However, I still stock pieces by Dries Van Noten (€345 for a top, €545 for a pair of trousers), even though the designer has handed the brand over to the new creative director, Julian Klausner, to set up his own art foundation in Venice.”
Caroline Naudts still keeps some treasured pieces from that pivotal period in Belgian fashion – when the Antwerp Six presented their collections in London in 1986 – in her wardrobe. ‘I have pieces by Martin Margiela, who, although he graduated before the others, was part of the group and was engaged for a long time to Marina Yee, his muse. These are clothes I cherish dearly: they make me happy every time I see them in the wardrobe, even though I no longer wear them.’
During the summer months, her boutique stocks a variety of pieces from all over the world, selected for the quality of their fabrics and with a certain minimalist flair. ‘I’ve always tried to offer fashion that transcends time: dresses, jackets and trousers of the highest quality that can be worn at any time. For the warmer months, I opt for the lightness of cotton and linen. My go-to outfit, for example, consists of a shirt and loose-fitting trousers with a perfect cut, made from a fine fabric. Like those by the French brand Casey Casey (from €980), which uses marvellous fabrics such as paper fabric, an unbleached fabric subjected to a high-temperature wash, both before and after the garment is assembled. This process isn’t merely a finishing touch; it alters the texture to the touch, the drape and the way the fabric falls on the body.” At Oorcussen, alongside another Belgian designer, Sofie D’Hoore (dresses from €650), you’ll find, from Italia, Daniela Gregis, known for her soft silhouettes and fine fabrics (from €945), and shoes by Marsèll. From Japan, Yohji Yamamoto (scarves from €405, dresses from €890) – “He’s fascinated me since the 1980s,” says Naudts –; then École de Curiosités (dresses from €1,215), the brand founded in Paris by the Japanese designer Hans Ito, and the latest Toogood collection (from €550), designed by Faye together with her sister Erica. The latest, because from now on Faye Toogood will devote herself solely to design. “I’ve chosen two new brands for autumn/winter: Forme d’Expression for the austere simplicity of the Korean designer Koeun Park, who lives in Perugia, and the British designer John Alexander Skelton.”
Caroline Naudts was born and lives in Ghent: she’s the best person to ask for tips on exploring the city. ‘Sometimes, after work, I like to pop into Café Gitane, just round the corner on Meerseniersstraat. For dinner, I’d recommend Roots and Karel de Stoute. Among the most interesting museums are the MSK, dedicated to fine arts (mskgent.be), the S.M.A.K., the museum of contemporary art (smak.be), and the STAM, a permanent exhibition on the city’s history (stamgent.be). I’ll give you a sneak preview: in the coming months I’ll be moving out of the city centre to open a new venue at Ferdinand Lousbergskaai 21, a quiet neighbourhood overlooking a canal and surrounded by trees.”
