Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

In vogue

Stéphanie Duval gives us the inside scoop on the latest trends from planet fashion

Seeing is believing

Wanted’s trompe l’oeil travel bags

Packing is, at best, a challenge – at its worst, the task can be a complete nightmare. It’s good news, then, that some people are coming up with creative solutions to make the ordeal more bearable, or perhaps even fun! The lovely designers at Dutch company Wanted have produced these trompe l’oeil travel bags, so you can easily locate whatever you need from your case.

Prices range from €3,95 for small bags to €5,95 for larger sizes. www.wanted-products.eu

Cotton of kings

Belgian designer’s Egyptian-made shirts

Designer Jurgen Van Cauwenbergh earned his stripes working for Belgian labels Scapa Sports and Essentiel, but this spring he’s launching his own project. Together with a partner, he took over Belgian shirt company Byttebier, which owns a factory in Egypt. The combination of Jurgen’s boundless creativity and the company’s rich tradition and know-how results in Thot Memphis, a beautiful collection of shirts for men and women. The collection isn’t too trendy, yet always surprising, with high-quality finishing touches. Prices range from €69 to €109. www.thotmemphis.com

Trend: Clean break

Leave negativity behind and get back to the elegant basics

It’s been a difficult time in fashion land, with the economic crisis seemingly putting any kind of risky creativity or innovation on hold. But come this summer, we’ll all have had enough of the excuses and demoralising arguments: we’re ready to make a clean break with negativity. Fashion-wise, this translates quite literally, with many designers favouring well-defined shapes, sober cuts and clean colour schemes. Nothing new there, you might think? Indeed, labels such as Calvin Klein have always favoured this aesthetic simplicity, and 1990s fashion was abundant with androgynous silhouettes. But this time it’s different: elegant, beautiful and inspiring. Look to Tommy Hilfiger’s new collection for inspiration. We all need a bit of beauty to get us back on the right track… www.tommyhilfiger.com

Scents of mystery

Maison Martin Margiela debuts fragrance

Without a doubt the most mysterious Belgian couture label, Maison Martin Margiela never ceases to intrigue. Even when dabbling in more commercial ventures, such as the launch of a perfume, it knows just how to draw you into its bizarrely white world.

Naturally, the scent remains untitled, while the flask’s minimal design is in line with the house’s no-label approach. The scent itself returns to the basics, with green notes and woody florals. Untitled will be available from March, only in Maison Martin Margiela stores. www.maisonmartinmargiela.com

Studio system

Acne looks for inspiration in Antwerp

These days, if you’re an innovative brand, you don’t just open up a shop – that’s so 2009 – you invent something more special. Stockholm-born brand Acne prides itself on being one of the coolest names in Europe, so it can’t afford to fall behind the pack. For its first Belgian outpost, then, instead of a boutique or concept store, the label is opening a ‘studio’ in Antwerp: a place for inspiration and creativity.

We suspect that above all, it will be a place for the intellectual kind of sexiness that we love Acne for. The Acne Studio opens this month, at 42 Lombardenvest. www.acnestudios.com

Timely tribute

Longines relaunches famous aviator’s watch

Longines is re-issuing a timepiece that was specially designed for Charles Lindbergh. In 1933, the American aviator was the first man to fly non-stop across the North Atlantic in a quest to explore possible future air routes, and Longines designed a wrist chronograph for the expedition, to help him achieve his goal. Today, the watch-making master is offering the Lindbergh Atlantic Voyage Watch as a tribute to the historical feat achieved by this pioneer of the skies. What better way to ensure you’ll catch your next flight on time? Prices start at €3,660. www.longines.com

Meeting of minds

Raphael Young teams up with Le Tanneur

You know you’re in for a treat when a luxury leather label, with a history that dates back to the 19th century no less, asks a cutting-edge and ingenious shoe designer to come up with a capsule collection of bags. Both Le Tanneur and Raphael Young are French brands, sharing values such as authenticity and refinement, but that’s where similarities end. Still, we’re pretty sure this is a match made in heaven: take a look at the highly fashionable and incredibly original designs Young came up with and judge for yourself. The wallet retails at €320, the Piper bag at €590 and the Bat bag at €690. www.letanneur.com www.raphaelyoung.com

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