Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Interview

Michaël Verheyden

Belgian designer Michaël Verheyden studied industrial design before kicking off his career in fashion by modelling for Raf Simons. In 2004 Verheyden launched his own accessories collection, soon winning industry recognition and commercial success with his leather bags. Last year he successfully expanded into homeware, and is about to open an eponymous shop in Antwerp. Bethan Ryder meets the designer in Genk, where he lives and works with his wife

As a child I was always making stuff.

I was a big Michael Jackson fan and made a pair of gloves like his. While the other children were playing football, I was usually making things. In my last year of secondary school I realised that design was what I wanted to do. I’ve always had creative people in my family; my grandfather and an aunt were painters.

I met Belgian fashion designer Raf Simons when he was just starting out.

I modelled for him, and went on to work with him. He taught me two things – that it’s possible to follow the rules but also sometimes break them; and that you can start small, working together with a group of friends. He was my motivation – if he could do it, so could I.

Music and design are really important to me.

The aesthetic vocabulary of music is an influence in my work, but it isn’t immediately obvious. For example, sometimes in my leatherwork I use studs, but in subtle ways.

I’m in a band – we’re called Promenade Seven but we’re changing our name to Tactique.

I write the songs and play guitar. It’s a hobby, I’m not that ambitious – I just want to make nice rock’n’roll music. I’m looking forward to playing live soon.

I don’t always like the fashion industry and the way it works, but I know I’m a part of it. It’s important that I try to do things my way and create interesting content, rather than associate with Paris Hilton types.

I like working with leather because it’s a natural material; it’s very tactile. There are many meanings connected with leather – rock’n’roll music, sex – so there are a lot of codes you can play with.

It took time to develop my own business.

The leatherwear and bags have achieved a lot of recognition in Belgium, but it’s the launch of the home collection that’s put me on the international radar.

The interiors started with creating placemats for friends – then my wife Saartje and I decided that we needed to do it properly. I’ve been designing handbags for eight years, so it’s been a very inspirational change to work with wood, marble and linen.

My favourite piece is a solid oak stool with a saddle leather seat. It’s conceptual – the perfect cube divided into three – but still very functional.

Belgian design is subtle, minimal and modest.

I like to create ‘modest luxury’, because I’m fond of luxurious things but I prefer a discreet variation of it.

It’s interesting to combine old and new.

For example, the Belgian café Pain Quotidien represents luxury to me – it does very good bread and offers an authentic style of old-fashioned dining – but the brand has given this a new lease of life.

I want to renew, but only by respecting what already exists. There are already enough mass-produced things out there. Luckily, more people are starting to understand that we need to change the way we live.

A client recently told me that I made silent things.

That’s a great compliment – there’s something to be said for quiet design.

The Belgian city that I’m from, Genk, is very culturally mixed, with lots of people from southern Europe and North Africa because of the mining industry, but it’s also very relaxed. And you can find the best Italian food in Belgium – my favourite restaurant is La Botte (www.labotte.be).

I miss big cities, so we travel a lot to Milan, Paris and London for inspiration. My favourite is Paris – it’s the perfect mix between relaxed and hectic, and I admire its discreet chicness compared with Milan’s fanciness. But the Chedi in Milan is probably the best style hotel I’ve stayed in.

I’ve wanted to open a shop for 10 years, so I’m excited that Michaël Verheyden opens in Antwerp this September. The location is fabulous, but it’s an ugly 70s building, so we’re going to make the interior amazing. We’re also creating a temporary shop in Genk, commissioned by the city.

Other projects include creating the scenography for the Devout/ Divine exhibition at the Fashion Museum Hasselt (until 9 January 2011, www.modemuseumhasselt.be). We’re also collaborating with Jan De Vylder Architects on a project that will be shown at Brussels’ Design Vlaanderen gallery (www.designvlaanderen.be) for the 15 Years of Toegepast event, which starts on 8 September.

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