Jen Rocks Fashion » architecture

The Antwerp 6+

Jennifer — Mon, 01 Jun 2015 09:17:59 +0000

Antwerp is famous for diamonds, art, and more recently—thanks to the Antwerp 6—cutting-edge fashion. The medieval port city is a lot like the best style icons who mix vintage treasures with modern pieces to emerge as the arbiter of Cool (think Kate Moss).

In the mid-80s, half a dozen graduates from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts drove to London for the British Designers Show. Their avant-garde, deconstructed looks astounded the international press who dubbed them the Antwerp 6 (because names like Ann Demeulemeester and Walter Van Beirendonck don’t exactly roll off the tongue). Martin Margiela is usually tacked onto the group, making them the Six Plus. Seemingly overnight, Antwerp became a global force in fashion, and the rest is history.

To pay tribute to this legendary Belgian cohort, here are the top six things (plus one extra) we saw in awesome Antwerp:

1. Central Station: Talk about a grand first impression upon arrival! This is one of the world’s most beautiful railway stations—and the site of a 200-person-strong flash-mob dancing to the Sound of Music. (Yeah, that really happened.)

Airy stairs: what you see coming up from the lower train platforms. The first thing I noticed was how the people on the down escalator were color-coordinated with the banners. Then I noticed the enormous vaulted iron-and-glass roof.

Going for Baroque: close-up of the exquisite clock in the neo-Baroque entrance hall.

Hello, Hermès? I literally bent over backwards trying to get a good angle for this shot. It’s a view of the stunning domed ceiling in the entrance hall. Wouldn’t it make an amazing print for a square silk scarf?

2. Hotel De Witte Lelie: I had originally booked the perfectly-adequate Hilton to rack up loyalty points, but later canceled in favor of the “White Lily.” Why the switch? I wanted to invest in a boutique experience. What we got was an unforgettable stay in Alice-in-Wonderland-meets-Philippe-Starck surroundings.

A modern statement: the hotel is made up of three 17th century white, gabled townhouses and filled with funky yet elegant decor. I love the lobby’s rustic ceiling beams, grand chandelier, and sleek blue sofa.

Surreal sitting area: I remember thinking to myself, “Is this really my life right now? I’m seated on a velvet settee in this quirky gem of a hotel in freakin’ Antwerp, waiting for Andrew, looking at my iPhone while ‘Cell Block Tango’ from the musical ‘Chicago’ is blasting through the speakers.” Pinch me.

How civilized: lovely breakfast served every morning by an equally lovely staff.

Pink dream: the hotel has only ten rooms, each with its own distinctive style. We stayed in Number 14 where Andrew was secure enough in his manhood to appreciate the decidedly feminine finishes. (He chalked it up to fanciful European flair.)

Crystal crown: the rain showerhead in our bathroom encircled by a glass chandelier. The cascading gold tiles evoked a Gustav Klimt painting.

3. The Museum Aan de Stroom (MAS): Located in the revitalized old port district, the “Museum at the River” focuses on Antwerp’s history and cultural heritage. The building’s boxy form vaguely reminded me of the New Museum in Lower Manhattan but its sculptural red sandstone and wavy glass façade is singularly Antwerp.

Boxy beacon on the Scheldt river: an unusual museum for an unconventional city.

4. Grote Markt: Yeah, yeah, just another European town square where you feel like a time traveler. We strolled around, gawked at the architecture, and then left to find dinner nearby. I’m kidding (sort of).

Frozen in time: picturesque panorama at dusk of the 16th-century city hall built in the Flemish Renaissance style.

As night falls: guild houses with their iconic gabled roofs and statues. The original structures burned down in 1576 and were later rebuilt.

Nocturnal splendor: city hall and Brabo fountain.

Gastronomic triumvirate: mussels, fries, and beer at the Grand Café De Rooden Hoed (Red Hat) near the Grote Markt. #AuthenticallyBelgium

5. Museum Plantin-Moretus: With Andrew’s background in newspapers and our mutual love of language, we enjoyed visiting this intimate museum. It’s the former mansion, printing press, and publishing house owned by the great Christophe Plantin in 1555. His business profoundly influenced the spread of typography, and all the artifacts of the metal movable type system have been preserved here. As a way to disseminate ideas faster and wider, it was a precursor to the Internet. (Pretty heady stuff.)

The stately, symmetrical courtyard: a peaceful place for fresh air. Each room in the residence oozes wealth from a bygone era like sumptuous tapestries, rare manuscripts, and gilded leather walls.

Portrait in the courtyard: smiling amid soft light.

Humble piece of revolutionary technology: one of the two oldest surviving printing presses in the world. These machines from the 1600s are one reason why the museum was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.

6. MoMu (Mode Museum): This was the pièce de résistance of our trip! The “Dries Van Noten: Inspirations” exhibition knocked my socks off! It honors one of the Antwerp 6 but isn’t your typical retrospective (Van Noten is still alive and kickin’). The show offers a fascinating glimpse into the designer’s creative process and the eclectic sources that inspire his artistry. In a word: brilliant.

Rolling out the floral carpet: welcome to Dries Van Noten’s world of wonder.

Skinny mini: I think my AG Stilt jeans are actually helping me out here. #BetterThanSpanx

The butterfly effect: Damien Hirst’s giant artwork and Schiaparelli’s 1937 silk printed evening gown. Van Noten translated this theme of “capturing beauty” and “transformation” into the idea of “boys becoming men.” The result was a collection of colorful, sporty menswear.

Guitar god: with a cool quotient that’s off the charts, Jimi Hendrix is an obvious inspiration. He’s paired with the textile collection from Les Arts Décoratifs in Paris. I loved seeing these connections from the designer’s mind.

Maximum mix-and-match: 93-year-old style icon Iris Apfel, who loves piling on chunky jewelry and funky prints, inspired the oversized bangle-bracelet necklaces in Van Noten’s spring 2008 collection. (You’d need some strong neck muscles and wrists to wear those contraptions, though.)

Dainty duo: an embroidered organza Dior afternoon dress from 1952 and a Cy Twombly painting. This dress is EVERYTHING. #swoon

Boxed into a corner (or maybe a trapezoid?): I’m awkwardly posing for a photo at Andrew’s insistence. (He’s lucky he’s cute.)

6+: (Yep, this is the Margiela-esque add-on to the list of six.) Here are a few random fashion-related images from around town:

Tall and tasteful: these lithe and effortlessly chic creatures glide through Antwerp, oblivious to how much they up the street fashion game.

Dress to impress: all three looks in this storefront display were screaming my name (especially the middle one). Alas, I ignored their sartorial siren song. #HeadOverHeart #Regrets

Close but no cigar: do you see how close I was to buying a delicious Delvaux bag? But I didn’t pull the trigger in Brussels or in Antwerp, despite this friendly saleslady. After arriving back in the States, I found out that Barneys is their only U.S. retailer, and the purses sell for almost double (e.g. $2,800 vs. €1,200). Next time. There will definitely be a next time…

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Next up: Tulipomania in the Netherlands…

Brick Layers

Jennifer — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:34:29 +0000

Have you signed up for Amazon Prime yet? I finally took the plunge last week! The biggest draw for me? You get unlimited 2-day free shipping on a gazillion items with no minimum order. In theory, if I wanted to do my part in killing the environment, I could order, say, a toothbrush today since I forgot to buy one at the grocery store. And then on Thursday, it might hit me that I need new place mats, like, pronto. The perfect ones are, after all, only one click and two days away.

OK, so I vow to use my Prime membership responsibly, but my shopping habits will certainly change. A recent study found that “Prime members annually spent more than twice as much on average ($1,224) than non-Prime customers ($505).” The fact that I just bought no-show socks and Jo Malone perfume on Amazon instead of driving to Nordstrom means I’ll surpass $1,224 by…June.

Overall, I’m a fairly typical consumer who uses e-commerce sites and mobile apps for a growing number of items while still visiting brick-and-mortar stores for others. (Perishable food and jeans fall into the latter category for me.) I also practice showrooming unabashedly. (Who doesn’t?)

While retailers and e-tailers are busy figuring out the right blend of online and offline strategies, I’ve been quietly snapping photos of actual bricks and mortar. (Alright, it was a long setup to get to this segue but hey, you can’t blame a girl for trying.) Each has a distinct look and feel:

Raw: a Pepto-Bismol pink decay in New York City.

Patriotic: red, white and blue bricks in Georgetown. (I rotated the photo 180 degrees.)

Exposed: peeled-away paint reveals an underbelly of color in Georgetown.

Orderly: earth-toned palette and clean lines in San Francisco.

The secret life of bricks: layers of texture on the side of a building near DC’s Chinatown.

Classic glory: I love the facade on this jewel-box of a house in Georgetown. (This was taken during Christmastime.)

Sketchy: outlined storefronts in downtown DC.

Interestingly, Amazon may soon be laying bricks in building retail outlets. Five months ago, Jeff Bezos hinted, “We want to do something that is uniquely Amazon, and if we can find that idea, and we haven’t found that idea yet, we would love to open Amazon stores.”

Update on July 15, 2013: Read this firsthand account of an Amazon Prime addict.

Frank Lloyd Wright in San Francisco

Jennifer — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 13:10:49 +0000

I recently read two different articles one right after the other, and Frank Lloyd Wright happened to be mentioned in both. The blog Design Milk featured a FLW quote as its July 2012 “Designer Desktop.” And a writer for the New York Times opened her travel column about visiting Chicago with a reference to the architect.

During his career, Wright created more than 1,000 designs, of which 532 were completed. When I was in San Francisco last month, I had a chance to visit the only Frank Lloyd Wright-designed building in the City by the Bay. Located near Union Square, it houses the Xanadu Gallery which specializes in Asian art and antiquities.

I liked how the pattern on the manhole complements the entryway.

Close-up of the entrance.

A view of the spiral ramp which is reminiscent of the Guggenheim Museum in New York.

Xanadu Gallery | 140 Maiden Lane | San Francisco, CA 94108 | 415.392.9999 | xanadugallery.us

Lines and Angles at SFMOMA

Jennifer — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 14:30:11 +0000

SFMOMA served up a handful of visual treats for me to take in—the relaxing rooftop garden, the jaw-dropping Mark Bradford exhibition. I also enjoyed seeing some unexpected linear patterns in its physical space:

Tall ladder: view from the second floor landing up towards the ceiling lights.

Stairway to heaven: looking up at the ceiling. (Yeah, it’s a brainteaser.)

Shadows and white: bridge to the rooftop garden.

SFMOMA | 151 Third Street | San Francisco, CA 94103 | 415.357.4000 | sfmoma.org