Walter Van Beirendonck closes his eponymous Antwerp shop

[Scott]

*from filepmotwary.com

Dear iDEALS, thirteen years after having opened the first ever Concept Store, fashion designer Walter Van Beirendonck is forced to close his store in Antwerp. The reason for this decision is a dispute with the owner of the premises who wished to increase the rent by 250 percent.

Van Beirendonck:

"Under these conditions it is no longer possible to work at the current premises in a profitable manner. Regrettable as this may be, it allows me to invest more time and energy in my own collection, which was recently applauded by the international press and buyers during fashion week in Paris. Besides, my function as creative director of the Fashion Department at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, there are a number of new challenges ahead of me. Finally, I am not ruling out the creation of a new store concept linked to my collection."

Closing the store will have no repercussions upon any of Van Beirendonck’s creations, nor upon the further expansion of his brand. His collections, along with all of his other designs are handled by a separate company, which will continue to operate undisturbed.

i feel so sad about this news. this was one of my most prominent memories visiting antwerp for the first time. this was one of the first of it's kind to carry designers like bless,ann-sofie back,cosmic wonder and exclusively bernhard willhelm soon after graduating--all under one roof not to mention in the west. it shall be missed.

just to refresh everyone's memory

*telegraph.co.uk

 

[MulletProof]

It's kind of crazy that someone, in Antwerp, of all places, would choose to sabotage their own local industry like that. But then, who knows, many places in Europe seem to be reacting to the climate of uncertainty either by need or as a preventative measure. Hopefully it's something related to that instead of plain greed.

At least he business is still going.. I'm looking forward to see his designs evolve more, I think the brand needs it in order to survive, and I'm not talking about giving up signature elements just to appeal to others but to make it more in tune with the present and the future while still having integrity, and soul.. and same applies for Bernhard.

 

[mistress_f]

NOOOO. I LOVE that place. This makes no sense to me at all. I mean it does, considering the rent increase, but I mean, just in time for his Momu exhibition? It seems so random, the city always seemed to me very proud of its 'fashion treasures'.

 

[Scott]

^exactly. and i hope like you mullet this rent increase was not simply a reactive measure to the economic climate but really needed.

to me this feels sort of like the end of an era really. although i think filep kind of got his history wrong as i believe carla sozzani's 10 corso como was the first ever followed by colette then walter in 1998....it did however come at a moment in time when the idea of concept stores was still a relatively new prospect.