In the second of our Belgian fashion articles we take a look at two more very talented fashion entrepreneurs.
Michaël Azoulay
Michaël Azoulay was born in 1978 in Marseilles. With a professional baccalaureate in electricity & air conditioning, after a few odd jobs as a pizza delivery man and in construction, he became “by chance” a jeans seller, then created the women’s line Ana Paola in September 2001, specializing in knitting. “I wanted to create my own line. Someone saw me working and encouraged me to try my luck.” Recycling and the elimination of disposable plastic containers go hand in hand with a luminous workspace that incites creativity. In stores, everything is designed to minimise our carbon footprint. Worksites limited to the strict minimum, vintage furniture, energy-efficient led light bulbs and air-cooled instead of water-cooled air conditioners help reduce energy consumption.
Azoulay founded American Vintage. He drew his inspirations from his travels to the United States and took another look at the basic t-shirt. The collections have grown as the seasons passed by ,and they have been structured around increasingly stylish pieces. American Vintage has been building a multifaceted wardrobe that breaks the rules and plays with daring mixes to suit all types of personalities.
They are proud to support the emergence of young talent through various partnerships: at the Hyères International Festival of Fashion, photography and fashion accessories since 2017 and Design Parade Toulon
since 2019. Store exhibitions and prize money give a boost to new generations of designers and artists. to shape tomorrow’s world, with their help.
www.americanvintage-store.com
Sophie Helsmoortel
Cachemire Coton Soie celebrates its 30 years of elegance. Sophie Helsmoortel always preferred questions to answers. It is with this perspective of adaptability without compromising quality, sustainability and ethics that the founder of Cachemire Coton Soie celebrates a symbolic anniversary. A sincere commitment to the beautiful, the qualitative, the Belgian. “Fashion is also sociological and cultural, and I think it’s important to promote luxury in Brussels, local expertise and a certain lifestyle.”
Cachemire Coton Soie, a boutique of high-end niche brands, explores the new fashion territories of voluntary simplicity. With around sixty rare and cutting-edge houses and a selection, often unique in Brussels, the curation is consistent for collections that match from season to season. Attentive and wise, Sophie
Helsmoortel and her team advise carefully: “We always aim for the exception, the hallmark and the quality, to give people the desire to regain a human connection, advice, service, and the wealth of the products”.
Sophie Helsmoortel, driven by the awareness of the reflections raised by the evolution of society, is at the same time also dedicated to promoting Brussels expertise and excellence. President of the Brussels Exclusive Label after being a member of the association for twenty years and serving on the board of directors, she is actively involved in preserving individual creativity, in transmission and employment. “In Brussels, we cultivate the individual soul of our craftsmen, the exclusivity of their service.”
www.cachemirecotonsoie.com
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