Revers Spring Newsletter
Spring is approaching, and with it, lots of exciting events!
The spring semester has started, bringing a sense of renewal and fresh beginnings. As the days grow longer and the weather warms up, the upcoming season brings a lot of exciting events in the field of (Belgian) fashion research! This newsletter is packed with news, achievements, and upcoming events that highlight the work of our members and partners, along with thrilling developments in the (inter)national field!
Upcoming Events
Revers Events
FATE® Workshop at MoMu — Wednesday, 12 March, 10:00 – 12:00.
On Wednesday 12 March, we will visit the Punk Special Collection and the Ballet Russes Special Collection from the FATE® archive at the MoMu Library.
From the 25th of February 2025 until the 21st of March 2025, 2 collections: the Punk Special Collection. FATE® Fashion And Textiles Education Archive, London, United Kingdom and the Ballet Russes Special Collection. FATE® Fashion And Textiles Education Archive, London, United Kingdom will be presented to the public at the library of MoMu – Fashion Museum Antwerp for the first time. FATE® archive will exhibit from these special collections 16 punk garments (ca. 1977 – ca. 1984) and 15 Ballet Russes costume garments (1937).
While these two special collections seem separated by social demarcation: punk clothing being reflective of low art and the Ballet Russes costumes being of the high arts; both were created in correlation with the creation of music and movement. These garments show their use, their function, body sweat from the heat of the room or heat of the stage lights. Both special collections evidence their own cultures and histories.
You can find more info on the project and the full programme here.
If you are a Revers member and you would like to join us, write us an email at revers@ugent.be.
Workshop “Emotional Labour in Fashion and the Arts” — 23 May, 12:00 –15:00, Ghent University, Art History seminar room
Workshop on emotional labour in fashion and the arts led by prof Ilya Parkins, with contributions by Dr. Apolline Malevez and Dr. Annelies Van Assche.
This event is open for Revers members. Register via revers@ugent.be
Partner events
Leçon de Mode N°36: THE WITTAMER-DE CAMPS AND FASHION, Fashion & Lace Museum Brussels — Tuesday, 11 March, 18:30.
The upcoming Leçon de Mode at the Fashion & Lace Museum in Brussels will be devoted to the museum’s current Studio exhibition "THE WITTAMER-DE CAMPS AND FASHION" on the designer couple Louis Wittamer and Berthe De Camps and their boutiques ‘Valens’ and ‘Jane d’Anjou’ in Brussels during the 1950s and 1970s. Curators Mathilde Semal and Nicolas Lor will provide insight into their research process behind the exhibition. After the lecture, you will be able to join a visit to the exhibition. More info and registration.
INTERNATIONAL FASHION STUDY DAY: MOMU LIBRARY X FATE® — Saturday, 15 March, 10:00 - 17:30, MoMu Antwerp and online.
The International Fashion Study Day on Saturday, 15 March 2025 will include guest speakers, archive sessions and film screenings that will allow a more in-depth understanding of the FATE®️special collections. The International Fashion Study Day is an interdisciplinary approach to learning through different modalities. Drawing from the material culture of FATE®️Fashion And Textiles Education Archive’s Punk & Ballet Russes Special Collections, you are invited to engage in histories, theories & cultures of design, movement and music. As well as be introduced to accessing the MoMu Library and FATE’s digital archives.
You can find more information and the full programme here.
KAAP & De Republiek: De Delicate Revolutie #2: Kunst en Ouderschap — Sunday, 6 April, 11:00, KORF in Bruges.
Revers-director Karen Van Godtsenhoven will be talking about the M&Others exhibition (Modemuseum Hasselt) at De Delicate Revolutie #2: Kunst en Ouderschap organised by KAAP & De Republiek at the KORF in Bruges. Together with singer Charlotte Adigéry and moderator Heleen Debruyne, she will discuss the interplay between art and parenthood. Register here.
News
Before we dive into exciting news for the future, we first want to look back at the M&Others Conference on 9 December. We are thankful to be able to reflect on an insightful day featuring talks exploring the multifaceted connections between motherhood and fashion by international speakers including Zelda (Fitzgerald) Dapaah (FOR ALL QUEENS!), Eve Demoen (Modemuseum Hasselt), Pauline Devriese (Modemuseum Hasselt), Karen Van Godtsenhoven (Ghent University), Francesca Granata (Parsons - The New School), Lydia Kamitsis (independent curator), and Tirza Westland (Kunstmuseum Den Haag). A roundtable discussion on Non-Normative Bodies in Museum Exhibitions, with Pauline Devriese, Caroline Esgain (Fashion & Lace Museum Brussels), Wim Mertens (MoMu Antwerp), and Tirza Westland, sparked engaging discussions and offered fresh perspectives on how museums approach body diversity. After the conference, the M&Others exhibition catalogue was launched, featuring essays from Revers members Dries Debackere (“Modieus zwanger in de late negentiende eeuw/Fashionably pregnant in the late nineteenth century”) and Karen Van Godtsenhoven ("Moeder-dochtertransmissie in modeontwerp: Jeanne Lanvin en Sonia Rykiel/Mother-daughter transmission in the work of Jeanne Lanvin and Sonia Rykiel)”.
Call for contributions: Fashion Theory is looking for established scholars in the field to write reviews of fashion-related exhibitions in Belgium. If you are interested, please contact us at revers@ugent.be.
Prof. Maude Bass-Krueger, co-director of Revers, has written a review of Susan Hiner’s book "Behind the Seams: Women, Fashion, and Work in 19th-Century France" for Fashion Theory. You can read the article here.
Dries Debackere has been granted a FWO fund for his research titled "Dressed in daydreams. Women and the evocation of distant times and places through historicist and orientalist interior gowns, ca. 1870s-1920s." Congratulations, Dries! Impatient to discover more of Dries’ research? Keep tuned for his upcoming article in Dress on the reuse of cashmere shawls in late-nineteenth-century robes d'intérieur, which will appear online later this month and in print soon.
Elena Vanden Abeele has joined the Revers network as a scientific assistant. In addition to assisting with the day-to-day running of Revers, she is working on a research project on fashion in Belgium between 1830 and 1914, for which she has compiled a database of over a hundred garments made in Belgium. Elena hopes to receive funding for her project from the FWO to discover what these garments can tell us about this under-researched period in Belgian fashion history.
The Fashioning Belgium seminar at Ghent University is back! Taught by Prof. Maude Bass-Krueger, this seminar for graduate students focuses on Belgian fashion before the Antwerp Six, between 1830 and 1920. This year, the seminar focuses on garments from after the 1850s from the collection of the Art & History Museum in Brussels. Last Wednesday, the students visited the museum for a first inspection of the garments. Follow @fashioningbelgium on Instagram to keep up to date with the students’ discoveries!
Call for applications: Are you a young researcher with a passion for fin-de-sciècle art? Then the 9th edition of the yearly summer course by the Vlaamse Kunstcollectie is the perfect opportunity to learn and network. The focus this year will be on fin-de-siècle art and material culture in Belgium. The course will take place between 22 June and 2 July 2025 and includes visits to museums and collections in Ghent, Brussels, Antwerp, Ostend and Tournai. You can apply until 23 March via vlaamsekunstcollectie.be.
Current, New & Upcoming Exhibitions on Fashion and Textiles in Belgium to visit this Spring and Summer
Momu Antwerp
‘Jan-Jan Van Essche – Khayal’ / 07.12.2024 – 08.06.2025
Explore the world of Antwerp designer Jan-Jan Van Essche through Khayal, an exhibition offering a deep dive into his vision of clothing as fluid, unrestricted, and deeply connected to global artisanal traditions.
‘Fashion & Interiors. A Gendered Affair’ / 29.03.2025 – 03.08.2025 (upcoming)
This upcoming exhibition examines the historical and contemporary links between fashion and interior design, revealing how gendered aesthetics shaped both personal attire and domestic spaces.
Fashion & Lace Museum Brussels
‘The Wittamer-De Camps and fashion’ / 19.11.24 – 06.04.25
Delve into the world of the influential Wittamer-De Camps family and their lasting impact on Belgian couture.
‘Lace season: War Lace’ / 15.10.24 – 06.04.25
Discover the fascinating history of lace made during the First World War, where intricate patterns tell stories of resilience and craftsmanship in difficult times.
‘40 + years of STIJL’ / 18.04.2025 – 11.01.2026 (upcoming)
Celebrate over four decades of the iconic Brussels boutique STIJL, which has championed Belgian fashion talent since its founding in the 1980s.
Modemuseum Hasselt
‘M&Others’ / Prolonged until 09.03.2025
If you have not yet had the opportunity to visit this wonderful exhibition exploring the intersection of motherhood and fashion, this is your last chance! Due to success, the exhibition has been extended until 9 March.
Eperon d’Or Izegem
‘Schoen. Passie’ / 09.11.2024 – 20.06.2025
This exhibition showcases a passion for high-heeled shoes, featuring standout pieces from two major private collections that trace the evolution of women’s footwear through time.
‘Eigen Kweek: Schoendesign van Belgische Bodem’ / 21.03.25 – 21.04.26
A celebration of Belgian shoe design, from the groundbreaking work of the Antwerp Six to the visionary designers shaping the future of footwear today.
TAMAT Tournai
‘Perpetuo: Fragments d'hier, textiles de demain’ / 15.03.2025 – 14.09.2025
After being closed for several months due to renovations, TAMAT has reopened its doors! Alongside its permanent exhibition on Tournai’s tapestry production between the 1930s and 50s, this upcoming exhibition offers an exploration of textile heritage and innovation, bridging ancient Coptic weaving traditions with contemporary sustainable textile practices.
For a full overview of fashion-related exhibitions and workshops in Belgium and the Netherlands see the agenda on Modemuze.
Do you have news that you want to see shared in our next newsletter or on our social media platforms? Please write to us!