– Jan-Jan Van Essche, ‘Khayal’ Spring-Summer 2025, © Jan-Jan Van Essche, models: Lisa Luka @ De Boekers & Nizar Saleh, photography: Pietro Celestina
– Jan-Jan Van Essche, ‘Khayal’ Spring-Summer 2025, © Jan-Jan Van Essche, model: Lisa Luka @ De Boekers, photography: Pietro Celestina
– Jan-Jan Van Essche, ‘Khayal’ Spring-Summer 2025, © Jan-Jan Van Essche, model: Nizar Saleh, photography: Pietro Celestina
– Jan-Jan Van Essche, ‘Khayal’ Spring-Summer 2025, © Jan-Jan Van Essche, model: Mistral Guidotti, photography: Pietro Celestina
– Jan-Jan Van Essche, ‘Khayal’ Spring-Summer 2025, © Jan-Jan Van Essche, model: Nizar Saleh, photography: Pietro Celestina
– Jan-Jan Van Essche, ‘Khayal’ Spring-Summer 2025, © Jan-Jan Van Essche, model: Kirsten Pieters @ Hakim Models, photography: Pietro Celestina
– Jan-Jan Van Essche, ‘Khayal’ Spring-Summer 2025, © Jan-Jan Van Essche, model: Lamine Diouf, photography: Pietro Celestina
– Jan-Jan Van Essche, ‘Khayal’ Spring-Summer 2025, © Jan-Jan Van Essche, model: Nizar Saleh, photography: Pietro Celestina
– Jan-Jan Van Essche, photography: Wannes Cré
Dear Shaded Viewers,
I’m off to Antwerp to experience Khayal, MoMu, the world of Jan-Jan Van Essche. If you are a follower of ASVOF you are well aware of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts graduate. Van Essche graduated 21 years ago and 14 years ago he launched his brand, based at Atelier Solarshop, a shop he shares with his partner Pietro Celestina. His designs are genderless and always comfortable, they merge a Japanese aesthetic with a Belgian one. His textiles are artisanal and made lovingly of natural fibres. The designs are discrete and timeless. He’s a traveller and it shows in both the volumes, textiles and small details.
What you can expect is to find ten silhouettes which highlight his process, which starts with the textiles. He likes to use natural pigments and has a predilection for indigo. Jan-Jan Van Essche is also the guest curator of his own exhibition which he helped to develop on the ground floor. His designs are a reflection of his life style which is serene and pure, there is no difference between the fragrance of his cooking or the aesthetic of his clothes. When I’ve visited his studio it was the culinary artist Charlotte Koopman who provided the healthiest offerings but I feel sure Jan Jan would be able to do the same on his own.
Later,
Diane
Diane Pernet
A LEGENDARY FIGURE IN FASHION and a pioneer of blogging, Diane is a respected journalist, critic, curator and talent-hunter based in Paris. During her prolific career, she designed her own successful brand in New York, costume designer, photographer, and filmmaker.
