Planning Ahead...

I'm searching for PhD programs to pursue fashion studies after grad school.
The London College of Fashion supports this.
http://www.fashion.arts.ac.uk/research-students.htm

They also offer a MA Fashion Curation:
http://www.fashion.arts.ac.uk/docs/MA_Curation.pdf

Students of the program organized Looking Twice at Collective in London.
Here is the press release.
The use of illusion in fashion today, including prints that appear to be three-dimensional, bodies that are skewed or warped by garments, and clothing that stretches various distinctions and boundaries. The exhibition showcases work by fashion graduates from Central Saint Martins, London College of Fashion and Edinburgh College of Art.

New Beat

One important factor is undoubtedly their training at the Royal Academy in Antwerp, with "individuality" and "creativity" being the principle concepts. Personal growth and creative development of the student are fundamental at school, without this one loses sight of the link between professional life. The personal approach also extends to the various peripheral activities that come along with the presentation of a collection, ranging from exceptional attention to the graphic design for the invitations and catalogs and particular focus on the location and design of the fashion show to a warm welcome in the showroom.  Debo, Kaat. "Belgian Fashion." The Berg Fashion Library. (n.d.). http://www.bergfashionlibrary.com/view/bazf/bazf00066.xml (accessed 15 Mar. 2011). 
Thinking about the relationship between Belgian New Beat music scene and the explosive deconstructive design movement in the late 80's in Belgium.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Beat

http://sites.google.com/site/belgiannewbeat/



and...
Bronselaer, Karlijn. "Belgium." The Berg Fashion Library. (n.d.). http://www.bergfashionlibrary.com/view/bewdf/BEWDF-v8/EDch8038.xml (accessed 14 Mar. 2011).

From 1980 to the Twenty-First Century

In the last decades of the twentieth century, new youth cultures emerged in Belgium. New Beat was the Belgian interpretation of new musical genres such as house and techno. The Fleming Jo Bogaert created the major techno world hit “Pump Up the Jam” (1989) for the band Technotronic. Techno music, a mix of electronic sounds, was a trendy phenomenon for which a perfect body was absolutely necessary, as the usual apparel included a close-fitting top or a bikini top with bicycle shorts. On stage, performers danced at least as much as they sang. New technology was no longer limited to the domain of the geeks but pervaded art forms. The manipulation of images, sounds, and prints with computers belonged to this new world.

In addition, the hip-hop culture that developed in the United States in the 1980s did not go unnoticed in Belgium. Major rappers recounting the hard life in gangs were unknown in Belgium, but Hof Van Commerce did create a style of its own in the 1990s. Graffiti with a political message was part of this culture and in the 1990s evolved into street art, in which the street becomes the exhibition space. Sneakers by Nike and Vans with obligatorily untied laces, baggy jeans, and a Carhartt hooded sweatshirt comprised the perfect outfit for these Belgian hip-hoppers.

Technological progress moved at a quick pace, and a great variety of subcultures based on technology arose from the underground. One Belgian subculture that made it into the mainstream was that of the Gabbers, associated with a musical style characterized by quick rhythms and unique dance moves. Its founders were the disc jockeys Da Boy Tommy and Da Rick. This culture is experiencing a comeback in the early twenty-first century. Certain clothing labels are very popular with this group: Sergio Tacchini, Lacoste, and De Puta Madre.

In the twenty-first century, fashion in Belgium is changing quickly. Wildly idiosyncratic dress is possible, and it is becoming difficult to define fashion when there are no universal rules. There are also many subcultures with their own fashion codes. Mixing and matching are keywords, and vintage and remakes fit perfectly. Belgians have become world citizens but continue to long for their own individuality. A statement by Kalman Rutterstein, vice president of Bloomingdales of New York, in the magazine Weekend Knack , describes the Belgian attitude toward fashion very clearly: “Belgians are not interested in logo mania and American mass marketing; they want to appeal to people with an individual taste.”

References and Further Reading

• Brand, J. , and Teunissen, J. . De macht van de mode . Tielt, Belgium: Terra Lannoo BV & ArtEZPress, 2006.
• Coppens, M. Mode en Belgique au XIXe siècle . Brussels: Ed. Weissenbruch, 1996.
• Degryse, I. , and Van Landeghem, A. . “Een geschiedenis van België.” De Standaard , based on the bookEen geschiedenis van België by Marc Reynebeau . Tielt: Lannoo, 2003.
• Derycke, L. , and van de Veire, S. . Belgian Fashion Design . Ghent: Ludion, 1999.
• Esch, G. , Goyvaerts, A. , and van Riet, S. . Mode in de lage landen—België . Antwerp: Ed. Cantecleer, 1989.
• Martens, E. Expo 58 . Ed. Royal Belgium Film Archive.
• Windels, V. Jonge Belgische Mode . Ghent: Ludion, 2001.
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