Christian Wijnants, one word to describe yourself? Passionate
Do you remember the first time fashion had an effect on you? It was when I was 13 years old. I visited an exhibition about the Royal Academy, and I was very impressed by the work of students and designers from the academy.Because it was a very closed world back then, very mysterious, I hadn’t had many opportunities to experience this world in person. The exhibition was in an industrial hangar, it was very dark, mysterious, almost mystical. From then on, I knew I wanted to study fashion in Antwerp, at the Academy.
What was the reason behind getting in to fashion? I loved the interaction between fabrics, colors, design, and people, the idea of dressing someone, creating something that will become part of their everyday life and wardrobe, something they adopt, cherish, and use. Fashion can be such a creative hub, full of opportunities. This is also a business, and I like the combination of being able to be creative while also being business-minded.
You live in Antwerp, where some great fashion minds originate from, why do you think that is? Antwerp has a fairly short history in fashion, and it all started with the Antwerp Six and Martin Margiela. Since then, different generations of designers have come to Antwerp, becoming role models in turn. They've inspired a lot of people to work in fashion and to create their own brands. Belgian people have always had an interest in what is beautiful, eating well, dressing well, culture.
What does your ideal day look like when nobody is expecting anything from you? I usually don't plan anything. I just go with the flow. I'm a fairly intuitive person, so sometimes I'll simply get in my car and drive somewhere without any real plan, but I love that sense of freedom. I enjoy going to Brussels to visit exhibitions and museums, even revisiting places I've already been to.
When I was visiting Antwerp earlier this year, I saw you riding your bike around town, is this how you are inspired? Yes and no, it's my main mode of transportation. I don't have the patience to drive a car in the city, so I prefer being on a bike; you can get around so much faster, and Antwerp is a very bike-friendly city. But it's true that you see a lot very quickly this way, so riding through the city can be inspiring, especially along the harbor ending up in the big new park in the south of Antwerp.
If your designs could have a soundtrack, what would we hear walking into a Christian Wijnants world? That's a very difficult question, because I don't listen to music much, I like quietness and I don't need music to design. But a Christian Wijnants soundtrack would likely sound something like echoes of nature: birds singing, wind, being near the river at the Schelde, boats passing by. I usually work with the sound artist Senjan Jansen, who captures my mood by selecting sounds and beats and shaping them into something more abstract, a lot of the time, built purely on emotion.
Your work is often celebrated for its color, texture, and movement. Which of these three is the most important to your vision and why? It used to be color, but over the last several years, texture has become more important to me. Fabrics, materials, fibers, and composition are the starting point of each collection, how they feel is one of my main sources of inspiration. I get inspired by fabric research first, and the collection grows from there. Natural fibers, rich fibers, often with a twist. People have become more tactile, comfort and how a fabric feels on the body matter more now than before. There's also more awareness around fabrics in general, with people paying closer attention to where they come from and how they're made. My knitwear reflects this focus on texture; I'm always excited to experiment with different knitwear techniques and create different textures within a garment.
Your prints often feel like memories translated into fabric. Is this intentional? Yes, this is very intentional. Prints are often an abstract attempt to recover lost memories. I like looking at a print and having it remind me of something I've experienced or seen before. A memory is the catalyst for each print, and I develop so they don't look too clean or new, I like them to feel like they have a soul and a past. Often, I'm drawn to prints that look like old wallpaper or curtains.
What is something people assume about fashion designers that is completely untrue? That we dress well ourselves. Funnily enough, whenever I mention I'm a fashion designer, people always say they never would have guessed. I do put some thought into what I wear, but not nearly as much as some of the people I see on the street.
You have traveled extensively for inspiration. Has a particular city ever changed the direction of a collection? Recently, Stone Town in Zanzibar, Tanzania, really left an impression on me. I was so inspired by it that for two or three seasons, this little city stayed on my mind.
What is the most unglamorous part of being a fashion house? Oh, there are actually many unglamorous parts. It might seem unglamorous, but I still love doing it, because every step in creating a collection matters. Sometimes that means carrying boxes or cutting pieces from a collection when it's grown too big, even pieces I love. I don't feel any negativity around that, though, because I know it's for the good of the company. Some parts of the industry can be disappointing or hard too; when something doesn't sell as well as I'd hoped, it can be demotivating, but that's part of the business.
When do you know a garment is finished? Is it a technical decision, or does the piece somehow tell you? It's more of a feeling. Even if a garment ticks all the boxes, it still might not feel quite right, something can still feel off. So really, it comes down to a feeling of satisfaction.
Do you think social media has changed or ended seasonal design timeline? I don't think so. I think people still buy what they need or what they want. The whole fashion system is quite complex; it's sometimes difficult to know what to do when, what to have in store, what to deliver, especially with factors like people traveling and being more global. But I don't think social media has a big influence on the seasonal way people buy. Of course, social media has a big impact on fashion overall, just not so much on the seasonal design timeline. It's difficult to predict, so we work hard to analyze each season, but fashion is also very emotional, and people often buy without practicality in mind. A lot of the time, it's an emotional decision.
If you could dress any historical figure, who would it be and what would you make for them? It's funny, but I've never dreamed about dressing any particular person or celebrity. My dream has always been to dress women who are more anonymous. I've never had the urge to dress a specific actress, celebrity, or historical figure. I've never been starstruck. To answer this question properly, I would need a few more weeks.
If your younger self could visit your studio today, what do you think would surprise him the most? The size of the company, how big everything has grown, the size of the collections. I always thought it would be impossible to achieve what I have over the years: four collections a year, several stores opened, runway shows, and more. I never thought it would be possible, and I would have been very impressed with myself.
Fashion moves at a relentless pace. What is your favorite way of slowing down? It's extremely fast, that's true, but at a certain point, you also start enjoying the pace. I think I'd actually be quite bad at working more slowly, so I've come to like this rhythmic, fast-paced environment. I've gotten used to it. That said, slowing down is great too, and traveling is my favorite way of doing that. As soon as I step into an airport or onto a plane, I completely forget the rest and let go of the whole fashion industry, which isn't easy, because fashion is everywhere you look: clothes, styling, people. It's very inspiring, but hard to switch off from. Still, over the years, I've learned to do it easily when I travel.
What are three things you can’t live without in your studio? Loes and Lotte are two of the people I value most in my company. They've worked with me for over 15 years, and I honestly couldn't work without them. Beyond that, I need fabrics. Being surrounded by fabrics and swatches is what inspires me.
What is something you are currently obsessed with outside of fashion? My holiday plans, it's the middle of summer, and I try to make the most of the season, visiting multiple cities, so far, Paris, Amsterdam, Madrid, Milan and soon Porto. I don't get much holiday time, so I like the logistics of planning: squeezing in as much as possible in a short amount of time. A bit like FOMO. Whenever I'm not working, I'm planning my summer trips and trying to see as many friends as I can.
When someone wears a Christian Wijnants piece, what feeling do you hope they leave the house carrying? Feeling good about themselves. I always really enjoy seeing people wearing my clothes, I recently saw a woman in Milan wearing one of my dresses from six years ago, and that gave me such a nice feeling. It's the reason I studied fashion, and why I continue doing it: people I don't know buying my clothes not for the logo or brand recognition, but because they feel good in them and love the design. I often end up starting a little conversation with them.
