About half an hour by car from French-speaking Tournai is the Flemish or Dutch-speaking city of Kortrijk (or Courtrai in French), located in Northwest Belgium. I happen to love both the French-speaking southern region of Wallonia and the Dutch-speaking northern parts of Flanders even if there is strong tension among the two parts that divide the heart of this country. …
Tournai
Tournai is about 85km to the south of Brussels and one of the oldest cities in Belgium. As in the tradition of all places of cultural significance and economic booms, Tournai has survived the exchange of many hands from the Franks to the French to the English to the Austrians and now finally to the Belgians. You might say it …
Streets of Antwerp
So once back outside after a heady fashion rush at the MoMu, I get to loiter the cobblestoned streets of Antwerp. On this particular day it is a national holiday so the stores are closed and crowds are minimal, which actually makes it quite fun to windowshop… and pretend to know what’s going on behind pretty doors… The best part …
Zwart
My mind’s eye is all about colors like mustard yellow, Peruvian turquoise, clay orange, and avocado green. But by far I favor the color black for all practical intents and purposes. So Antwerp’s ModeMuseum (MoMu)’s current exhibition of BLACK. Masters of Black in Fashion & Costume (running through August 8, 2010) is right up my alley. I’ve always liked the …
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An Exception To Every Rule
1. No vintage bags. 2. No lambskin bags. 3. No children-sized bags. Those have been my longstanding rules in collecting bags. However, there’s an exception to every rule. Now, you’ve seen me drag a Gucci bag across the Sahara and a Balenciaga through the snow, so you must know the road does not make a friendly companion to more precious …