This month, Antwerp-based Belgian designer Jan-Jan Van Essche unveils ‘KHAYAL’ at MoMu, a beautiful exhibition inspired by his latest Spring/Summer 2025 collection. Subtitled with ‘A Time and Place for Everything’, this contemplative and soulful installation encourages viewers to enjoy a meditative break away from the fashion industry’s recklessness and unrealistic pace.
Ever since launching his eponymous brand in 2010, Jan-Jan Van Essche has been quietly going against the grain and some of the principles defining our current fashion landscape, whose key goal is to encourage individuals to over-consume. With the ongoing growth of fast fashion lines -and the multiplication of collaborations between brands- shoppers are definitely experiencing growing sartorial fatigue, a saturation deeply reinforced by the increasing volume of fashion content -and images- posted daily on social media.
Van Essche refuses to shout louder than his peers, and he does not court press either, simply because his clothes should speak for themselves: “When MoMu contacted me last Summer to offer me to guest curate its gallery space on the ground floor, I knew I wanted an environment that felt peaceful and calming, away from all the fashion noise out there. I don’t like lecturing people, or telling them what kind of clothes they should be buying, but I wanted the installation to be a reminder that great clothes take a long time to make. That’s just how it is, and it’s been my approach -and fundamental belief- since founding the brand almost 15 years ago.”
Having experienced the installation myself -and without revealing too much about its details- you do leave the space feeling more serene and relaxed. There’s something about Van Essche’s aesthetic that is quite spiritual, too, striking a subtle balance in his collections between Asian traditions, Europeans codes and African motifs, a continent he’s always been inspired by. His vision of fashion is, in fact, not about pretence, but authenticity instead. Featuring 10 individual silhouettes from his latest ‘KHAYAL’ collection, the exhibition offers a precious insight into the Belgian designer’s unique process as well as some of his recognizable signatures, such as elegant layering, oversized cuts and harmonious lines. Despite remaining low- profile and rarely courting attention, Van Essche’s love for handcrafted textiles, sustainable methods and natural pigments gets quite contagious after spending some time around him and paying attention to the way he talks about his work. In a surprising manner, Jan-Jan Van Essche’s clothes embody some of the key values, which cannot be separated from a certain vision of Antwerp fashion, defined by quality, character, timelessness and a willingness to do things differently: “This exhibition is not about me, but sharing my passions with others, Van Essche explains. The best thing about having an independent fashion brand is the possibility of creating your own community, gathering musicians, filmmakers, dancers and other artists around your world. That, to me, is the most rewarding thing.”
‘KHAYAL, A Moment and Place for Everything’ runs at MoMu in Antwerp until the 8th of June 2025. More information HERE!
