Jan-Jan Van Essche graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp in 2003. In 2010, he founded his eponymous brand, based at the Atelier Solarshop, the boutique he runs with his partner, Pietro Celestina, sharing the space with other like-minded creators.
Setting the scene
The collection’s name refers to the classical Indian music style centered on improvisation. Khyāl is an Urdu word of Arabic origin that means “imagination, thought, ideation, meditation, reflection”; these concepts generally underline Jan-Jan’s creative approach. As one enters the exhibition, a curtain suggests a bow. Inside, amid the meditative sounds, one can recognize the echo of a weaving machine and other production sounds recorded at the atelier. The lights are soft and warm, enhancing the orange-brown surroundings.
The mannequins, made by Rune Tuerlinckx, stand behind semi-transparent curtains inside the wooden frame, grouped to represent key aspects of Van Essche’s work: construction, natural dyes, layering, handweaving, and knitwear. “My clothes are not that museum-worthy,” Jan-Jan explained. “It is the atmosphere that makes it what it is. Of course, the details are there, but they are often on the inside; they don’t scream for attention. In that sense, the mannequins take it there.”
