conversation with the designers

Belgian retailer LolaLiza launched The LolaLiza Fashion School a few months ago. Belgian fashion talent can enter the competition and the winners will see their designs made into real masterpieces and sold in the LolaLiza shop. Designers Femke Thijs, Liesl De Ridder and Nanook Cools are the three lucky people who won the contest.

The three were selected from a total of ten finalists. Each of these ten people received compensation for their participation in the competition. The finalists were welcomed to LolaLiza’s headquarters for a two-day bootcamp where they worked on their final project with a trainer. Designs from Femke Thijs, Liesl De Ridder and Nanook Cools were finally voted the best. Winners will receive a manufacturing fee and earn a commission on the sale of their item. The winning designs will be available in stores in May 2023.

Liesl De Rider

Liesl is 24 years old and currently lives in Bors, Sweden. He studied at the Swedish Textile School. She has participated in several exhibitions in the past and she has experience in costume design, styling, production and design.

What can you tell us already about your winning design?

My dresses are airy and poofy, so women who wear them can move freely during the summer. Dark but with bright color prints, perfect for going on vacation. It also comes with super fun accessories that add an extra touch.

What inspires you?

I was inspired by three strong women, three best women, three grandmothers. The sweetest grandmother who inspired me to fulfill my dreams and achieve my goals. With my designs, I wanted to highlight a woman who is strong, embraces who you are and believes in yourself.

What does this win mean to you?

This victory opened new doors for me. I’m so excited and excited for what’s to come. So far, it’s been a very fun and educational experience. I also hope to make my grandma very proud. Time and time again, I proved myself and became more confident about the future. This is a great start to something big. I’m so grateful to the entire LolaLiza team for this unique opportunity and I’m also very excited to be embarking on this adventure with the other two winners.

Femke Thijs

Femke Thijs is 23 years old and hails from Ghent. He is currently studying at ESMOD in Paris. He previously won the Cap Cup at Waregem Koerse.

What can you tell us already about your winning design?

My design process generally remains the same. I did a lot of research, decided on the color palette I was going to use, drafted a concept and started drawing followed by technical drawings. The design chosen is the first design I made for this competition and, I believe, it is the strongest of the three.

The theme of party wear or event wear suits my personality perfectly. I myself like to wear volume and clothes that often contain an element of surprise or drama. Personally, I ask myself what a woman would wear to a wedding, for example, so I ended up with my little black dress, a very accessible outfit for many women. What I think is important is putting your own mark on your designs, which for me incorporates prints. So I designed a cape to match the print on it. The cape can be removed easily and provides a dramatic effect when you enter the venue for a special occasion. My prints are often based on natural elements – flowers really inspire me. But more often I use abstracted or blurred versions of flowers. For this print, I started by holding the flowers in the water and photographing them through the glass. That way you get a sort of mirror effect, plus a lovely flower distortion.

What inspires you?

For my design shapes, I often take inspiration from my own wardrobe, or silhouettes that have been launched in the fashion market before. You can definitely innovate, but unfortunately you can’t reinvent hot water. That’s my guiding principle. There’s nothing wrong with being inspired by the past, but most importantly you have to put your mark on the past and make sure it stays modern. For colors and textiles, I am guided by my feelings, I am very sensitive to color, and often make surprising combinations. To me, colors and fabrics are like a jigsaw puzzle, you start putting it down until each piece falls into place. When I’m working on my prints or fabrics, I keep putting together combinations until I feel warm from the intense focus. That’s when I’ve found the key and it’s right for me. In other words, I’m inspired primarily by color.

What does this win mean to you?

Above all, it’s a huge boost. I struggled a lot as a fashion student and often lost the courage to keep believing that one day I would make it or be able to make my mark in the world of fashion. Unfortunately, people continue to underestimate how tough the world of fashion can be, and how quickly you can lose confidence in the industry because of all the subjective reactions you receive. The key is to always put your own values ​​first, and know what your identity is.

Through this competition, I certainly hope that many people can enjoy my designs, which give women the confidence to shine in the clothes they wear. I hope my participation can inspire young people to always believe that many things are possible. For myself, I hope this is a start or a further path to maybe one day owning my own label or collaborating with other brands. And it’s a nice culmination of the years of work that I’ve put in, but also a big round of applause to all the good people who have supported me, from my parents Dirk and Marijke, to my best friends, and the many more people who have helped me for many years.

Cool Nano

28-year-old designer Nanook Cools is currently studying costume design at the Belgian center for vocational education Syntra. She has graduated as a Fashion Designer from the City Academy (Stedelijke Academie) Sint-Niklaas. She is also a stylist at No Babes Agency.

What can you tell us already about your winning design?

“I started from an illustration for a creation that I let my imagination run wild, and then translated that into the LolaLiza universe. In short, a fun color palette, a touch of rock and roll, and most importantly, lots of prints.”

What inspires you?

“Cowboy, woman LolaLiza as the protagonist in her wild west. A female adventurer riding the horizon.”

What does this win mean to you?

“This has given me the opportunity to share my world with you and be seen as a young designer. A challenge to translate my creativity into marketable products. I am very grateful for this opportunity and can’t wait to share the end result.”

This article originally appeared on FashionUnited.BE. Translation and editing from Dutch to English: Veerle Versteeg.