 |
 |
 |
|||||||||||
|
Belgium has a new designer duo. Dallas & Vegas:   The new Belgium-based handbag and accessory line, designed by Audrey van der Velden and Olivier Waelkens.History A few months ago both designers bid farewell to professional life in the commercial sector to concentrate on the launch of their own collection in their hometown of Antwerp. Audrey's studies in Florence at Polimoda and in New York at the Fashion Institute of Technology, provided a fascinating combination of craftsmanship and a pragmatic approach to fashion. Olivier graduated in 1993 from the fashion department of the Antwerp Academy of Fine Arts and started a label together with Stephan Schneider, with outlets in Antwerp and Tokyo. At this point Audrey and Olivier met. Olivier started to work as head designer at Kipling and later as art director was responsible for the presentation of collections and the development of new concepts as well as the restyling of the handbag brand Laurent-David. Meanwhile, Audrey gathered commercial experience at several brands, including G-star, and also designed the women's accessories, handbags, shoes and belts, for Essentiel. |
|
Belgium has a new designer duo. Dallas & Vegas: Starting from a reaction
With the launch of their own label Audrey and Olivier offer a personal vision on accessory design which can be seen as a reaction to the way in which commercial companies operate. According to the duo financial pressure too often leads to manufacturers producing collections at an ever-faster pace. This means there is little time left for a deeper exploration of themes necessary to provide a brand with its sorely needed depth and meaning. Products of this kind rarely survive more than one season. Dallas & Vegas wants to bring back the creation of items with a soul, items that can be passed down from generation to generation. With their leather handbags and textile accessories, including jewellery, the duo hopes to redress this social imbalance. The designers allow themselves enough time to elaborate upon the concept and to let their ideas mature. They craft their prototypes with the accuracy of a tailor and remain highly selective in their choice of components throughout production. Switzerland, known for the superior quality of its watches, is where Dallas & Vegas chooses to purchase the high-quality zips for its handbags. Lambskins and sheepskins come from Scotland where the climate makes for superior skins. The duo treats its prototypes with the same care and skills as the best Italian leather specialists. |
|
Belgium has a new designer duo. Dallas & Vegas: The new Belgium-based handbag and accessory line, designed by Audrey van der Velden and Olivier Waelkens. Choice of the name
While searching for a name for the collection it didn't take the duo long to agree upon Dallas & Vegas, a combination of two names that has a nice ring to it and is reminiscent of those TV-series from a bygone era, like ‘Starsky and Hutch’, ‘Dallas’ and ‘Bonanza’. A name that conjures up images of trailer parks and Dolly Parton and an appropriate one for a label openly inspired by the diversity and the bad taste of Americans. |
|
|
|
|
Dallas & Vegas: National (Belgium) Antwerpen Brasschaat Lier Brussel Gent Hasselt Haacht Liège Namur Genk Tessenderlo Leuven Oostende Oost-Duinkerke Brugge Knokke Wielsbeke International Japan Greece Germany USA Cyprus Russia Holland France |
|
Contact: Mr. Waelkens olivier{at}dallasvegas{dot}com
+32 495.272.234 Ms. van der Velden audrey{at}dallasvegas{dot}com
+32 477.282.343
Office Amerikalei 52 B-2000 Antwerpen +32 3.257.29.99 |
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
