The coming months at MAD Brussels

Young talent, artisanal design and a brand new fashion and design parcours take centre stage this autumn

August 20, 2024

MAD Brussels' fall season kicks off with the Future Generation expo, a twofold group exhibition full of young Brussels talent. In addition to showcasing the 14 winners of the MAD Graduation Prize, the expo will also display the results of the 10 residents of MAD Brussels who finish the incubator programme after two years. Then, in November, MAD Brussels will organise the first edition of the MAD Parcours - Downtown edition. This fashion and design walk through the capital will introduce the public to local creative talent. Lastly, the year will end with the expo Duos en Resonances, a collaboration with Wallonie Design. This expo shows the results of months of collaboration between 6 duos of artisans and designers.

Julien Houdremont © Enrique Vasquez Heredia Nikiema

Future Generation

Expo from September 27th until November 16th

Future Generation presents the new generation of creatives from the Brussels fashion and design sector through a twofold group exhibition: MAD Incubator Show and MAD Graduation Show.

The MAD Incubator Show introduces the public to the projects developed by ten designers during their two-year residency in our incubator and accompanying studios. From skin-friendly textiles made from algae to upcycled collections showcasing cultural diversity, the designers offer alternatives for a future that is more conscious and innovative. Discover the fashion and design world of tomorrow, with a focus on in-depth research, reuse of materials, new bio-sourced materials, innovative technologies and craftsmanship. The 10 residents of the MAD Incubator are:

Anneleen Bertels
Guillaume Slizewicz
Kana Arioka
Kasbah Kosmic by Kenza Vandeput
Margot Van den Berghe
MIPINTA by Fernando Miro
Skin Series by Rosie Broadhead
Kartchev by Stefan Kartchev
Studio Minimètre by Bérénice de Salvatore & Bastien Chevrier
Design for Resilience by Vanessa Colignon

In addition, MAD Brussels annually awards the MAD Graduation Prize to promising design graduates from various creative courses in Brussels. From textile design and interior design to industrial product development and fashion design. No less than seven institutions are present at the expo: Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts de Bruxelles, College of Art and Design, Ateliers Saint Luc, École supérieure des arts Saint Luc, Haute Ecole Francisco Ferrer, La Cambre and LUCA School Of Art. The group exhibition MAD Graduation Show introduces the 14 winners of 2024 to the public and highlights their graduation projects over a two-month period. A ceramic dress, a dismountable shoe and furniture wrapped in textiles: the fact that Brussels is bursting with talent is shown by the selection of laureates who graduated last summer. The 14 winners are:

Eléonore Pauwels - Stylisme Mode, Eps Saint Luc
Julien Houdremont - Mode Eco Concept, Haute Ecole Francisco Ferrer
Margot Rizzo - Art Du Tissu, Haute Ecole Francisco Ferrer
Mathilde Chaize - Scenographie, La Cambre
Ella Victor Reihi - Interior Design, LUCA School Of Art
Valentine Franc - Architecture D'interieur & Design, College of Art Design
Julie Thorn - Architecture Scenography, Esa Saint Luc
Luna Isola Bersanetti - Ceramique, La Cambre
Clément De Cooman - Design Industriel, La Cambre
Candice Houtart - Fashion Design, College of Art Design
Minjung Kim - Design Textile, La Cambre
Héloïse Sixou - Executive Master in Knitting Design, Arba Esa
Ines Vrankulj - Design Textile, Arba Esa
Theodore Godson - Design Produit Mode, Haute Ecole Francisco Ferrer

MAD Parcours - Downtown Edition

Fashion and design walk from November 14th until November 16th

From 14 to 16 November 2024, MAD Brussels will organise the first edition of the MAD Parcours - Downtown Edition. This fashion and design walk follows a route through the Dansaert and St Catherine neighbourhoods, to the Bourse, De Brouckère Square and the Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries. The MAD Parcours offers fashion and design lovers a unique opportunity to meet local designers, get inspired and discover new addresses.

During the MAD Parcours, various locations throughout the capital will highlight Brussels fashion and design creatives. Not only shops and pop-ups are part of the trail, but also hotels, restaurants and studios will be among the addresses of the walk. Private flats of design collectors will also open their doors especially for the occasion. Thanks to an interactive map, available on the app Mapstr, everyone can easily find the different locations.

‘This second half of 2024 is all about young and new talent crossing paths with more established names. We show the importance of designers interacting and bringing together different design practices.’ - Anaïs Sandra Carion, Managing Director of MAD Brussels

Duos en Resonances

Expo from December 6th until February 22nd

MAD Brussels ends the year with the exhibition Duos en Resonances, in collaboration with Wallonie Design. Duos en Résonances is a project in which 6 duos of craft artists and product developers or industrial designers work together for 6 months to develop a joint project or idea. Wallonie Design set up the first edition of the Duos en Résonances project in 2017.

The aim of Duo and Resonances is not to create a finished commercial product, but for the duos to delve into material research and innovative techniques of another craft. The collaboration focuses on the exchange of experiences, joint reflection and experimentation so that both craft artists and designers can further develop their own profession and skills. From December 6th, the results of these collaborations will be exhibited to the general public at MAD Brussels. In addition, the scenography of the expo was entrusted to Brussels-based design studio Studio Plastique. The scenography will reflect the experimental nature of the project, showing not only the results but also the ambitions and interests, the experiments and the research.

The six participating duos are:

Julien Renault (product designer) & Angel Barrero (plasterer)
Unfold (designers/researchers) & Frederik Rombach (glassblower)
Gaston Golstein (industrial designer at Duplex Studio) & Étienne Guillaume (specialist in raw soil at Elementerre)
Flora Miranda (fashion designer) & Kenny Damian (embroiderer)
Frederik Delbart (industrial designer) & John Dierickx (stained glass at Studio Artglas)
Alice Pilastre (textile designer) & Julien Moermans (tufter)