The Courier

Assomo collections Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter 2007.

Photo Hajer, credit Louise Assomo.

Louise Assomo’s imagination knows no bounds. Whereas the majority of designers present one range at their fashion shows, she works on several, trying to please as many women as she can. She uses ‘real’ women as her creative inspiration rather than fantasy figures, as many male designers tend to do. “Women are the object and subject of my inspiration. I want them to feel good in what they’re wearing, even as they go about their daily lives. I’d say my collection cheers people up if they’re feeling down”, she says.

Ethereal and sensuous

Her creations are fluid; floating dresses that are almost cloud-like, ethereal or sculpting the body, exciting and sensuous. All have a certain sparkle, emphasised by accessories made by the designer herself, that seem almost part of the outfits; artistic pendants, made of feathers, crepe twists and thin chains heightening a woman’s mystery. And then there are bags and shoes: beaded, painted, embroidered, with ties and other intricate details. She creates desirable glamour with a twist. And she’s involved at all the stages of making a garment, from the rough sketches right through to the final touches. It’s this craftsmanship of which she’s most proud, she says. Fresh from the ‘Francisco Ferrer School of Design’ in Brussels, Assomo won the prestigious ‘Escarpin d’or’ prize in Paris for her shoes. She is fast accumulating trophies. This year she was one of the finalists for the award for the best young Belgian creator of the year.

Her appeal extends to the public, professionals and media. The latter lauded her with praise following each of her two big fashion shows in June and November 2006. And her following extends beyond the trade press. ‘Victoire’, the supplement of Belgium’s leading Francophone daily, ‘Le Soir’, ran a feature on her, and the leading weekly publication, ‘Le Vif Express’ chose a photo of her boutique to illustrate the annual ‘Parcours de stylistes’, a Brussels fashion event. Even ‘Vogue’ in Taiwan has caught wind of her creativity. Also the popular Brussels weekly, ‘Zone 2’, concludes: “Louise Assomo may only just be starting out, but she’s already one of the big names in Belgian fashion”.

A dancer’s grace

She already counts among her fellow icons such as Emilie Dequenne, winner of the ‘Palme d’Or’ at the Cannes Film Festival for ‘Rosetta’ by the Dardenne brothers. The strength of this slip of a woman is that she doesn’t have a ‘dikke nek’, as they say in Brussels’ slang: a big head. She goes about her business with the grace of a dancer, swiftly but never hastily, twirling around, determined without being obstinate. If she’s stressed, and it’s impossible that she isn’t, it’s not noticeable: “Let’s go slowly, I’m in a rush!”

A day spent with Louise Assomo is a breath of fresh air. She wakes a little late for an ‘early bird’, around 9 a.m. It was a long night, continuing into the small hours due to ‘Love Fashion’, the opening party for the Belgian and Brussels Fashion Fair. Fortunately, she’s a teetotaller. It’s a rush to get to the Fair by 10 a.m., where she is sharing with other young and talented designers, the ‘Espace Pigmentum’, floor space to show their creations, put aside for them in recognition of their creativity. “They must have called it ‘Espace Pigmentum’ after me”, she says with a hint of irony.

Louise Assomo holds court in the area reserved for her business. Our conversation quickly becomes a debate, with Isabelle, her pretty and intelligent trainee and two other promising designers, Hüsniye Kardas and Natascha Cadonici. The subject is the ban in Spain on the use of ultra-thin models in fashion shows. Surprisingly, the four designers wholeheartedly support this move. Of her own accord, Louise Assomo makes nothing smaller than a European size 36, or UK 8, so as not be party to the damage caused by anorexia to young girls.

The afternoon finds us in different surroundings. She has an appointment in a small village, thirty-odd kilometres from Brussels. We head there with her companion, who is both her advisor and her partner. It’s like an Aladdin’s Cave! The shop belongs to the ‘Stragiers’, father to son weavers for generations. Here, Assomo discovers an enchanting fairy-tale world. There are all sorts of cloth, most made on the premises and in an array of colours, finishes, stitching and textures. Chambray, taffeta, mohair knitwear, chiffon, crepe georgette, cashmere, damask cotton: expertise that is hard to find, and is sought after by France’s leading fashion houses who come to place their exclusive orders.

Nicolas Stragier, who is in his early thirties, is fascinated by the cut of Louisa Assomo’s designs. He initially came across them in a magazine, called and invited her to come and get to know more about the ‘Stragier savoir-faire’. It is the first time, he says, that he’s dared to do this. “It’s because your style excited me”, he tells her. He was to be Assomo’s attentive guide for over five hours, until nightfall. The style of a craftsman like Nicolas Stragier is not about selling, but something more subliminal; a good eye and artistic sense – he’s an endangered species. Assomo was in seventh heaven.

On our way back, we talk about Africa. Louise left the continent at the age of 16. “I am of African origin. Whatever may happen, that will always come though in my work. It’s a way of being. I don’t make African fashion. I think about all women. But there will always be a little something in the way a garment skims the body, hinting to people that this girl comes from elsewhere. When they see me they say, OK, we know where she’s from.”

And she knows where she’s heading!

www.louiseassomo.com
Boutiques in Brussels, Antwerp and Tel Aviv

• www.louiseassomo.com