FOR THE NOW is a presentation platform for both established and emerging designers in Belgium. Organised by Flanders DC, the event will take place on 16 and 17 November at Maison de la Poste in Tour&Taxis Brussels. Admission is free.

FOR THE NOW aims to broaden, rewrite and make the definition of design more inclusive, causing us to think outside our frames of reference and discover new forms of design. The reasons for these three duos to be paired can be read in this earlier article.

Nina Van Herck is a product designer who evokes emotions and brings beauty into the everyday, inspired by nature. 'Caring for' is central to her work. Josefien Cornette (they/them)is an artist-writer with a focus on art history, feminism, gender identity and constraints, working to build a movement of Crip artists in Belgium. Since the latter has a physical disability, they form a duo that not only promotes diversity and inclusiveness in their work, but also embodies it through their own experiences and backgrounds.

"We began this assignment by questioning how to turn a medical device into a powerful fashion statement. From the observation that medical devices are often perceived as unattractive and purely functional, we wanted this project to give these devices an aesthetic upgrade and highlight them in a positive way."

“It was immediately clear to us that this should be a project involving different people. For a year, we worked closely with young people who personally used medical devices, such as insulin pumps or catheters." Under the motto 'nothing about us, without us', these young people were actively involved in every step of the design process. "We also collaborated with artists Hey Jude, Viva Sage and Turncoat Studios, who each put their stamp on the harness design. The harnesses were presented in a fashion shoot in collaboration with No Babes Agency, Morgane Gielen's inclusive modelling agency. Styling was provided by Essentiel Antwerp and Nanook Cools, who has previously designed garments relating to the topic of diabetes." 

"We present with HUMN.AID three medical harnesses that are not only functional but also make a powerful visual and fashion statement. These harnesses are colourful, extravagant and designed to proudly bear an illness or disability. They are equipped with a 'buckle', which can be used for an insulin pump. The 'straps' are made of vegan mycelium leather, which grows on molasses, a residual product of sugar." 

The collection carries a strong message: instead of hiding medical devices, it accentuates and celebrates them. Fashion and design should be accessible to everyone, regardless of whether you have an illness or impairment.
This project will definitely be followed up. In the future, they will explore this theme further so that their message is spread more widely. Thus, new items will be added to the collection.

Octave is a Belgian artist who searches for the material and symbolic meaning of stone. His work depicts the connections between cultural practices, technology, the primitive past and the origin of matter. Morevi refers to the Georgian-Belgian design duo Ana Naskidashvili and Frederik Poisquet. They draw inspiration for their textile pieces from Georgian traditions, a tribute to Ana's homeland. In doing so, they mainly work with natural materials for their creations. 

"When we started our collaboration, we deliberately chose a free way of working. In the first phase, we collected ideas and sources of inspiration for our research, often guided by primitive and functional objects. Many of the items were made of stone or other primitive materials. During our search, we targeted materials with a unique look, a particular charm, or a strong connection to a specific community. As a result, our research focused mainly on stonestacking (Editor’s note: the artistic stacking of stones, often as a form of self-expression or connection to nature) and totemism (Editor’s note: a religious belief often associated with shamanic religions that describes a relationship of a people or individual in relation to a totem). Gradually, we arrived at a theme that appealed to all three of us: the cosmos. This led us to Belgian and Georgian heritage, and to slate and felted wool that we wanted to use as the basis for our product."

"The process was not easy, although we found that we had a shared vision on several points, such as working with primitive materials. The challenge lay in uniting our personal visions. This led to the idea of using slate to create a daybed. We found a supplier in the Netherlands who could supply slates with patterns reminiscent of the Milky Way, a direct reference to our cosmic theme."

"Nebula," inspired by the cosmos, is made from oak, slate and dyed felt wool, so entirely from natural materials. The bed gives the impression of lying on a roof, looking up at the stars. Together, the indigo-dyed felt and the galaxy-like patterns enhance the magical feel of the cosmos. At the same time, it is a blanket meant to keep the user warm and provide protection, both literally and figuratively. In this way, the daybed embodies both a cosmic experience and a dialogue between primitive materials and universal themes. Slate, typical of Belgium and Western Europe, refers to the region's architectural heritage. Felt is rooted in Georgian traditions, creating a synergy between Belgian and Georgian influences." 

Eva Lynen is an illustrator and visual artist, known for her playful works in which she tells stories with invented characters and locations. Colour and composition play a major role. Vanessa Yuan, born in Taiwan, started as a product designer in Milan and worked as a project manager for Italian fashion houses. In 2011, she co-founded VYDC with Joris Vanbriel in Antwerp, and since 2016 they have been running their circular design brand ecoBirdy.

"Our collaborative process was intense and engaging, partly because of our different backgrounds and design approaches. We each brought our own perspectives to the project. This sometimes created challenges. Where design and functionality were the focus for one, the emphasis for the other lay on colour and composition. It was a quest to bring together these diverse visions into a single product."

Vanessa began the process with an image, a design that focused heavily on form and function. This led to conversations about what connects the two creatives and how they could display that connection in design. Eva was keen to express her emotional vision of colour and joy, so it was important to her that this also played a role in this collaborative project. "We talked a lot about the meaning of materials and the interaction an object can generate. Thus, the idea emerged of creating a bookshelf that not only holds books, but also starts a conversation and tells a story."

"The final product is a unique and colourful bookshelf. We wanted to create a functional piece of furniture that starts conversations and is an interactive part of the interior. The bookshelf invites curiosity: why is that particular book there, what does it tell you when you open certain pages? The design is playful and durable. We used wood from a wood workshop in Antwerp. Each piece of wood has its own character due to its imperfect edges and grain. This emphasises the natural beauty of the material. By leaving the wood untreated, we respected its natural state."

"This bookshelf is not only a practical storage solution, but also a means of telling a story and getting people to engage with each other. It combines form, function, colour and emotion to create something that is both functional and artistic. We elaborated our design with colourful book holders, which fit perfectly on the bookshelves." This element symbolises the blending of our backgrounds: Eva's focus on colour and expression, combined with Vanessa's eye for clean design and functionality. As such, the bookshelves and book holders are both beautiful and practical.