Tom Notte and Bart Vandebosch on the runway Spring 2007 Milan
Tom Notte and Bart Vandebosch on the runway Spring 2007 Milan

MILAN, Jul 27, 2006/ FW/ — LES HOMMES stands for the two Belgium fashion designers Tom Notte and Bart Vandebosch.

Both graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Belgium. Tom and Bart form an inseparable duo since they first met at the fashion Academy of Antwerp.

Both are very charismatic designers with a strong personality to match.

Before entering the Academy, Bart already had an artistic background. Tom on the other hand first entered University to study Economic Science. After a year he started Graphic Design at the Academy and two years later he enrolled at the fashion Academy.

After working at Olivier Theyskens for three months, Tom chose to work for a commercial brand to pick up company experience. Shortly after Bart’s graduation they decided to combine forces and started the “LES HOMMES” collection.

Tom and Bart discovered a mutual sense for fashion in particular and aesthetics in general. They share a hunger for beauty but in a very different way. They have two different approaches of beauty. It is in fact these different eyes that are the source of LES HOMMES, a collision of contrasting ideas and opinions.

After four years LES HOMMES succeeded in establishing an international distribution with the men’s collection. Today LES HOMMES is distributed in over 50 high-end fashion men’s stores all over the world. The shops selected are of a very high standard profile which reflects the distribution politics of LES HOMMES.

The LES HOMMES men’s collection succeeded in drawing the attention of some of the leading magazines of the world. The LES HOMMES collection appeared in several international magazines such as L’UOMO VOGUE, I-D, V- Magazine, HERALD TRIBUNE by Suzy Menkes, MISTER HIGH FASHION Japan, FHM Hong Kong.

The LES HOMMES – FEMME collection designed by Tom and Bart is a contemporary, creative, women’s collection.

The general idea behind the collection is a unification of opposites. LES HOMMES sees these opposites, these contradictions as a unity which really start to work once they are brought together. The silhouette is an architectural silhouette which is trashed up by opposing lines and forms. The silhouette is on the one hand razor-sharp, yet on the other hand elegant, nonchalant and poetic. Adding a reinvention of classic women’s wear while respecting old tailoring principles LES HOMMES – FEMME create their own signature.

[MARI DAVIS]
Photo by Giovanni Pucci

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