Romain Brau's Fur & Feathers

During Modo Brussels, Romain Brau - the 27-year-old Antwerp’s Royal Academy graduate and co-founder of Antwerp’s uber-cool designer boutique RA, showed his Spring Summer 2011 collection at the recently opened Brussels store Hunting and Collecting. Brau mixed furs and feathers, thick knits and shiny velvet capes on bare skin boys, topped with ethnic romantic feathered crowns next to Medieval Ephebe princes in crochet leotards and knitted shoes, recreating on his models, who were aside from just modeling also serving drink to the crowd, what could be a “bel-ami” heroic fantasy kingdom.

Indeed, Brau considers his work to be pure delirium, but nothing serious he likes to add - more of a way to get closer to his original dream, creating costumes for artistic performances. With his Spring Summer 11 presentation in such an alternative location and city, Brau is well out the common paths of fashion and it suits his collection perfectly, a menswear fun as the ambiance of the presentation and refreshing as the beer was poured by the models.

Photos by Martin Bing