New collection
Essentiel Antwerp
In 1999, fashion was monochrome. Two natives of Antwerp found that thoroughly boring, and launched a collection of four t-shirts in twenty colours.
That is the starting point of Essentiel Antwerp, founded in Antwerp by Esfandiar Eghtessadi and Inge Onsea, a couple. He grew up in textiles, the son of a designer. She was a model, and lived five years in India, from which she brought back a taste for colour, prints and unexpected combinations.
A year later, the first boutique opened in Antwerp. Four seasons on, the house added knitwear, jackets, dresses, shirts, trousers and accessories.
The house programme fits into one line displayed on its own website: “We want to battle boredom”. And another, gentler one, that sums up the promise: “Life looks better in color”.
In practice, that means graphic or floral prints, unapologetic colour combinations, sequins, embroidery, beads and studs. The house speaks of “an ode to play”, “a celebration of refined eccentricity”, “a study of proportion, print and colour”. Its collections are designed to provoke a reaction, not to go unnoticed.
The positioning is owned by the founder: “We have found our place in the accessible luxury segment.” And his standard fits into a formula that could serve as a motto for any house: “Your best collection should be the next one.”
Antwerp is more than an address
The bond with the Belgian fashion capital is real and documented. Artistic direction is handled by Tom De Poortere, a 1999 graduate of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, the school that trained the Antwerp Six. And every year the house awards a prize at the academy’s graduate show, supporting a young designer all the way to a capsule produced and sold in store.
Inge Onsea, still creative director, puts it simply: “It is about nurturing wild ideas and giving young designers a stage to shine on. We believe in the power of mentorship.”
The Le Shop 17 selection
A selection of the latest pieces available in store, each chosen with the same care as the rest of the Shop 17 selection.
See the full Essentiel Antwerp collection
Come and discover it in Cannes
The Essentiel Antwerp selection is on view in store, at 15 rue Notre-Dame, 06400 Cannes, Monday to Saturday from 10am to 7pm. The Le Shop 17 team can be reached on +33 (0)4 93 39 46 46, by email at info@leshop17.com, or on WhatsApp. You can also follow the boutique on Instagram, @leshop17.
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