Maasmechelen Village | Her Royal Highness Princess Delphine of Saxe-Coburg, Princess of Belgium, launches ‘Love Imperfection’ at Maasmechelen Village, part of The Bicester Collection.

The event officially kicked off the summer-long activation with a breath-taking street-dance performance and a welcome greeting by Princess Delphine herself, after which she inaugurated the revisited six-meter-high Manneken Pis statue, Maasmechelen Village’s landmark since 2019 – dressed up by the Princess as “Delphineken Pis”. ​ ​ 

Her Royal Highness Princess Delphine of Saxe-Coburg, Princess of Belgium says "I want to remind young people that they have to love themselves. Without loving yourself, you can't do anything in your life. So that's why the most important message here is Love Imperfection."

The Village takeover includes two additional temporary art installations. The first – a larger-than-life ‘wishing tree’ inviting guests to hang their written wishes from its branches – supports the Village’s charity partner, Make-A-Wish^® Belgium-Flanders. The second installation – a shape-shifting series of mirrors that exaggerate physical flaws to comic effect – is intended to associate so-called ‘imperfection’ with laughter, positivity and self-love. ​ ​ 

Celebrating uniqueness and individuality, and manifesting love and happiness, the takeover sends a powerful message of self-acceptance, empowerment and radical optimism. 

The Creative Spot

The festivities at Maasmechelen Village include the first-ever “The Creative Spot” pop-up boutique, an initiative of The Bicester Collection family of international shopping destinations to support emerging talent by offering young designers global exposure and rent-free trading. ​ ​ 

Princess Delphine opened the pop-up with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and an introduction to the participating designers, all chosen by the Princess and including 11 Belgian and three international talents as well as her personal stylist, Jody Van Geert. Featured in the boutique are Belgian collections by Pol Vogels, Erratum Fashion, Marylène Madou, Georgina Sanginés, Anne Zellien, Atelier ExC, Cilem Tunc, Wim Van Lessen, Le Parfum de Nathalie, Kristina Knitwear, Cornelia Hats and collections of the international designers by THEMOIRè, Torlowei, who are the finalists of The Bicester Collection Award for emerging designers 2022 and ASHISH. 

Event attendees

A-list personalities attending the launch ceremony included Virginie Claes, Karen Damen, Eline De Munck, Erik Goossens, Josje Huisman, Eveline Hoste, Bieke Ilegems, Mathias Mesmans, Lydia Peeters, Hugo Sigal, Valeska Van den Broecke, Wim Van Lessen, Emilie Van Steenkiste, Sara Vermassen and Lauren Versnick.

Information

The Creative Spot pop-up boutique opens 24 June until the end of July. The ‘Love Imperfection’ art installations will be on display in the Village from 24 June until 31 August.

About Maasmechelen Village

Part of The Bicester Collection, Maasmechelen Village brings together a unique edit of the finest brands in Europe for a diverse audience of guests across Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. Inspired by the architecture of the Limburg region and the heritage of Belgium’s Surrealist artists, the Village offers a lively mix of contemporary fashion, international cuisine and seamless shopping services. Discover a selection of fashion and lifestyle brands in more than 100 boutiques, offering up to 60% off the recommended retail price, all year round. ​

Over the years, Maasmechelen Village has been an active supporter of all things Belgian. Home to a range of Belgian brands, the finest Belgian chocolate boutiques, a signature brasserie, and a larger-than-life Manneken Pis statue, the shopping destination takes pride in spotlighting the heritage of one of Europe’s most unique countries.

About The Bicester Collection

The Bicester Collection is a family of 11 distinctive shopping destinations in Europe and China defined by extraordinary experiences while offering remarkable value. The Collection, created and operated by Value Retail, brings together the world’s most discerning guests and the world’s most renowned brands – often for the first time – on a journey of discovery. The Villages are located close to some of Europe and China’s most celebrated cities: London, Paris, Milan, Barcelona, Madrid, Dublin, Brussels, Munich, Frankfurt, Shanghai and Suzhou. Collectively home to more than 1,300 boutiques, The Bicester Collection offers guests an ever-evolving curation of fashion and lifestyle brands, world-famous restaurants, exciting pop-ups, and imaginative art installations throughout the year. ​

About The Creative Spot

The Bicester Collection is proud to support creativity in the fashion world through its ongoing commitment to Unlock Futures for tomorrow’s talent, today. This 20-year initiative has offered mentorship programmes, events, and pop-up boutiques to emerging talents across the globe, enhanced by ongoing partnerships with the British Fashion Council, Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, the Royal College of Art and more.

A central facet of the programme is The Creative Spot pop-up boutique. Initially launched at Fidenza Village, Milan, in 2016, The Creative Spot provides crucial support and resources to help fashion’s rising stars grow their businesses. Offering unique access to The Bicester Collection’s global network of guests, the boutique allows emerging designers to showcase their work amongst the Villages’ curated portfolio of the world’s most renowned fashion and lifestyle brands, free of charge. Along with additional mentorship opportunities, the boutique offers up-and-coming designers a chance to gain a foothold in the retail world, often leading to further opportunities. In addition to its most recent appearance at Bicester Village in summer 2022, in collaboration with the British Fashion Council, The Creative Spot will ‘pop up’ at La Roca Village, Ingolstadt Village, Fidenza Village and Maasmechelen Village in 2023.

About her Royal Highness Delphine of Saxe-Coburg, Princess of Belgium

Her Royal Highness Princess Delphine of Saxe-Coburg, Princess of Belgium, is an Anglo-Belgian artist. She grew up in London, earned a BA degree from the Chelsea College of Art and Design and worked there as an artist until 2003 when she moved to Brussels to set up a new studio.

Delphine has earned a voice in the European art world as a non-conformist statement artist and colourist. She is known for creating multi-media artworks overflowing with colour, texture and humour that address universal themes. From painting, video, neon sculpture and an eponymous collection of wearable art, her artworks are vibrant, playful and often inspired by issues of identity, taboo, reputation and privilege. Her explicit use of words and language make her messages widely accessible, while colour and composition leave room for whimsy and irony.

Over the course of her career, Delphine has embarked on many high-profile collaborations with renowned galleries and institutions to showcase her art and to spread a message of self-love and radical optimism. In 2003 she even took part in the Venice Biennale with “Absolut Delphine”, representing Belgium with Wim Delvoye. For the collaboration with Maasmechelen Village, she has created brand-new art that will be showcased throughout the shopping destination.

About her selection, Princess Delphine says: “There is so much talent in the fashion and lifestyle industry that deserves to be showcased. For this initiative, I’ve selected 14 designers who do things a little differently. Some of them create very wearable pieces, but there is always a unique, out-the-box touch to their labels that has managed to grab my attention.”

For more information about the campaign en the designers :

For more information, visit the Maasmechelen Village website or contact us:

Alice Honorez

Press Account, top secret communication

• alice@top-secret.be