“I apply a bit of rock 'n' roll to everything,” Yasmin Le Bon recently told the Daily Mail by way of describing her interview outfit: Sofie D'Hoore shirtdress, bright blue Christopher Kane trainers, neon yellow socks. As eye-catching as that getup was, what really caught my attention was the name D'Hoore. Although this Belgian designer is stocked at boutiques like Dover Street Market, A'Maree's, Blake, and the Webster, she flies under the radar because she chooses not to present during the show season.
Based in Brussels and hard at work on her Fall 2017 collection when I reached her, D'Hoore was “happily surprised” by Le Bon's unexpected endorsement. Turns out, the model isn't the designer's only notable client, but neither D'Hoore nor her business partner Chantal Spaas will name the others: They're from the “worlds of theater, dance, architecture, and the visual arts,” says D'Hoore, and "they cherish their independence."
The same can be said of D'Hoore herself. Born in Antwerp, she grew up in an intellectual environment, which included twice-annual trips to Paris with her stylish mother, to whom D'Hoore credits her love of fashion. A career in the field seemed a precarious career choice to her parents, especially to her father who had medical training. Dutifully, D'Hoore decided to train as a dentist, but her studies didn't prevent her from closely following the triumphant progression of the Antwerp Six onto the international scene. Eventually D'Hoore followed in their footsteps; in 1985, with her dental degree fresh in hand, she enrolled at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp where she studied under Walter Van Beirendonck.
repost from vogue.com:
https://www.vogue.com/article/flemish-belgian-new-designer-sofie-dhoore