If you know your Belgian fashion then you’ll probably have heard of l’héroïne. The legendary shop set up over 30 years ago by Martine Goethals was the launch platform for many fashion icons. L’héroïne lives on the well-trodden Noordzandstraat just a few steps off the main square in Bruges. Its unassuming simple façade elegantly alludes to the fashion history made within those four walls.
L’héroïne is known all over the world for housing avant-garde Belgian fashion, usually only found in Antwerp. Martine is always on the look-out for fresh Belgian talent to exhibit in her shop because, do not be mistaken, the clothes in this boutique are more than just clothes…they are pieces of art.
L’héroïne reunites mostly Belgian designers, both young and less young. Martine has a great eye for ageless beauty and stocks classics like Antwerp Six members Dries van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester, and Martin Margiela, but also talents from the second generation of strong Antwerp designers like Tim Van Steenbergen and Christian Wijnants. Martine is moving towards seasonless collections and all the pieces she stocks are, by definition, timeless. She has also chosen some more explicitly sustainable brands such as the exquisite 100% recycled rainwear brand Norwegian Rain, the organic made in Portugal handbag brand Lies Mertens, and the made in Belgium mother-daughter duo brand Award/t.
Head to l’héroïne for investment pieces that will never go out of fashion and will accompany you throughout life.
