International spotlight on fashion destination Flanders during festive gate event at Brussels Airport

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The City of Antwerp, MoMu – Antwerp’s fashion museum, Brussels Airlines, Brussels Airport and VISITFLANDERS have been enthusing international travellers at Brussels Airport as part of an engaging publicity stunt to visit Antwerp during the Fashion Festival ‘Fashion 2.021 Antwerp – Fashion/Conscious’. The publicity stunt is intended to add lustre to the reopening of the Antwerp Fashion Museum to the general public.

Especially for the occasion, Gate A53 was decked out in fashionable style. Over the days ahead, the departing passengers on 37 Brussels Airlines flights will be receiving a unique fashion gift before boarding. The lead-off came this morning when the 180 passengers on flight SN3617 to Nice were the first to receive their gift. This also marked the first festive gate event at Brussels Airport since the corona crisis hit.

Fashion 2.021 Antwerp – Fashion/Conscious’ is the ambitious reopening programme initiated by MoMu – Antwerp’s fashion museum, in collaboration with the City of Antwerp and VISITFLANDERS. Starting from the opening weekend until January 2022 MoMu will offer a line-up of fascinating exhibitions, open-air projects, city walks and activities.

MoMu Director Kaat Debo © André Orban

We want to surprise visitors with exhibitions, workshops and even Fashion Balls in the streets, all the way up to a contemporary frock on show inside the cathedral”, explains MoMu Director Kaat Debo. “The Fashion Festival is set to spread fashion culture for the next five months across the entire city, down to the most unexpected nooks and crannies, even reaching as far as the gates of Brussels Airport.”

The Fashion Festival is set to be a vibrant and colourful celebration with emotion at the forefront of the opening programme. The emotion is also echoed in the music of the Didier Likeng & The Gospel Wings gospel choir, who will be livening up the opening weekend in Antwerp’s fashion district with their singing. This morning, the passengers jetting off from Brussels to Nice kicked off proceedings in style.

Didier Likeng & The Gospel Wings © Brussels Airport

To the dulcet tones of the gospel choir, the passengers were the first to get to see the refurbished and fashionably restyled Gate A53. As they boarded the aircraft, MoMu Director Kaat Debo, Antwerp City Alderman for Tourism Koen Kennis, CEO of VISITFLANDERS  Peter De Wilde, CEO of Brussels Airlines Peter Gerber and CEO of Brussels Airport Arnaud Feist, handed out gift boxes containing a stylish eye mask as well as two tickets to visit the MoMu during the Fashion Festival. The motifs on the sleeping masks are prints from two unique pieces that are part of MoMu’s permanent collection.  Along with the eye mask and the free tickets, they also got a small box of Antwerp hands, traditional dainty hand-shaped chocolate delicacies made by Antwerp chocolatier Erik Goossens.

© Brussels Airport

Flanders has a rich history of craftsmanship. Our lovely region continues to be home to a vast array of talented people. After having conquered the world with our Flemish Masters of painting these last three years, we are now training the international spotlight on our masters in the field of fashion design by way of a fashion experience corner at Brussels Airport”, Flemish Minister for Tourism Zuhal Demir comments. “In doing so, we are informing travellers about the Antwerp fashion scene and inviting them to head to the city by the river Scheldt during the Fashion Festival.”

Antwerp City Alderman for Tourism Koen Kennis © André Orban

The reopening of MoMu and the Fashion Festival livens up the international appeal of Antwerp as a city of fashion. The Antwerp fashion sector as a whole draws A-typical talented creative people in, as well as visitors who generously spend money in our city. This is why the importance of the reopening of the fashion museum should not be underestimated,” explains Antwerp City Alderman for Tourism Koen Kennis.

Overall, 4,000 Brussels Airlines passengers who will be boarding a total of 37 flights to 18 European and North American destinations and to Israel will be offered this exclusive gift over the days to come.

Brussels Airlines CEO Peter Gerber © André Orban

As an ambassador for Belgium, we like to put our country on the cultural world map. With, amongst others, our Belgian Icons, we have already been able to put several major Belgian cultural icons in the European spotlight. In the past two years, we have been able to promote the Flemish Masters with an aeroplane dedicated to Bruegel and a gate event to mark the start of the Van Eyck year. Today, we are proud to support the Belgian fashion sector in their re-opening. With this campaign we hope to inspire as many passengers as possible to discover the impressive fashion scene in Antwerp during a visit to the Fashion Museum or the Fashion Festival”, Brussels Airlines CEO Peter Gerber goes on to say.

Brussels Airport CEO Arnaud Feist © André Orban

As the country’s national airport, Brussels Airport is the gateway to Belgium for the rest of the world, which is why we believe it is important to actively promote Belgian culture and inbound tourism. Flanders’ fashion designers enjoy international renown. Thanks to this wonderful cooperation, our passengers will be able to sample what Antwerp as the city of fashion has to offer right at the airport. Thereby giving everyone arriving in or departing from Belgium via the airport a great cultural tip for their (next) visit to our country,” Brussels Airport CEO Arnaud Feist concludes.

From left to right: Peter Gerber, Kaat Debo, Peter De Wilde, Arnaud Feist, Koen Kennis © Brussels Airport

Please check out the links below for full details on MoMu’s reopening and the Fashion Festival:

EN: https://fashion2021antwerp.maglr.com

Brussels, 4 September 2021

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