Coffee tables with colorful tiles and colorful silk kimonos decorate the facade of Kloosterstraat 167. In the pop-up, Flanel and Manumade come together: two pure, handmade products. Ellen Van Eccelpoel and Sara Gillis are entrepreneurs with a passion for their authentic craft.
“We met from a party and never stopped chatting. We also think the same and therefore complement each other so beautifully. When I was working on this royal blue handbag, it turned out that Sara was just working on the painting with the royal blue panther.”
Floor tiles
The cheerful ladies welcome their customers warmly, are happy to explain their creation process and are ready with their honest opinions.
“I am actually a sculptor by training and taught at Sint-Lucas. There we made images of nude models. Due to the post-corona cuts, I was fired. As a single mother, that was a bit of a panic.”
When Sara conjured up the blue panther with her brush, Ellen was working on a blue handbag. — © Margot De Clercq
She knew she couldn’t say goodbye to the art world yet. “After a workshop my daughter said: but mom, you can do that too. And so I started working on the tiles.”
With the classic glazing technique cloisonne Sara applies colored surfaces or a playful motif to ceramic tiles.
“Sculpting just allowed me to make my own molds. So I made the impression of the different tiles that I create.” Sara fills the mold tile by tile and to give free rein to her creativity, she makes new shapes or glazes in a different way. “I don’t just find it meditative, it’s therapeutic.”
Lifetime
The shiny tiles in different shapes and colors fill the store. But vases and plates are also among Ellen’s handbags and clothes. “We were just laughing about it: Ellen actually dresses the person and I dress the room.”
While Sara is still a rookie, who set everything up and really breathed life into Manumade in October, Ellen’s story started twelve years ago.
They each excel in their own craft and apply old techniques. — © Margot De Clercq
“My sister took a leatherworking course and thought it was a bit too busy. I ended up copying one lesson. It was love at first sight. I already had an accessories brand and this fit in perfectly.”
Sustainability is central to Ellen’s business. “I will choose my own skins in the Netherlands or Germany and then I will always make a piece unique. I looked into everything to get started with vegan leather, but to get to that product, more water and electricity are still needed. As long as we eat meat, leather essentially remains a by-product.”
The pop-up will remain open until the end of May. — © Margot De Clercq
The quality of the leather and the classic way in which she puts together her handbags ensure that it is a lifelong product. “It is often an emotional purchase, for a celebration such as a wedding or a birth gift. I’m glad I can be part of that. I really enjoy seeing where my ‘children’ go. After ten years, my first customers still come here with the same handbag and the leather has only become more beautiful.”
The pop-up is always open from Wednesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will remain open until May 31.
Tags: Sara Ellen create authentic handmade tiles leather handbags complement beautifully Antwerp
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