In his role as prime minister, Belgian premier Bart De Wever (Flemish nationalist N-VA) regularly appears in striking suits. It’s something he also did as mayor of Antwerp. For many years now he has deliberately chosen an Antwerp suit maker to source his attire. ‘In this way, he is an ambassador of our fashion city,’ says fashion designer, Guy-David Lambrechts.
What’s the story behind Prime Minister Bart De Wever's eye-catching suits?
Colin Clapson
Published:
Although Bart De Wever has traded his title of mayor of Antwerp for that of prime minister of Belgium, he still remains very connected to his home city. Today he is being described as an ambassador of Antwerp thanks to his choice of clothes. ‘For every occasion I give him tips on which suit he should wear,’ says Guy-David Lambrechts, who has designed Mr De Wever's suits for more than 15 years.
Royal blue for the king
For a visit to the king, for example, certain colours were deliberately used. ‘He wore a beige costume with royal blue bordering,’ says Lambrechts. ‘If you go to see the king, you have to wear something royal, right? These suits show that Antwerp has something different up its sleeve than the standard blue tailored suits everyone wears.’
This is precisely why Lambrechts wants to add a special touch to the suits, but the choice must still suit the PM. ‘I cannot clothe him in a tiger print suit,’ the designer laughs. ‘For the prime minister, I regularly choose 2 different colours in his suits. This allows him to wear different trousers under the same jacket, because trousers wear out faster.’
Tradition and stability
Bart De Wever attaches great importance to the fact that his attire is from Antwerp. ‘I remember a good story,’ Lambrechts continues. ‘When he was mayor, he got very angry with an alderman because in an interview he had said that he bought his suits abroad. He insisted on the importance of buying locally.’
For style expert Marleen Beevers, the suit primarily says something about Bart De Wever himself. ‘He is very consistent in his choices,’ Ms Beevers says. ‘In doing so, he mainly exudes tradition, stability and a rational seriousness. In that way, he seems like a guardian of history.’
Missed opportunity
The creativity and innovation of Antwerp as a fashion city, she says, is less expressed. ‘While he clearly uses clothing as a psychological and strategic tool, he is less of an ambassador for the city in the classical sense.’
Ms Beevers thinks Mr De Wever's choice of clothing is a missed opportunity in that respect. ‘His suits could be more enriched with Antwerp elements,’ says the style expert. ‘In that way he could exude the Antwerp brand a bit more. To identify these elements, I would have to know about how the prime minister wants to express himself.’