A Feel for Fashion: Jesse Brouns

Where do you look for new ideas or voices in fashion? 

Pretty much anywhere. I suffer from FOMO so I usually try to see as many shows and presentations as possible. I find that more difficult than, say, ten years ago, because the calenda is much more packed now. It’s no longer possible to see everything. In Paris, I always look forward to the LVMH Prize presentations during women’s fashion week, where you get to chat with all the nominees. For men’s, there’s always something to discover at Pitti in Florence, and the many, many showrooms in Paris always hold some surprises. And as a Belgian, I look at what’s happening at the Antwerp Academy and La Cambre. Years ago, I was in Demna’s graduation jury in Antwerp. It’s great to observe students becoming superstars. 

I’m lucky to be fluent in Dutch, French and English, so I read, read, read.  

I love to shop, and I feel that I learn a lot just from hanging out in thrift stores and department stores. I used to spend hours at Le Printemps Homme and Galeries Lafayette Champs-Elysées, but both seem to have fizzled out a bit after the pandemic, and I feel they’ve become less adventurous. At Dover Street Market, I get a feel of what’s going on in ‘real’ fashion. Here you observe that, yes, Miu Miu is very cool, but why is a simple cotton white t-shirt 600 euro?  

I try not to follow too many fashion accounts on Instagram, but I do scroll. I recently started following Winfar, which looks like a very cool Chinese men’s brand. 

And finally, I tend to learn a lot from Asian industry friends and acquaintances, who tend to be more passionate about fashion, for instance Yu Masui’s picks of young Thai brands.  

What is the most significant change you are seeing in fashion right now? 

The industry’s identity crisis, especially in luxury. Everything seems to go down the drain, and it’s fascinating to see how so many of these big brands appear to be totally lost. It is an interesting period for fashion, but I wonder if anything will change. I hope so. I used to get excited about brands appointing new designers; but now the whole chair game thing has become tiring and a bit of a farce. That said, it’s important to stay optimistic. I don’t think there’s a problem with creativity; there is a problem with marketing. The brands are too ubiquitous, and too full of themselves. Do fashion brands really need to invest in film production? In art book publishing? I think they need to take a step back and try to be more humble. That said, I’m very curious how Matthieu Blazy will fare at Chanel. He’s a great set builder, just like Karl Lagerfeld. 

Who or what is generating the greatest influence in fashion today? 

I really don’t know, and maybe that is part of fashion’s identity crisis. It’s not influencers, it’s not celebrities, it’s not designers, and I don’t think it’s the kids in the streets either. Maybe it’s the merchandisers? 

What is a men’s wear trend that best reflects this current moment? 

All the browns, blacks and beiges. These colors reflect the times that we are living in. I can see myself wearing more ‘ordinary’ clothes. A bit more grown up. Humble, again. 

When was the last time you marvelled over something in fashion? 

I’ve been a huge fan of ERL since I saw Eli Russell Linnetz’ first collection at the Dover Street Market showroom when it was still on Place Vendome, I think just before the pandemic. That was the last time I got really excited about a brand. But usually, at each fashion week there will be one or two shows that will make me say, yes, it’s all worth it. Last women’s week it was All In, on the 40th floor of Tour Montparnasse. I am grateful for all the breathtaking Comme des Garçons, Balenciaga, Dries Van Noten, Rick Owens shows. 

At Pitti Uomo in Florence last week, I tried on a beautiful handmade coat by a new Chinese brand, SEWMOD. They have 97 followers on Instagram. They also have a showroom in Paris this week.  

Tell us a surprising story about how you got to where you are today? 

The difficult thing is not to get somewhere, but to stick around. I’ve been doing this for a long time now, and I enjoy the perspective that gives me. I’m fairly discreet, but being invisible gives me a lot of freedom.  

In what ways might you hope to have an impact on fashion this year? 

As a journalist, I’m an observer — not a participant — so I don’t really aim to have an impact on fashion. If I can inform and entertain a couple of readers, then that’s enough of an impact for me. 

There seems to be more overlap between fashion/entertainment and fashion/sports than ever. Thoughts?  

I love to take pictures of all the Kpop and Thai stars, either outside the venues or on the front row. I like the fun and excitement that they bring to some shows — the fans standing outside are so much more passionate than the fashion people inside the venues — but it’s also a very random, absurd phenomenon. I almost cried when I wasn’t invited to Korean girl band Illit’s showcase for Acne last season.  

This interview has been lightly edited.