STYLE FOR GUYS X EASTPAK

It's been almost a year since I wrote all about the splendid experience of working with Eastpak for their 'Pack Your Bag And Carry On' campaign. It was a total blast, the crew and fellow blogger models had me in awe (I mean, what's better than talking Brandy and the benefits of tea with the #flawless Jean-Paul Paula over Italian food). So today, I couldn't be more stoked to present the results of this collaboration. 

Five years ago I published that very first blog post, a time when Gossip Girl ruled my world and university life had just started unfolding. The ride so far has been wild: I've met the most stellar people (from genuinely lovely fashion writers and pr's to designers I look up to so much), had a national radio gig, walked wide-eyed through fashion weeks and industry events, wrote for freaking Opening Ceremony and landed an epic internship + dream job with KNOTORYUS. It's too much to sum up, really. And now I'm in an international campaign. I get overwhelmed by the future a lot, but I can only look back at the past with gratitude and pride. So thank you for being there with me all this time. Now go subtweet some shade about my hairy stick legs before I start ugly crying.

Photography: Charlie Engman 

Hair & Make-Up: Gina Van den Bergh

Styling: Deborah Bloemen

Production: Charlotte Gesquière (Initials LA) & Tim Synaeve (Avenue L)

Images courtesy of EASTPAK

PACK YOUR BAG AND CARRY ON (AND DO A BIT OF MODELLING WHILE YOU'RE AT IT)

As you may have gleaned from the elated instagrams and tweets I posted last week(end), I had the honour of modelling in EASTPAK's Fall-Winter 2014 'Pack Your Bag And Carry On' campaign. Over the course of two days I got to work with some of Belgium's finest creatives as well as international heavy hitters like New York photographer Charlie Engman (so talented, I can't even) and the divine Jean-Paul Paula (whose style and presence I've loved for years). Spain's very own Pelayo Diaz of Kate Loves Me (I once made a wonky collage of his outfits for school, so it's surreal to even be in the same campaign today), Swedish muse Ebba Zingmark and the Zwillingsnaht twins from Germany completed this fabulous cast. I was so proud to represent Belgium and my blog amongst this kind of positive creative energy. I live!

The actual campaign images won't be released until late next year (FW '14, y'all!), but today I'll share some behind the scenes shots to give you an idea of what it was like on set!

First things first: A SELFIE (l.t.r. Deborah, Charlotte, me and Gina!)

You see, I'm not a professional model (giant collective gasp of bewilderment) so I didn't really know what I was stepping into. I just fashioned my model behaviour after what I've gathered from hours spent as a teen watching backstage reports on Fashion TV. I only trickled a handful of berries and oatmeal flakes into my mouth when people where looking (and scarved down Twixes when alone), gave my best Blue Steel smoulder when Charlie asked for it and tried my best not to grin like an idiot when the lovely Gina powdered my face with Chanel make-up (because OMG can someone powder my face every second of every day it is so relaxing). 

Eastpak had asked us to bring along our own clothes for the shoot, which involved me dragging around my entire closet in a giant suitcase and twisting several ankles (some of which my own). But to bring the final touches, they had called in the help of stylist Deborah who is a founder of art direction studio Uber & Kosher (their work is on another level, it'd be a mortal sin if you haven't checked it out yet). She even edited on-set photos in mere minutes, take a look at these:

Fabulous.

It was such a dream come true meeting Jean-Paul Paula. His street style images have become so iconic, so it was wonderful to find out that the person behind the online images is super kind and funny.

Tim! Looking so gleeful after I dropped him off on set in my sweet-ass ride:

Here Pelayo is seen wearing my scarf and Charlotte is just being all sorts of casual.

I just had a blast, to be honest. Much love for the entire cast and crew and big thanks to Eastpak for making me a part of it all!

(Images courtesy of Marian Venceslá, the campaign's Tumblr and my iPhone)