Tag: Lifestyle

Home-field advantage

An Etterbeekois since the age of five, editor-in-chief Nicholas Lewis and in-house photographers Miles Fischler and Thomas Ost roam the streets of Etterbeek, the village-within-a-village.

15 things to do in Belgium this weekend

Local loves in Leuven, manuscripts unveiled in Knokke, and nocturnal museum fever in Antwerp. Go do the right thing.

15 things to do in Belgium this weekend

Festival fun for all ages in Liège, queerific matinées in Ghent and on letting go in Watou. Go do the right thing.

“Running a cassette label was basically just another means of coping with my addiction.” EE Tapes’ unabashed infatuation with obscurity

In a rare interview, EE Tapes' founder Eriek Van Havere talks tape swaps, his love of compilations and why he continues to release Alain Neffe music.

8 essential botanical gardens and arboretums in Belgium

We’ve put together a selection of eight essential botanical gardens and arboretums to pepper your summer bucket list.

30 things to do in Belgium this weekend

A special edition dedicated to Brussels' contemporary art week of the year, and of course, various not-to-be-missed opportunities throughout the country to shake the week off. Go do the right thing.

On the streets of Belgium, Part 2: Eva Donckers

The Word Magazine and Fujifilm are happy to invite you to a free street photography workshop, and for the occassion, we sent our own in-house photographer Eva Donckers to capture our streets.

20 things to do in Belgium this weekend

Cultural cannibalism in Antwerp, tangible femininity in Brussels and sweaty grooves in Mechelen. Go do the right thing.

15 things to do in Belgium this weekend

Masculinity under fire in Brussels, celestial mixes in Ghent and world-class frames in Antwerp. Go do the right thing.

15 things to do in Belgium this weekend

Demonic decadence in Gaasbeek, immortalised taboos in Brussels and jungle designs in Antwerp. Go do the right thing.

Life as a cyclist in Brussels has improved in the last few years

Continuing our series on the love for cycling, two Brussels-based locals argue for bicycles as a viable urban mode of transportation.

20 things to do in Belgium this weekend

Critically-acclaimed rap in Liège, feline-inspired art in Brussels and creative carnivals in Charleroi. Go do the right thing.

On why future generations need us to act instead of talk

Editor-in-chief Nicholas Lewis considers the all-inclusiveness and tolerance suddenly besieging the cultural sector.

The neighbourhood neo-canteen using social inclusion as its prime ingredient for local change

Underpinned by a belief in the power of the local economy, Refresh distinguishes itself by its intent to lower the barrier to entry to durable and ethical living.

The 40 best photographs of 2017

All-in-ones, or how the slash generation is re-inventing the work-life balance (Part 4)

We talk work ethics, balancing acts and unwinding tips with three distinguished do-it-alls in part four of our investigative series on all-in-ones.

20 things to do in Belgium this weekend

Graphic design gold-mines in Liège, minimalist perfection in Antwerp and smoozey love songs in Brussels. Go do the right thing.

20 things to do in Belgium this weekend

Snapshots of the Middle East in Brussels, electro-mania in Charleroi and artist blind dates in Ghent. Go do the right thing.

Bikes allow you to see more of the sky

How two entrepreneurs have placed two-wheelers at the heart of their budding businesses.

Class of ’17 – Part III

Take a look at 7 more of the most influential Belgians who broke through the mould in 2017.

Class of ’17 – Part II

Take a look at 8 more of the most influential Belgians who broke through the mould in 2017.

On fighting for colonial contextualisation, by CLCMD’s Kalvin Soiresse Niall

Collectif Mémoire Coloniale et Lutte Contre les Discriminations is the country's loudest voice concerning the decolonisation of education, space, and the Belgian collective memory; and as such constantly seek to turn their words into affirmative action.

Neighbourhood watch: The design improvements Region of Brussels’ residents would bring to their Communes (Part 2)

Nine more Brussels-based locals imagine the potential futures for architectural design in their neighbourhoods.

“I think you need some guts to live here”: The enduring and contradictory appeal of Borgerhout

We round up some of Borgerhout’s most involved and committed residents to consider the neighbourhood’s many different facets and discuss what makes it the hotbed of possibilities and potential it is today.

Neighbourhood watch: The design improvements Region of Brussels’ residents would bring to their Communes (Part 1)

10 Brussels-based locals imagine a future for architectural design in their neighbourhoods.

Crevette Records’ founder Pim Thomas on his perfect hideouts in Brussels

Brussels-based DJ and Record Store owner Pim Thomas shares his favourite spots.

Let’s face it, biking is the future

Continuing our series on the love for cycling, two Brussels-based locals share how biking has changed their lives for the better.

On housing two generations under one same roof, by Chantal Baestle

Mons-based Chantal Baestle recounts her experience with the Belgian intergenerational housing project 1toit2ages.

BelgoMarkt, the neighbourhood grocer banking on homegrown produce

We met with the founders of BelgoMarkt, a year-old new age grocer relying on a myriad of Belgian producers, to talk entrenched habits, learning curves and what lies ahead.

On Ghent’s urban farming marketplace, by Joksie Biesemans

How Ghent-based Joksie Biesemans started farming as a hobby and eventually became Buurderij's Assembly Host.

On tips for sustainable urban lifestyles, by Dot-to-dot

The three Brussels-based founders of upstart online magazine Dot-to-dot discuss why and how they made urban sustainability easier to grasp.

Why Belgium needs to look closer to home before pointing fingers.

With the country's seeming unwillingness to tackle its own fundamental failings head on, its ability to hold a moral compass up to its international partners stands diminished. 

Belgium’s vibrant bicycle initiatives

A roam around Belgium's different bicycle-related initiatives, with profiles from a family-owned manufacturer, an edu-tainment publisher and bike sharing project, to the capital's only bike polo team.

Circus life

Photographer Joke de Wilde photographs and interviews Mechelen-based, family-owned Circus Ronaldo.

Best for basketball

Our selection of some of the best basketball courts in Belgium.

DJ Azer’s Ghent

If Azer has been around, his beloved Ghent was always in his heart. Let's find out about his best kept secret.

Flagey’s Gilles Ledure

Flagey's Gilles Ledure sets up his classic picks of Brussels addresses.

New kids on the block: Bayer & Bayer

There's a new, English-inspired barbershop in town and it's called Bayer & Bayer.

GOAT

Masks, headgear, Tintin and more masks. What happened when we handed Swedish outfit GOAT one of our throwaway cameras.

Cocaine Piss

Here's Liège queer-punk outfit Cocaine Piss acting all silly with one of our office throwaway cameras.

M.E.A.N.

More backstage snap-happiness, this time courtesy of Antwerpers Middle Earth All Nighters

15 addresses for vintage design in Belgium

A rolodex of addresses for vintage design in Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent and Liège.

Area codes: Coffeeklatch’s Magali and Bart on Antwerp North

The prolific profilers talk gentrification and architectural gems in this crash course on their north city 'hood.

A walk through Ostend with DJ Nosedrip

What’s so great about Ostend? DJ Nosedrip reveals what he loves best about his native turf

The Word Magazine All*Stars: Max and Randa

Shoes say more about you than any of the rest of your wardrobe picks. And sneakers say even more.

Love London

Journalist Nabeelah Shabbir walks us through some of her favourite shabby to chic corners of her native London town

The Word Magazine All*Stars: Damien and Olivier

“They really are my gig and festival sneakers. They could write a book”

Area codes: there’s a renaissance happening in Amsterdam

We're taken on a tour of Amsterdamian Rhiannon Pickle's absolute-must city-side addresses...

Mathias Hielscher’s Berlin

Ex-Viginia Jetzt! bassist and founder of the super cool, finger-on-the-pulse Berlin website 'Mit Vergnügen' shows us around his favourite Schlesi hotspots...

Stylist Pholoso Selebogo’s Antwerp

The sought-after stylist takes us on a jaunt of her favourite neighbourhood hotspots.

Kulter collective art director Julie Dassaud’s Amsterdam

A new feature sees guest contributors take us round their favourite neighbourhood hotspots. First up: Amsterdam's Kolenkit

Holiday gift guide: The Word’s Christmas wishlist

We help you keep the holiday season's shopping stress levels down with this hand-picked, carefully-selected gift guide.

Slow journalism, fast medium: Bart Kiggen & Magali Elali’s Coffeeklatch

Bart and Magali visit interesting Belgian people in their homes, ask questions, drink coffee, and put it all on Coffeeklatch...

Photographer Frieke Janssens takes your last shot before you die

The Belgian photographer is embarking on a sort-of-morbid mission to make you immortal.

A chat with the owners of Brussels culinary gem Bouchery

Another installment in our series on dynamic duos going it fifty-fifty sees us drop in on Damien and Bénédicte, the creative minds behind Brussels restaurant Bouchery.

The weekend has landed

"All that exists now is clubs, drugs, pubs and parties. They’ve got 48 hours off from the world..." Our pink album's fashion series shot by Antwerp-based photographer Kris De Smedt.

Five reasons why we deserve a week off

We'll be taking a couple of days off until Monday 22nd October and here's five reasons why you won't make us feel bad about it.

Inside the very serious business of Belgian beauty

Here’s our shoutout to the people behind Belgium’s parties for the pretty, from the Mister Belgium promoter to Belgium's Miss East Africa.

The best weightlifters in Belgium

Weightlifters are often (wrongly) perceived as steroid-hungry meatheads. Truth is, the discipline, resilience and mental strength needed to master this Olympic sport would make any other professional athlete run for cover.

Brussels retail tastemaker La Fabrika’s ode to design restraint

Number two on our tour of Belgium's most exciting design shops is Brussels’ La Fabrika, a 230 square metre patch of the city's design-friendly Dansaert district.

An interview with graduate fashion designer Louis Gabriel Nouchi

Louis Gabriel Nouchi's menswear collection was one to watch at this year's La Cambre Mode[s] show. He's back to the drawing board in Brussels' prestigious fashion academy, burning, bleaching and cutting his way to the top.

Brazilian design celebrated at stunning Brussels venue Ampersand House

We made ourselves at home at Ampersand's very homely gallery to contemplate the Brazilian Modern exhibition, an insightful showcase of Brazilian furniture worthy of extra special attention this Design September.

A wide-eyed interview with homegrown up-and-coming artist Gideon Kiefer

We're bringing our art special to a close with a conversation with Belgian artist Gideon Kiefer about his new Indian adventure, nightly terrors and ego's place in the life and death of an artist.

The inner workings of Belgian artist Caroline Coolen’s studio

A final nose around the inspiring interiors of Belgium's artist spaces with a visit to visual artist Caroline Coolen's studio.

The best new faces in Belgian fashion

With the new fashion season upon us, we review agencies' books, sifting through their pages for the new faces of tomorrow.

Parties, pop-up shops and festivals. This weekend in Belgium

Following a short summer hiatus, we're back this week with our usual pickings of weekend happenings.

Inside Ghent-based Belgian artist Sofie Muller’s studio

The next instalment in our peeping tom series on artists' studios, we let ourselves in to Ghent-based Sofie Muller's workspace.

Photography, painting and outdoor parties. This weekend in Belgium

It's gearing up to be a sun-soaked weekend, so make sure to get down to Brüxsel Jardin's massive outdoor shindig, cure your hangover at Caoutchou Record's lazy Sunday in Antwerp and don't forget to check out the exhibitions of Gert & Uwe Tobias and Tamas Deszo.

The role of death and depression in photographer Anne De Gelas’ work

In a frank conversation about death, legacies and the trials and tribulations of life, photographer Anne De Gelas opens up to reveal a little more about her work.

Inside Brussels painter Karen Vermeren’s studio

In part three of our series on artists' spaces, we pay a visit to Brussels-based painter Karen Vermeren's studio.

Design, drawings and an electronic music festival. This weekend in Belgium

We've selected six exhibitions, two music festivals and two parties for this weekend's agenda-fillers.

Tom Liekens

In our second studio visit of the month, we drop in on Belgian painter Tom Liekens, who let us into his Antwerp studio for an exclusive peak around.

An interview with Belgian painting prodigy Rinus Van de Velde

We sit down with Belgian artist Rinus Van de Velde to talk about his working process, living in a fake reality and why the world doesn’t really need art.

Juke playlist by Damien Aresta

We were quite keen to give newly-launched music streaming service Juke a try, so we asked some members of our extended family to toy around with the newcomer, create an exclusive playlist and get back to us with some feedback.

Inside the studio of Belgian painting royalty Sam Dillemans

We continue this month's art special by dropping in on Belgian painter Sam Dillemans in his studio.

Street art, vintage fashion and a canal-side party. This weekend in Belgium

Shake off the office and get into Brussels' much loved Catclub this weekend, then get shopping at Vide Dressing au Garage before heading to Ostend's Storm Thorgerson album art fetish fest and Kosmorigins street art expo. A balmy Belgian weekend awaits.

The weekend in Belgium 19.07

We haven't been this impressed by Belgium's weekend lineup since, well, ages. Cinematek's road movie marathon and Antwerp's photography nights wandering expo, rounded off by Power Festival in La Louvière and new art in Ghent.

Dour

Knee deep in dirt, our own Joke De Wilde went down to Dour festival at the weekend to capture all the fun on film.

The weekend in Belgium 12.07

Your Belgian weekend's all music with Dour Festival and 10 Days Off for those of you who like it electronic. Brussels, meanwhile, is putting on a music flea market and a big night out in the Marolles with Manu Chao while Ghent hosts art by Sonic Youth legend Lee Ranaldo.

Seven things you should buy before you leave

We’re keeping both him and her happy with this month’s showstoppers selection. We have the iconic bag, shoes and polo shirt, the future-friendly dresses, the obligatory pair of high tops, the jacket to go with them as well as the scent of the moment.

Drive-by shooting

We know what you’re thinking. This girl looks like trouble. But this little sight of beauty knows exactly what she’s doing and where she’s going. Have a look at our grey album's fashion series, shot by Antwerp-based photographer Alex Salinas.

Grey expectations

By 2020, 40 percent of the Belgian population will be over 50. They will want to have fun, travel, and stay healthy and mobile in their own (renovated) homes. These four professionals understand that seniors will soon rule the world.

The weekend in Belgium 28.06

This weekend stars a hefty host of exhibitions in Belgium, including In Sight, H Urban and Ghent's Kask school end-of-year, as well as the summer-induced madness that is the start of the July sales, including a big one at everyone's favourite design shop, La Fabrika.

The weekend in London 28.06

Cherry-picked from London's busy weekend roster are Andy Warhol, Alexander Calder, Damon Albarn in another opera and a new genre-bending party called Staunch 003.

The weekend in Belgium 21.06

With nine sumptuous exhibitions - from Sol LeWitt to Jeff Ladouceur - plus a concert by Californian five-piece Thee Oh Sees and the latest installment of Catclub, there'll be no time for gardening or DIY this weekend. You might as well face it.

The weekend in London 21.06

Jack White goes solo, Eva Rothschild gets involved with school boys, Stephen Willats continues to deconstruct the role of art and The Mutant Disco crew throws a party with Bill Patrick. This is your London weekend.

Bag packers for your summer adventures

We've stockpiled a stylish selection of goodies to get you prepped for your summer holidays. We've thought of everything - travel bag, bumbag, desert boots, the obligatory sunnies... to help you pack up before you skip off.

Truck drivers

Belgium is an obligatory pit stop on most truckers’ itineraries. Here, we hitch a ride with some of the local boys, capturing the loneliness that comes with having chosen life on the road.

The best green spaces in Belgium

Can't get away for a holiday? Never fear. Joke De Wilde and Anne Catharina Richards have scoured Antwerp, Ghent and Brussels and captured on film their favourite green oases for your lounging and picnicking pleasure.

The best graffiti writers in Belgium

We hunted down six legendary Belgian graffiti writers, each with their own speciality, and got them talking about their nighttime obsessions.

The best travel spots in Belgium

This month is all about travel at The Word, and we've been busy touring the country trying and testing Belgium's best and most original getaway spots, from habitable Trojan horses to design hotels and the loveliest of bed & breakfasts.

The weekend in Belgium 07.06

This weekend you'll find us knee-deep in fashion with both Brussels' La Cambre and Antwerp's famous fashion academy putting on their annual catwalk bash, plus expos and shows up and down the country.

The best travel blogs in Belgium

The holiday season is upon us and we reckon you deserve a break. To get into the swing of things we've got an online travel special for the month of June, starting with our pick of Belgium's best travel blogs.

The weekend in Belgium 31.05

Join us at the Bozar shop on Friday for the launch of our grey album, but feel free to tuck into any of the other worthy happenings in Belgium this weekend, like Paul Wackers, Kelley Walker, El Anatsui expos, plus Rankin's Rubbish and more.

The weekend in London 31.05

We're all juiced up for London's 4-day weekend of sound and vision with special thanks to expos by sculptor Henry Moore and Sarah Lucas, as well as parties by Inxec and Secretsundaze and of course, the Queen's jubilee jamboree.

Welcome to the jungle

We invited a number of fashion experts including American style icon Diane Pernet to discuss the industry and what it takes for young designers to make it.

The weekend in Belgium 24.05

Lots of reasons to get hyped about this Belgian weekend, with a mega-list of must-haves that includes the Lizzies, White Denim, a photography exhibition at Hunting and Collecting and much much more.

The weekend in London 24.05

The coolest places to be in London this weekend, boys and girls: Camden Arts for Zoe Leonard's camera obscura, the Welcome Collection's brain food, a Rough Trade in-house gig and a pre-Novi Sad, pre-Exit party.

Collaborate. Cooperate. Consume

Economic models based on sharing, swapping, bartering, and collective buying are outstripping outdated modes of shopping. We spoke to five alternative economisers, collaborative consumers and collective shoppers.

The weekend in Belgium 17.05

We're all set for another long bank holiday weekend and this one's filled to the absolute max with exhibitions from Anne De Gelas, Wangechi Mutu, Frederik Heyman and others, plus concerts by skinny redhead King Krule and Bass Drums of Death.

The start-up survival kit

We’ve pieced together a range of survival kit items to get you through the start-up years, from the essential laptop bag to lifesaving Aiki Noodles.

The best online shops for fashion

Online shopping goes native with our pick of Belgium's best e-tailers, plus a round-up of our favorites abroad, with a focus on sites featuring Belgian brands.

The weekend in Belgium 26.04

The weekend is set to be a good one for music lovers with the country's concert halls graced by the likes of The Lemonheads, The Beatnuts, Dandy Warhols and Wallace Vanborn. Plus there's an art book market in Ghent and exhibitions by Ian Wilson, Will Rogan, Stef Renodeyn and Lisa Carletta.

High potentials

The future is bright, the future is orange: Five Belgian kids with a bit more potential than the rest of them tell us about their dreams for tomorrow.

Destined to shine

Our pick of orange show-stopping goodies, from a Burberry trench to Kenzo's latest perfume.

The weekend in Belgium 19.04

Here's our pick of somethings for your Belgian weekend, lovingly laid out with Art Brussels sitting pretty at the top of the pile with expos by Roe Ethridge and Felicia Atkinson, 40 murals by Invader, and some art fair side-shows.

The weekend in London 19.04

London goes to town again this weekend with some well-worth-a-look expos by Mondrian, Erica Baum, Sara MacKillop, everyone's fave celeb artist Damien Hirst and a nose around 50 years of British Design.

Pimpinelle

Pimpinelle, a new boutique in Brussels for foodies, inspires Damien Aresta to sample some other recent delicious food experiences. Dig in.

The weekend in London 12.04

London is loaded this weekend with an eerie doll sculpture expo by Wendy Mayer and sixties throwback Responsive Eyes, all washed down with some punk at New Cross Inn and some Magna Carta clubbing...

Pauline Miko

For our orange album, young and upcoming photographer Pauline Miko aimed her lense at red heads, capturing their somewhat mysterious and intriguing aura.