Expo: 40+ Years of Stijl, an intimate look at four decades of Belgian fashion history

40 + years of STIJL, a new exhibition at the Fashion & Lace Museum in Brussels, offers an intimate look at four decades of Belgian fashion history. During the 1980s, the forerunners of Belgian fashion started opening their stores in the Dansaert district of central Brussels. Sonja Noël was the first and her boutique STIJL became an iconic spot for the Brussels and Belgian fashion scene.

Through STIJL, Sonja has been translating contemporary Belgian fashion into everyday fashion wear. By supporting new brands and young designers, the boutique has played an important part in writing the story of fashion in the Belgian capital city, the region and throughout the country.

40+ years of STIJL is more than just the story of a boutique. Both inspired and inspirational, the central role of this woman is revealed through 68 silhouettes created by 46 designers. It highlights the link she created between designers and customers, between high fashion and people’s everyday lives, between a boutique and a whole neighbourhood.

At first glance, the story of STIJL is not particularly different from that of any other fashion boutique. What sets it apart, though, is its unique selection of designers. STIJL is the place where collections move from the conceptualised and image-based world of fashion to the experience of everyday life.

“40+ years of STIJL ” is the story of a boutique, a neighbourhood, a burgeoning creative scene and an art movement with an international influence. It’s the story of artistic expressions of global importance that have taken place right on your doorstep.”

This is a success story narrated by Aya Noël. She is a fashion journalist, an experienced curator and Sonja’s daughter. Aya takes visitors through her family’s heritage, which proved to be quite a challenge – how do you weave a coherent story from family anecdotes and personal archives?

Understanding STIJL’s history means understanding the vision of these designers and the needs and demands of the customers who wear the clothes from their collections. Like the boutique itself, the exhibition 40+ years of STIJL highlights the work of designers. The exhibition is not arranged in chronological order. It is structured around STIJL’s values. The designers, collaborators and customers… They each describe these values in their own way: originality, authenticity, soul,…

These values have been translated into the three main themes of the exhibition: pioneers, insiders and timelessness, referring to the characteristics of the designers as much as to STIJL itself.

To structure the tour, the curator has also considered the role of the boutique. This is what allowed the most avant-garde designs to find a place in everyone’s wardrobe. When STIJL first opened, Belgium was a hotbed of new artistic trends. The first avant-garde fashion designers were the Antwerp Six. Sonja discovered the work of Marina Yee. She persuaded the young designer to sell her prototypes to STIJL. Through her she met the other members of the prominent “6”. From that moment onwards, her close relationship with designers, combined with her ruthless, instinctive selection process opened a window into the precise mechanisms of creation and production that make this fashion so unique.

The expo is on display from 18.04.25 to 11.01.26. Find out more details on the website of Fashion & Lace Museum in Brussels.

To explore more great spots in the Dansaert district, check our shopping guide for Downtown Brussels.