Jean-Paul Knott celebrates twenty-five years of creation, work, and encounters with ‘KNOTT so MAD’ exhibition at MAD Brussels center for fashion and design.
Since the beginning, Jean-Paul Knott, a unique figure in Belgian fashion, has pursued a quest for
balance between rigor and freedom, form and movement, body and spirit. His fashion, imbued with natural elegance and sincerity, reveals clothing as a space of presence and emotion rather than a mere object of trend.
‘Collections to Collect’ brings together fashion, art, sound, and movement in a vibrant dialogue. More than a retrospective, this exhibition is a celebration of a quarter century of creation and friendship – the expression of sincere, clear, and poetic fashion. Over the twenty-five years, Jean-Paul Knott, one of the last independent Belgian designers, has traced a unique path in the landscape of contemporary fashion. His work stands out for its natural elegance, economy of gesture, and constant search for balance — between form and movement, rigor and freedom, body and spirit.
These twenty-five years are also marked by artistic dialogues and collaborations. Jean-Paul Knott pays tribute to the creators, artisans, and friends who have nurtured his vision and accompanied his journey: among them Karel Balas, Julian Cerruti, Cathy Coes, Erin Lawlor, Lina Karam, Denis Meyers, Mireille Robaerts, Ingrid Plater Syberg, Jean Claude Wouters, and Jacques Weemaels. These collaborations, founded on trust and intuition, have enriched his outlook and shaped a collective work – living and in motion.
From the very beginning, Knott has sought to reveal the essence of clothing, not as a trendy object, but as a space of presence and emotion. Each creation is born from a considered gesture, a clear thought, an intimate relationship with the material. For him, simplicity becomes an act of truth: it illuminates the gesture, reveals the human, and highlights what truly matters.
At the heart of this approach, material occupies a central place. It is both a starting point, a source of inspiration, and a field of expression. Touch matters as much as wear: it connects the garment to the skin, the idea to the sensation. Knott chooses his fabrics for their texture, fluidity, density, or transparency, always seeking the rightness of contact. In his hands, material becomes language – a breath, a vibration, a tactile emotion that precedes even form.
Throughout these twenty-five years, Jean-Paul Knott has woven, through his encounters, a network of friendships that nourish his vision. Each collaboration is a delicate conversation, each four-handed creation a shared work of art. From these dialogues emerge unique pieces, imbued with trust and intuition, where one’s craftsmanship meets the other’s vision. To create in this way is to reject standardization and affirm the value of gesture and human connection. These shared creations reflect a slower, more attentive way of working – where the hand becomes the messenger of shared emotion, and the material, bears witness to a meeting.
KNOTT so MAD is a reflection in motion: the celebration of a creator who, for a quarter of a century, has shaped not only garments but a way of being – with clarity, sincerity, and grace. The exhibition traces twenty-five years of creation, but also twenty-five collaborations and twenty-five friendships, as many connections that accompany his path and extend his search into the future.
Did you know?
JEANPAULKNOTT is a label for women and men sensitive to quality, originality and exclusivity. Jean-Paul Knott has a travelling soul. He is Belgian, has grown up in New York and works in Brussels. He collaborated with Yves Saint Laurent for 11 years. He has been the artistic director of Krizia, Louis Féraud, Cerruti and has created costumes for Maurice Béjart ballets.
Practical info:
KNOTT so MAD. An exhibition on 25 years Jean Paul Knott
28/11/2025 – 31/01/2026
Opening hours: Wednesday to Saturday, 11am to 6pm
MAD Brussels, Place du Nouveau Marché aux Grains 10, Brussels
