Stijn de Boeck, a Belgium-based fashion designer, originally pursued his artistic interests in the fields of conceptual art and graphic design. While involved in a master’s program in graphic arts, he did some modeling. He found himself taking critical notice of the clothing he modeled – he thought he could design something better.

Stijn’s fashion design career began with a lucky discovery. He found a broken sewing machine on the side of a road, took it home, and tried to make a dress. His first attempts weren’t entirely successful, but he persevered. Within a few months, one of his designs was chosen for a fashion show.

Stijn worked at mastering his craft and he worked to gain knowledge of the fashion industry. Along with a group of new fashion designers, he rented a building and took charge of public relations for the enterprise. In a very short time, the group was reaching more people, and they were featured in all of the important Belgian fashion magazines. Ultimately, Stijn was contracted by some luxury fashion labels to design and provide couture dresses that would be available for rental. “Suddenly my clothes were featured between the world’s biggest names.” His favorite designers include Balenciaga, Lanvin, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Lagerfeld, Galliano and Dior.

He believes that fashion is art. “Fashion is a creative aspect of our society. Nobody can escape it. It's a complex issue, because fashion is reinventing itself the whole time. It appears at the most unexpected places and moments. You can find fashion in the studio of a designer, but also in a nightclub where girls experiment with different clothing styles. I admire haute fashion where some people create total new shapes for clothing.”

Stijn has encountered various obstacles in his efforts to create his design label. Finding funding and receiving payment has been difficult. “Like all young designers, we are always searching for some exposure and some investors. I had some problems with buyers who tried not to pay because of the economical crisis. They kept ordering clothes while they couldn't pay for them.” It bothers him that many people don’t value the originality and quality of original designs. “I don't like the globalization and the mass consumption. Because of the low prices, people forget the value of designer clothing. The big concerns imitate everything, offering such low prices. They destroy the DNA of a lot of the fashion business.”

Stijn is very proud of his accomplishments, especially the fact that his designs have been connected with some of the great couturiers. He hopes to continue their traditions. “I will always try to create a whole new way of looking at clothing, but at the same time I try to keep them wearable.” He doesn’t yet consider himself qualified to give advice to aspiring designers. “The only advice I can give them is to work very hard and stay loyal towards their ideals.”

Stijn’s own hard work and dedication is definitely paying off. “At the moment, I have been contacted by a PR/ consultancy agent… I'm preparing the launch of a wearable luxury clothing line. I'm full of energy and creativity...” Stijn de Boeck is a featured UsTrendy designer. His label is Stijndeboeck; his portfolio can be viewed at http://www.ustrendy.com/stijndeboeck/ .