With 20 to watch, Flanders DC presents twenty emerging talents, who recently took their first steps in the worlds of design or fashion. We believe they will have great success in the future.

Who is Tessa Borrenberghs?

• studied industrial design at LUCA School of Arts Ghent

• subsequently studied sustainability business management at the University of Cambridge and the University of the Arts in London

• was nominated for a Belgian Fashion Award as Emerging Talent of the Year 2023

I am an industrial designer by training and therefore primarily a solution-oriented thinker. My ideas often come from observations. I constantly ask myself how I can make each garment more functional, how I can harmonise its construction with the human body. I have a hormone disorder that disrupts my body. That is why many of my pieces are adaptable throughout the day. I think clothing should support people by highlighting certain body parts. That, to me, is the definition of a valuable piece.

My unique selling point is my creativity. For the past three years, the final touchstone of every sketch has been: is this marketable? I’m not going to do that anymore. I now just have to reveal my full creativity so that I become incomparable. So that people can say: that’s Tessa Borrenberghs.

Above all, I want to do good for the world with my brand. In addition to design, I also provide consultancy services to companies on how to apply sustainability. I am constantly looking at how I can make my supply chain as efficient as possible. Or how I can digitise my patterns with 3D models and have my buttons 3D printed in algae material. My biggest nightmare is that one of my pieces ends up in a rubbish dump. Or on Vinted, where it loses much of its value. This is why I also offer a circular service. When people no longer want a garment, I sell it back in my studio. That’s taking responsibility as an entrepreneur.