An Vandenberk

𝐀𝐧 𝐕𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐤 is an artdesign brand beyond luxury, honouring ancestor lineage.

Creating meaningful 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐒 from the essence of people and material — for those craving to enhance their unique presence, value and legacy beyond time.

15/09/2026

You recently saw Gitte Next, Composite #7, worn by the woman it was created for. But before Gitte Next, there was Gitte, Composite #5. 💜

The story started with a very specific search. My client wanted a luxurious belt bag that she could also wear crossbody. She liked the freedom and practicality of that type of bag, but she didn’t want something that felt sporty. It still had to have the refinement and presence of an elegant handbag.

Her phone also needed to be easy to reach, while remaining protected and out of sight. She had searched everywhere, even at Hermès, her favourite handbag brand, but what she was looking for simply wasn’t there.

So instead of asking her to compromise, we started from the way she actually wanted to use her bag. We looked at what she needed to carry, what she wanted to reach immediately and how the proportions and construction could make the design work in different situations.

Then we chose the leather together, in purple, her favourite colour.

That became Gitte, Composite #5. A bag created around one real person and the way she wanted to move through her day.

Later, that same story would evolve into Gitte Next, Composite #7, which I shared recently.

For me, that is where bespoke becomes truly interesting. Not choosing from what already exists, but creating what was missing.

PubAffairs EU Debates, News & Opinions - Made in Belgium - Joie de Vivre Expo

10/09/2026

What a discovery this was.

Saskia Shutt Designs and I went looking for the origin of one of the materials we are considering for our project, and suddenly found ourselves here, among the ostriches. 😊

It may look like an unexpected excursion, but there is a very deliberate reason behind it. For both of us, creating something exceptional is not simply about finding beautiful leather, precious metals or gemstones. We want to understand what we are working with.

Where does our material come from? Who is behind it? Can the supply chain be kept closer and more transparent? And does the material fit not only the design, but also our values?

Our search brought us to Schobbejaks Hoogte. It was fascinating to come up close to the source of a material that may eventually become part of something extraordinarily refined.

That contrast is exactly what I love. The simplicity of the source, the complexity of transforming a material, and ultimately the possibility of bringing two very different crafts together: my world of leather, form and craftsmanship and Saskia's world of fine jewellery, precious metals and gemstones.

The final creation remains a secret for now. Unveiling the first two pieces which are already taking shape for the festive season.

This is only the beginning of our journey towards Joie de Vivre Expo 2027.

For us, luxury begins long before the finished object is created. It begins with choices.

When you choose something truly special, how important is it to you to know where its materials come from?

Struisvogelboerderij Schobbejaks Hoogte
Made in Belgium PubAffairs EU Debates, News & Opinions

03/09/2026

Yes… that is me filming my handbag in a toilet in Paris. 🤭

And once you see the rest of it, I think you’ll understand why.

We had dinner at Brasserie des Prés, tucked away in a lovely little street near Saint-Germain and Notre-Dame. A beautiful, characterful place where we ate really well, surrounded by an authentic interior full of atmosphere. And upstairs, beneath the roof, we even discovered a lovely cocktail bar.

But then came the toilets.

What a place.

Mirrors everywhere, deep burgundy velvet, brass details, a fantastic graphic floor and music playing in the background. Going to the ladies’ room suddenly became an experience of its own.

And then I looked at my handbag. She fitted in ridiculously well.

The soft grey-green leather against all those warm reds, brass tones and mirrors… it felt as though the two had somehow been introduced to each other beforehand.

So naturally, I had to film it. 😉

Sometimes the most unexpected setting turns out to be exactly the right one.

A unique experience. A unique setting. And a one-of-a-kind handbag that somehow knew exactly where she belonged.

Uniqueness recognises uniqueness.

27/08/2026

Some things are simply born to be unmistakable.

On platform 5 at Mechelen station, I came across this extraordinary pigeon twice within just a few days.

Its beautifully feathered feet immediately caught my eye, but what stayed with me was something else: its presence.

Completely individual. Entirely itself.

Dressed in its own singular elegance.

It made me think about what distinction really means.

In a world where so much is designed to be reproduced, replicated and recognised, true individuality has become increasingly precious.

For me, luxury is not about adding more. Nor is it about a visible logo telling the world what something is worth.

It is about character, meaning, material, craftsmanship and the deeply personal connection we can develop with an object.

That philosophy is at the heart of my work as an art designer, leathercraftswoman and Material Shaman.

In my Brussels atelier, bespoke means creating a piece around the person who will live with it — their identity, their wishes, their story and the materials that give those ideas form.

The result should not simply be exclusive because only one exists.

It should feel as though it could truly belong to no one else in quite the same way.

What if what you carry could be as individual as you are?

14/08/2026

Two new COMPOSITES are travelling to Paris with me today. ✨

COMPOSITE #28 — L’Échappée
Created for a single passport.

COMPOSITE #29 — Double Horizon
Created for one person carrying two nationalities — and therefore two passports, brought together in one bespoke piece.

Both handcrafted in my Brussels atelier, made to travel, to be used, and to become part of the journeys ahead.

Today, I get to deliver them personally to their new owners in Paris. 🤎🇫🇷

08/06/2026

For many years, luxury has been associated with rarity, exclusivity and possession.

Yet the objects that remain closest to us are often not the rarest.

They are the most meaningful.

The ones that become woven into our daily lives and personal stories.

Perhaps luxury is not about having access to something extraordinary.

Perhaps it is about recognising what is already profoundly relevant.

How do you define luxury today?

06/06/2026

When I look at a piece of leather, I do not only see material.

I see years of use, moments of care and the passage of time.

Those marks are often considered flaws.

I see them as chapters in a story.

Would you restore it or replace it?

04/06/2026

We live in a world that constantly encourages us to buy more.

Yet the objects that matter most are often the ones connected to a story, a relationship or a memory.

What if the future is not about owning more things, but valuing what we already have more deeply?

What object holds the most meaning for you?

01/06/2026

One of the unexpected gifts of recent years has been meeting people who gently expand the way I see.

Last winter, my friend 3 Rooms plus Kitchen introduced me to the work of Finnish designer and glass artist Katriina Nuutinen.

It reminded me that creativity is not about making more. It is about seeing more.

Perhaps abundance begins in the worlds we help one another discover.

Has someone changed the way you see the world?

26/04/2026

𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝘁𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗮𝗻 𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝘇𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗮𝗿 𝘂𝗶𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿, 𝗺𝗮𝗮𝗿 𝘂𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗻.
𝘎𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦 𝘕𝘦𝘹𝘵 is zo’n tas.

Deze bespoke belt bag en crossbody werd gemaakt als cadeau voor een dochter, nadat zij verliefd werd op de paarse Gitte van haar mama. Dezelfde basisvorm, maar helemaal opnieuw geïnterpreteerd in haar eigen kleuren, materialen en verhaal.

Het mooiste detail?
De klant bracht een oude, geliefde tas van 𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘢𝘣𝘺𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘩 mee. Een tas die ooit veel betekende, maar niet meer gedragen werd. En dus kreeg ze geen einde, maar een nieuw begin.

Ik verwerkte zorgvuldig onderdelen van die tas in het nieuwe ontwerp, gecombineerd met lichtgroen plantaardig gelooid leder, gouden fournituren, een praktische dubbele ritssluiting, een voorvakje voor kaarten en een zachte, verrassende binnenkant in twee groentinten.

Compact, elegant, handsfree en persoonlijk.
Dat is voor mij de essentie van maatwerk: niet alleen iets nieuws maken, maar waarde, herinnering en materiaal een toekomst geven.

Lees het volledige verhaal van 𝘎𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦 𝘕𝘦𝘹𝘵 via de link in de eerste comment.

Droom jij van een tas die niet alleen bij je past, maar ook iets van jou meedraagt? Dan ben je welkom in mijn Brussels atelier voor een eerste gesprek.

Adresse

Van Ooststraat 56
Schaerbeek
1030

Téléphone

+32465904437

Site Web

http://bio.site/AnVandenberk

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