Lespagnard (Jean-Paul)

Jean-Paul Lespagnard, born in Liège in 1979, is a Belgian designer. After studying visual arts and fashion design at Liège’s IFAPME, he worked with Anna Sui and became Annemie Verbeke’s assistant. In 2008, he participated in the 23rd edition of the Hyères International Festival of Fashion and Photography and won the Public’s Choice. It was during that festival that he reached out to a broader audience and surprised everyone with his Belgian fried potatoes’ stand themed “Jacquelines” collection. The uniqueness, newness, and sheer originality of the presentation, narrated like an ironic and fanciful fairy tale, captivated the audience. Later, Jean-Paul Lespagnard would go on to create his own label. As the years passed, he perfected his style with collections that are both elegant and accessible. He has a gift for eloquently expressing an optimistic world where originality is tinged with amused irreverence towards the classical wardrobe. Fascinated by art in all its forms, be it popular or underground, Jean-Paul Lespagnard has had multiple collaborations with, in particular, Villa Noailles, French pop singer Yelle, choreographers Meg Stuart, Pierre Droulers, and Gilles Jobin, as well as with magazines such as Elle and Marie-Claire. In 2012, Arte and RTBF devoted a documentary to Jean-Paul. His label is currently distributed in Belgium, France, England, the Ukraine, Russia, Austria, Italy, South Korea, Japan, as well as China.