Author: nbcidcadmin

The leather goods created in 1829 in Brussels by Charles Delvaux has proven itself and has been exported all over the world over the years. Today, it enjoys worldwide recognition. Its success is not due to chance…

Its founder, Charles Delvaux, was indeed already a visionary at the time. Belgium held a rail network peak in the late 19 ^th century. The desire of women to travel and the industrial context, pushed him to file in 1908 several patents for handbags.

In the 1930s, Franz Schwennicke and then his wife, Solange, took over the management of the Maison. They were able to make it an exclusive brand by introducing seasonal collections and by creating in 1958 an emblematic bag “Le Brillant” still worn by stars in 2020. Recently the House has entered into a partnership with the Magritte Foundation. On this occasion, she dedicates a complete line of small leather goods and luggage to the dreamlike world of the Belgian painter, René Magritte.

Today, the brand has more than 40 stores worldwide. It stands out for its surreal attitude, the quality of its products and its elegance. A museum dedicated to the history of the brand, its creations and of Belgium also opened its doors in 2019.

Jan Van Eyck is one of the most famous primitive Flemish painters of the 15th century. He stands out above all other painters by his realism which borders on perfection.

You cannot come to Belgium or you are in Belgium but confined at home?

To the classic list of Belgian gems such as beer, chocolate, waffles and fries, do not hesitate to add the unique mobile dance halls of the Klessens family, originally from Campine. The latest generation can take pride in having now conquered the world with their mirror capitals from another era.

The very first mobile dance halls in Belgium date from the 1900s. Buildings with a traditional carved wooden interior in oak or mahogany, sometimes in the Art Nouveau style. Abundant crystals, stained glass windows, romantic and comfortable seating areas in red velvet with golden stitching surround a round dance floor. To this is added an old bar and the brilliance of hundreds of faceted mirrors, these capitals have appeared in almost all fairs. At the start of this century, night owls, revelers and heartbreakers really felt at home. Thanks to these mirrors, they have easy eye contact with their soul mates.

The patriarch of this family business, still active today, was the Dutchman Willem Klessens. He crossed the border in 1912 and made a living as a carpenter in Lommel. But his real passion is elsewhere. After his marriage to Amelia Kaers, he then opened a dance café. In his own words, his cafe lacked atmosphere and he therefore acquired a dance organ in Antwerp. To his surprise, the package also included a real dance tent. The organ was placed in the dance hall, but since he didn’t know what to do with the tent, he put it in a shed at the end of the garden. At the Lommel fair, he therefore decides to take the tent out of the hangar. A resounding success and the promising beginnings of the company ‘spiegeltente Klessens’.

This very first tent was restored in 1920 and named ‘Kempisch Danspaleis’ / Palais de Danse Campinois. In 1930, the second generation of Klessens acquired the Nova Danssalon. Later, a large Decapy dance organ is even installed.

After the Second World War, with the rise of live music, the demand for marquees grew exponentially, with booming names like De Lust, Bon Vivant, Cristal Palace, Majestic, Teatro Colombino, Carrousel, Magic Cristal, Victoria, Pigalle and Queen of Flanders. Each has its own character, charm and atmosphere. The best orchestras in Belgium and abroad want to perform under these marquees. Real live jukeboxes.

The third and fourth generations of Klessens no longer travel only from fair to fair, but seek new horizons, even in distant countries. Popular entertainment of yesteryear is now also appreciated by the most diverse event organizers: festivals, concerts, corporate and private parties, birthdays, fairs, circuses and even theaters for a stylish dinner show.

One hundred years after their creation, the capitals with mirrors are clearly still on the rise.

Belgium is one of the European countries participating in the Discovery study. The aim is to test treatments against the covid-19 virus on 3,200 patients from France, Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany and Spain.

In the current state of health emergency, our national currency is really topical. More than 200 volunteers, academics, engineers, industrialists, politicians and financiers, got together to accomplish a feat: achieving in just 10 days “Breath4life”, a prototype artificial respirator.

It’s no secret that in the fight against Covid-19, one of the essential elements is screening. And for that, it is necessary to be able to carry out tests which, for now, all use the same reagents, hence the shortage.

Little bubble of happiness in difficult news…. The United Nations publishes the ranking of the happiest countries in the world every year during this period.