an interview with Bakermat
It’s always a pleasure to talk to people who are passionate about their work. Thinkers and makers whose ideas align and join forces to bring something new and meaningful to the world. Such passion is evident in Cedric Jacquemyn (36) and Quinten Schaap (27), brains and hearts behind ‘Bakermat’, an innovative textile shop in the Belgium’s fashion capital, Antwerp.
Cedric and Quinten first met in 2019, when Quinten started an internship at Cedric’s fashion label at the time. Quinten’s enthusiasm, innovative approach and optimism breathed new life into Jacquemyn’s studio. Cedric affectionately describes Quinten as a young reflection of himself, albeit with a unique flair, they both laugh. The two definitely share a commitment to sustainable activism and a determination to make a meaningful impact on the creative/fashion industry.
In 2019, conversations between the two quickly gravitated towards starting something progressive for the fashion industry, a realm close to their hearts as they both graduated as fashion designers. Cedric brough with him the experience of establishing his own fashion label during a period when digital tools and processes had yet to really make their entry into the fashion industry. In contrast, Quinten, a digital native, specialised in 3D and virtual prototyping for fashion. Their experiences and skill sets complemented each other. During one of their many conversations, the idea emerged to establish a new type of fabric store, one that the Antwerp fashion scene was lacking and sorely needed.
We conceived Bakermat based on our shared approach to working on our collections: starting with the materials we use (Quinten)
“When we create, we begin with an idea, a concept, but that quickly transitions into selecting materials. For us, textiles form the foundation of the creative process”, Quinten says. “However, in day-to-day reality it’s challenging to find fabric stores that provide comprehensive information about the textile they have in store. As a designer, you typically purchase your fabric and leave the store with only a little note that listing the fabric type and price, that’s it, there’s no further information available. Moreover, in-depth knowledge about textiles is often overlooked in our fashion education system. The focus tends to be primarily on design, neglecting a significant aspect of textile knowledge, which is essential for young designers aiming to advance in the fashion industry," Quinten continues.
What eventually became Bakermat continued to
develop in their minds until 2021, when things became more serious.
develop in their minds until 2021, when things became more serious.
“We wanted to approach things in a radically different way. This is why today; we have a fabric store that that prioritizes transparency regarding the materials we sell. We strive to communicate the story of the manufacturer and textile-making process as much as possible. This was a no brainer for us, because it allows us to educate young creators about the materials they're using and foster a relationship between manufacturers and emerging talent. Relationships that are extremely valuable because it could prove that, if a designer 9 out of 10 times buys textiles with the same manufacturer, there’s a natural, mutual understanding between the two. We introduce the young designer to the manufacturer and introduce the manufacturer to the world of a generation of new designers”, Quinten passionately explains.
What we try to show at Bakermat is that, with the whole sustainability question comes a lot of responsibility
“In our store we try to tell a story by showing duality”, Cedric says, “our selection is based on the core materials, jersey, denim, wool, silk and synthetics, we offer both heritage companies and future forward enterprises and look at how they stand in relation towards each other. It’s always been my personal vision around sustainability, and we notice this more and more, that there must be a balance between maintaining techniques and a heritage we don’t want to lose, on the one hand, and investing in future forward thinking and finding better ways to support our environment”, Cedric continues. “There are always questions to consider. A good example of this is the recycled wools we sell. Yes, the recycle process exists. Yes, you can make something out of recycled wool, but the problem with this recycled piece is that it cannot be recycled again, because the fibres have already been shredded and this is the last time you can make a jacket out of it”. Cedric adds: “It’s actually no excuse that when you use something recycled it’s allowed to be ‘less good or durable’, quite the contrary actually. What we try to show at Bakermat is that, with the whole sustainability question comes a lot of responsibility”.
“It was a topic of discussion between us for a little while”, Cedric honestly shares, “whether or not we should use the word ‘sustainable’ for Bakermat, it’s such a tainted term these days. There is a lot green washing happening everywhere, but what we try to do actually does fall under the term ‘sustainability’ and the necessary questions we need to ask regarding”.
Endlessly asking questions is important, this is our version of continuing to grow: keep on questioning yourself. There’s always a question & a search for solutions (Cedric)
Cedric shares: “To start a company, you need some guts and a ‘let’s see what happens’-attitude, but on the other hand, we also live in times when things have become more complex, definitely when it comes to sustainability, many things need to be considered”.
The fashion industry is changing & we want to always keep in mind and research: what is the role of textile in this new design process? (Quinten)
“We really value education”, Quinten says, “On the one hand by sharing information about the materials we have in store; on the other, through the digitisation of our textiles. We highlight innovation in a broad sense: how can the textile industry push itself forward? How can it improve through its design processes, but also regarding to the designers who purchase the innovative textiles? It’s continuity: how is the manufacturer innovating, but also, how is the extension of this manufacturer, the fashion designer, innovating?”.
“One of our biggest challenges is to always move forward and continue to think in an innovative way”, Quinten says, “It’s something we try to radiate and inspire our clientele to do as well”.
“For us it’s crucial to provide transparent communication about our current status and to continue researching how things are evolving. This allows us to offer our clients an effective, sustainable alternative, and to accurately monitor the changing landscape of our industry and which direction its changing into”, Cedric shares. “Throughout this process, maintaining a critical perspective is paramount. Vegan leathers, for example, are often hyped for marketing purposes, but they are far from being sustainably on point at the moment. Fuelling the hype is something we want to avoid, as it hinders progress in researching these materials”.
We aim to be a future forward thinking fabric store, serving as a hub for materials and knowledge about materials that evolves alongside the changes in the textile and fashion industries (Quinten)
“The use of digital tools in textile and fashion companies has surged in recent years, with the pandemic further accelerating this trend”, Quinten notes. “One of these digital components is 3D virtual prototyping software, which I extensively used during my studies. However, a common challenge with this software is that while you can design prototypes with any texture found online, finding a physical equivalent of that digital prototype can be difficult. We want to offer a solution to this problem”.
“We’ve recently launched our virtual fabric library; this is a digital platform featuring 3D textures of all materials we have in store. This allows clients, particularly those working in 3D, to source materials online, test them on their designs, and create with them. Once satisfied with their 3D image, they know that they can buy the texture in our store”, Quinten proudly tells us.
The contrast of something that is woven by hand & then becomes a digital texture, we think this is a beautiful story (Cedric)
"Ethics are also paramount to us," Cedric adds, “We’re very aware that the digital transition is far more accessible and manageable for larger companies. In our store, we proudly offer fabrics from small manufacturers in places like India, who may not have the resources or access to digitize their products. It's crucial to us that these fabrics are also included in the transition to the digital realm."
“The contrast of something that is woven by hand, that then becomes a digital texture, we think this is such a beautiful story”, Cedric shares, “These partnerships with smaller manufacturers are integral to us. We assist them in the transitions of the future and, at the same time, have their materials in our shop so that we can show their rich heritage and protect it”.
“We believe that the connection to the physical world remains crucial”, Cedric continues. “While having a digital fabric is valuable, it's essential to supplement it with elements from the real world to enrich the narrative. That’s why our platform features not only our digital library with digital textures, but also photographs and stories of the companies and individuals behind the fabrics”.
The transition to the digital was a revelation for me, but at the same time it also created a lot of questions, I didn’t want to betray myself (Cedric)
"I studied fashion design at a time when digital tools had yet to enter the design process," Cedric says. “Quinten is very future forward thinking and advocated for digitisation. This transition was truly a revelation for me, but it also sparked a lot of questions, and I didn’t want to betray myself. I believe that manually made and physical fabrics are still very important, and that was a bit of a discussion between us and prompted us to explore: how can we navigate this digital transition in the best possible way? Because simply going fully digital isn't sufficient; maintaining the relationship between the digital and physical is crucial. In this regard, I believe Quinten and I complement each other perfectly."
"In discussions about digitization, I often consider other industries where the digital transition is much further along and has contributed to progress and evolution," Quinten says. "Take the music industry, for example; Spotify is bigger than ever, yet vinyl sales are also on the rise. When I see this, I believe similar technologies can also propel progress in the textile and fashion industries. If we go way back, everything was sewn by hand until the invention of the sewing machine. That's an example of technology that facilitated the design process and raised standards. Personally, I view digitisation as tools that one can use to aid oneself."
“And I had the opposite realisation, from manual to digital”, Cedric says, “I was used to doing everything by hand, but upon starting to use digital tools, I realised how much time and costs are saved. Suddenly, I had a lot more budget to purchase better materials and work more consciously with them. The extra time gained from digitalising the pattern-making process, I could use in my design process. This allowed for more time and space to focus on what I really wanted and needed to do."
Cedric continues: “It’s true that you may lose something through digitisation, to a certain extent, but when we consider the resources used for sewing prototypes, for instance, I question if that’s still justified at this point. I’m not sure about this anymore, I believe there are better ways to invest our time and resources."
To be able to explore in all freedom is what we want to support (Cedric)
“To integrate AI and digitisation in your design method has a huge impact in a creative process, it’s a big shift and not without its challenges”, Cedric says. “We aim to take on an educational role in this, while continuing to learn ourselves. Above all, we want to empower others to freely explore while creating”.
The new generation knows very well how to take care of themselves, not out of selfishness, but out of a love for who they are (Cedric)
“I spent a year as a guest teacher at the Lebanese American Institute in Beirut last year. What struck me about the young people I taught is how good they are at self-care. When I was a student, there was a great emphasis on meeting expectations. What I really appreciate about the new generation is that I wasn’t expected to be a traditional authority figure, but I was there to guide and advise them. It’s a more collaborative and poetic dynamic between generations. I found the conversations we had very interesting”, Cedric says.
"I see a lot of determination in the younger generations, who don’t have the same advantages that my generation had. When I started my fashion label, there were only the established brands, the pool of young fashion designers was small, everybody received at least a little bit of attention. But today, it’s much more challenging for young designers. While we all have the luxury of social media, we also all have the competition of social media. It's a completely different world now, and I believe it's even tougher for young designers. I have a lot of respect for them," Cedric adds.
I see an incredibly inspiring generation. A generation that is super resourceful, that has found shortcuts in life & leaves the banality of how things have always been done behind (Quinten)
“What I find very interesting about the generations that are even younger than me”, Quinten says, as both of them burst into laughter. “When I see the students who come to our shop, I see an incredibly inspiring generation. A generation that is super resourceful and has found shortcuts in life and are leaving behind the banality of how things have always been done behind. They wonder: 'Why would I do something the same way it's always been done when I've found ten other ways to achieve the same result more efficiently?'"
Thank you for sharing your humility and wisdom with us Cedric and Quinten. We’re confident that you’ll continue to surprise us and enrich the industry with your endless questions, exploration and innovations.
Thank you for sharing your humility and wisdom with us Cedric and Quinten. We’re confident that you’ll continue to surprise us and enrich the industry with your endless questions, exploration and innovations.