How could I best describe the atmosphere in this series of pictures? There’s a touch of English romanticism for sure, a longing for eternal youth, a mix between the past (as far back as the 19th century) and present when it comes to looks and above all… I honestly felt like I’d walked into Alice’s Wonderland while we were shooting.

"Like taking a trip to a surreal place where romanticism and femininity prevail in terms of outfits and attitudes"

The idea for a project like this one has been stuck in my head for a couple of years now: taking our Spring/Summer collection and reworking it in an offbeat, unexpected manner – like taking a trip to a surreal place where romanticism and femininity prevail in terms of outfits and attitudes. Ultimately, the goal was to offer a fresh perspective on the current collection and placing it in a setting closer to our actual life and further away from the commercial side of things. Bellerose has always been fond of (and influenced by) art, mixing different eras and has always strived to be a brand that is close to nature. So when we were visiting this beautiful home and its stunning glasshouses we immediately knew what to do.

Photographer Ilja Smets is a longtime friend of one of the members of our creative team and he totally understood what we were going for, eager to dive into this adventure with us.

We’d love to think of these pictures as a “pause” button, allowing us to break away from the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, escaping into an imaginary world just like Alice.

All clothing is part of our SS ’16 collection, with the exception of a few accessories. Mixing and matching different fabrics and styles has been a trademark of our brand for a long time now, as we love playing with opposites and want to encourage people to defy preconceived notions of what is fashionable.

Photo: Ilja Smets

Models: Lucie & Lily @Flag Models