The designs of Belgian Milliner Extraordinaire Christophe Coppens have graced the heads of many Beth Dittos, Roisin Murphys and Royal Families over the years. His creations are sold worldwide, from boutiques in London, Paris and Tokyo as well as in his very own salons in Brussels, where he lives and works.
This March Coppens opened his first shop in Antwerp, Belgium’s fashion capital. Rather than choosing a stand-alone shop like his others, he opted for a shop-in-shop in the exclusive Princess boutique on the famous Meir shopping street.
In an interview I recently did with Christophe Coppens for Dressed Up, Princess’ new magazine, he explains to me why he made this decision, whether he prefers celebs to us average folk and the importance of the perfect accessory. Here’s a couple of highlights.

alex: Until now you’ve been mostly based in Brussels. Why did you decide to open a shop in Antwerp in collaboration with Princess?

CC: The atelier and studios are based in Brussels. Worldwide we have 150 selling points. But so far, we have only been selling the unique pieces in our Salon in Brussels. This is mainly because of the high service linked to these pieces. Many of them are one of a kind and need to be sold with knowledge of the product. the long-term relationship we already had with Princess made us decide that the spirit of their shop is very close to our own. For me. they are the perfect partners to work with our unique pieces. (…)] I will be present myself several days a year for special commissions.

alex: Plenty of famous people have worn your creations over the years, from Royals to pop stars like Roisin Murphy, Rihanna and Beth Ditto. Do you still get excited when celebrities wear something you made? Or do you prefer the “average” woman or man”?

CC: Average does not exist! Of course we like it when a celebrity or somebody of the royal family wears our accessories. Of course it really brightens the day and it is a nice sign of appreciation of our hard work. But a happy customer in the shop or the Salon is just as important, if not even more important to me.

alex: For most of us, a hat is only worn for a special occasion, like a wedding. How do you feel about that?

CC: You have hats and you have hats. In our main collection we sell hats and other accessories for every day life. In winter, there’s hats to protect from the cold, in summer for the sun, or just because it is fun or pretty. A well-chosen accessory can really colour your life.The pieces sold in the Salon are indeed mostly for weddings and cocktails, which are highlights in every woman’s life, something they will remember forever.

alex: Where do you get your daily inspiration from?

CC: Anywhere and always. Books, music, people, nature, the arts, that’s all I need to get started