Designer Jean-Paul Lespagnard created the outfits for the welcome staff at the Belgian pavilion in Osaka

If you're lucky enough to make it to Osaka Expo, be sure to stop by the Belgian pavilion. The outfit worn by the people welcoming you there was created by Liège-born designer Jean-Paul Lespagnard. Portrait.

From April 13 to October 13, Belgium, via its national pavilion, is taking part in the Osaka World Expo in Japan. For six months in Japan, Belgian and Walloon know-how will be showcased every day, right down to the outfits worn by the teams welcoming visitors to the Belgian pavilion. These outfits were created by Liège-born designer Jean-Paul Lespagnard.

“I'm a designer who works in several different mediums. In other words, I can work equally well in fashion, design, the cultural sector and the performing arts,” says this multi-disciplinary designer.

Driven by a universal vision that connects cultures, this Belgian talent with nomadic inspirations draws on crafts and encounters from all over the world - from Latin America to Asia, via Europe. Each creation is an invitation to transcend borders, to explore a limitless imagination.

 (c) Vlad VDK

“For Osaka, they came looking for me. And I think it's because I've already experienced this kind of thing. I made the staff outfits for the Théâtre de Liège when it opened. And those outfits are still in use today. It's proof of quality. They came to me for the symbolism of quality, durability, but also flexibility in the wearability of the outfits, while adding a touch of fashion,” explains Jean-Paul Lespagnard.

For the outfits worn by the Belgian pavilion's host teams, the designer tried to find meeting points between the world of Japan and his own artistic universe. It wasn't difficult,” he says, ”because in my collections, I always look at traditional things. For the Osaka Expo, I was inspired by Japanese schoolboy outfits, as well as traditional garments and their fastening systems. All the while adding a real touch of fashion. So I proposed a silhouette with a t-shirt that can be worn in two colors, a scarf, pants and a skirt. Each person can decide to mix and match the pieces as they wish. There are really several ways to wear the silhouette, which allows everyone to make a personal choice while remaining recognizable,” explains the designer.

Participation in Wallonia-Brussels Week

From May 25 to 30, the Belgian pavilion will be focusing on Wallonia during Wallonia-Brussels Week. On this occasion, he will unveil an exclusive, sensory scenography, promising a suspended moment, between emotion and audacity.

 “During this week, I'm also in charge of the artistic direction of the dinner at the Belgian Embassy in Tokyo. I'm working on elements for the table decoration that are a meeting of Belgian and Japanese crafts”, says Jean-Paul Lespagnard. This is episode zero of a new project he calls “Tableware as diplomatic gesture”.

“It's a project very close to my heart. I've already been to Belgian embassies on several occasions, and I've noticed that all embassies have the same tableware. In my proposal, what interested me was to be able to invite and install a connection between Belgium and the country in which the embassy is located. The aim is to work with local materials and craftsmen to create objects that would be placed on the table and give a touch of contemporary hospitality. Like starter conversations between two cultures”, concludes Jean-Paul Lespagnard.

Isabelle Anneet (AWEX)