From time to time, we portray an #itsawolvisfriend*.
Meet Bieke, Magnum photographer and sister of Griet.
Who are you? What do you do?
I’m Bieke Depoorter, Griet’s sister and I’m a photographer. I mainly create my own work, showing it through books and exhibitions. In between, I’m doing some commissioned work, for example for wolvis.
How are you connected to wolvis?
Being Griet’s sister, I’m often the first sparring partner: we talk about the prototypes and the colour choices at the kitchen table during my frequent visits… I’ve also done some photoshoots for wolvis. Together, we brainstorm about the ideas for the shoot.
What do you associate wolvis with?
Wolvis is everything but volatile. What I find so powerful about the brand, is the story behind it. The end product, the scarf, is only a little piece of the immense thinking and designing process.
Who would you like to give a wolvis to? Why?
Certainly not to a family member: everyone has ten of them already (laughs)!
I’d give a scarf to someone who’s cold… Maybe when I’m traveling, to an accidental passer-by who can use some warmth. I wish for Griet to make the brand grow internationally. And I think I’d choose a man: more men should wear wolvis!
When and how did you get to know wolvis?
I got to know wolvis from extremely closeby (laughs)! When we were living together, the sound of the knitting machine was a source of great irritation. What a noise! And I also remember this: when Griet was studying at the fashion academy, I had to show up on the catwalk as Stijn Streuvels’ ‘flax girl’. Not exactly my favourite gig…
What’s your favorite item from the Lieux de Mémoire collection
I’ve chosen this scarf, 20th of December, because it combines well with my outfits.
But actually, this entire collection has a special meaning to me. A lot of memories Griet refers to with the scarves, are moments I cherish too. And I’m currently working on a personal project, exploring a way to capture memories. Apparently, we are inspired by the same theme, each in our own way. Isn’t that beautiful?
How do you like to wear your wolvis? What do you combine your scarf with?
I always wear wolvis! I have an enormous collection, so I have one to fit with every single one of my outfits. I combine this red scarf with dark clothes, but also with a red coat.
When you’re wearing a wolvis, you feel a little extra unique. When I leave the house without my scarf, I hurry back to fetch it!
Why does this scarf have a special meaning to you?
It’s very special to me that Griet and I can work together on her brand. Great that I can be part of the wolvis story via my photographs. I would be a fan of wolvis anyway, if it wasn’t my sister: it’s a high-quality product. I also hope that Griet can do some more collaborations with artists. Always curious what that’ll lead to!
What’s your most beautiful memory so far with your wolvis scarf?
The roadtrip Griet and I did, revisiting locations connected to memories. The name of this red scarf refers to this trip, by the way!
It was at a time Griet was very busy combining two little kids with the new collection. This was a welcome break, dancing in the bathroom of the hotel like we used to do, wrapped up in scarves… While we were photographing old memories, new ones came into being: we asked a boy, playing table football in a café, to be our model. He was very shy and also proud. A very beautiful moment. This also shows a wolvis can literally suit anyone!
