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Discover Benelux | Antwerp | Food & Shopping at De Wilde Zee / Het Zuid: The Trendiest District
Quality and comfort TEXT: ELLA PUT | PHOTOS: KOUSENCENTER
With many years of experience selling sleepwear, hosiery and underwear in all different sizes, colours and materials, the Kousencenter is definitely worth visiting during a shopping trip to the Flemish capital of fashion: Antwerp. In De Wilde Zee, the shopping heart of Antwerp, lies the Kousencenter. With over 40 years of experience, the Kousencenter’s skilled sales team is more than happy to help you find the perfect pyjamas, underwear or stockings. It has a wide variety of international brands such as Doré Doré, Falke, Wolford and Calida. Combining quality with comfort has been key for the shop since the very start. The Kousencenter was first established almost 50 years ago in the small town of Sint-Niklaas, just west of Antwerp. Its new owners Henriëtte Horoba and Eric Spliet are honouring the thought to maintain its high standards.
But there is also room to renew: part of this is the updated webshop, redesigned store and a monthly opening for Sunday shoppers. Moreover, the store is expanding and offering customers sports clothes next to underwear and stockings ranges. “We are bringing a new dynamic into the store.” Years of experience have led Kousencenter to compile a big collection of socks, stockings and underwear as well as knowledge when it comes to modern trends. This season’s fashionable socks are made out of fine wool and silk. Furthermore, the so-called ‘home wear’ section has been greatly expanded: “People want to have quality time at home in quality clothes. We offer our customers that, alongside personal advice and a wide range of comfortable products.” www.kousencenter.be
The taste of Italy in Antwerp TEXT: MICHIEL STOL & MYRIAM GWYNNED DIJCK | PHOTOS: AVINI
Based in the lively area of Het Zuid in Antwerp, Avini specialises in serving guests their ideal Italian wine. The wine bar offers a spectacular range of 100 wines from all over Italy, from the slopes of Tuscany to the sunny fields of Sicily. The wines are imported directly from Italy, in particular from small wineries that produce with respect for nature. This means customers get the best price and there are appealing options for every budget and taste.
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With 100 different wines, of which 40 are served by the glass, you can enjoy the full range of flavours of Italian wines at Avini. Its knowledgeable staff are experts at finding your best match: they will select a bottle based on your preferences, with the perfect balance of body, fruitiness, tannins and spice. Avini also has a Digital Sommelier, which can be accessed in store and on the website. Eline Aloy, who runs the bar, says: “For regular customers we can make a wine profile, listing the wines you’ve had before and giving suggestions for what to try next.” The sophisticated interior welcomes you to sit down for a glass, but you can also
take a bottle home. “We sell all our wines by the bottle. Guests can either drink them in our bar for a corkage fee, or take them home,” she says. Avini is the new flagship wine bar and shop partially owned by the Tuscan winery Avignonesi, which also has two bars in London called Negozio Classica. Aloy manages the three bars together with her husband Thomas de Decker, and her mother Virginie Saverys owns Avignonesi. “We’re very much a family business with a huge passion for Italian wines,” Aloy adds. www.aviniwines.com www.avignonesi.com