A day between London and Berlin with Belize founders Valeska & Fiona
Belize is a cultural cut and paste, mixing the textures of foreign travels and family backgrounds, with the pace of the founder’s daily lives. Founders Valeska Duetsch and Fiona Bansal met in the design studio at Stella McCartney and have brought to their own label years of experience from Chloé, McQueen, Net-à-Porter and Temperley London.
Establishing studios in Berlin and London, Belize works sustainably with small specialised factories in Europe, India and Morocco to combine the hand made with the refined and bring a vision of elegant uniforms for the present day. They believe in working with fabrics and manufactures that have a lasting quality and desirability.
We spent a virtual day with Valeska & Fiona between London & Berlin, read below for their favorite spots on where to eat, shop & get inspired.
A morning in London.
London. 8 am, where to wake up?
A walk over Hampstead Heath, and coffee on Swainslane.
Favorite neighbourhood?
Bloomsbury. The old, the very old, the new. Great independant shops and restaurants, and wonderful old building’s and squares including Dickens’ house. Stones throw from Soho, the Thames and Regents Park.
Where is brunch?
Laylow, Golborne Road, under the shadow of Trellick tower.
Best spot for shopping? Which stores?
Shopping on Mount St Carlos place, Mount St printers for beautiful stationary, Marchesi for divine cakes and coffee, Celine and Balenciaga for fantasy shopping , and Matches at Carlos Place to have lunch or see their latest installations.
Where to find the best vintage? and some furniture or decor?
Rellik and Found and Vision, and Golborne rd for furniture and fantastic bric-a-brac on the street Fridays/Saturdays
How is London an inspiration for you as a designer?
Always vibrant, and alive with possibilities. The streets are filled with eclectic characters who experiment with outfit choices and are not afraid to stand out. Particularly, great people watching is the Portobello road on a weekday.
Must-visit markets in the city?
Portobello Fridays, Camden passage Islington, Columbia Road for flowers and plants on Sunday, Brixton Market for food, fabric and great dining choices.
Your all time favorite restaurant for lunch?
The River Café. Light airy dining room almost unchanged since it opened in 1987, and incredible food and wine. Expensive but a total treat especially on a sunny day.
Needing inspiration. Any art galleries, museums or inspirational place to go?
I love going to auctions and auction pre-views for Art, clothing and furniture, it’s always exciting what you might find and interestingly curated.
Where would we find you on a day off?
Rummaging Londons markets, or markets of any sort wherever I find myself in the world, especially drawn to food markets to see what is the same and what is different to home and the quality .
and off to Berlin.
How would you define the city’s style?
Laid back, sophisticated and natural.
How is Berlin an inspiration for you as a designer?
My friends are inspirational to me. But not only the way each one dresses but being part of each other's journeys as we grow in our work and interests . Berlin has always had a very special aura. I appreciate experiencing the city diversified possibilities. Swimming in lakes during summer, going out to the cafes and restaurants, everyday Berlin life is inspiring to me. My heart definitely beats faster when entering vintage stores or flea markets. We have vintage shops here where you can buy by the kilo like Colours or Garage. The Suarezstrasse in the city’s west has antique shops one after the other where I frequently travel to just to get inspired. From crystal glasses to random objects.
The thing you miss most when you’re away?
I definitely start to miss the city when being away for a while. The smell of the city. Early mornings walking to my studio.
Where do we go for dinner with friends?
Paris Bar, Osteria Sippi, Bar Drei
and for a date?
Paris Bar or the Italian around the corner!
Any tourist traps to avoid?
Not really! Even some of the proper touristic places I find charming - like doing a boats tour on the Canal.
Berlin’s best kept secret?
The lakes in the summer