She’s the one who started all this. Born and raised in the northern hardlands of Belgium, she grew up with a passion for dancing, fashion and … Whitney Houston. After working with a major advertising agency for several years, she decided to follow her heart, setting off for a career in fashion. She got on board at what was then called Flanders Fashion Institute but has since been renamed Flanders DC.
In 2015 she started the Close The Loop-programme. What started out as an online knowledge platform that makes fashion entrepreneurs familiar with the concept of ‘circular economy’, grew into a programme with one year advisory programmes for SME’s, start-up one-on-one coaching, talks, lectures, workshops, events, community building and so on.
Then ten years after graduating with a master’s degree in Communication Sciences and an advanced master’s in Management, she decided to return to school for a master’s in Environmental Sciences. She not only became a member of Team Never Not Learning, but also came to be seen as one of the leading international experts in fashion and sustainability. Looking for a way to share her experience with a bigger audience, she started Jasmien and the Masjien in 2022.
What’s this masjien then?
You could think of ‘Jasmien and the Masjien’ as ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ – without the evil part.
Jasmien represents the heart side of things. She’s the passionate dreamer, the creative thinker.
The Masjien, by contrast, is ‘all head’: always thinking of ways to make the great stuff happen.
You could think of ‘Jasmien and the Masjien’ as ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ – without the evil part.
This duality is what makes ‘us’ unique. We can dream no-limits big, but we can also deliver. We have both great expectations and ambitious plans, as well as the experience to make these plans a reality. Whether you are a brand with sustainability in your DNA; a multinational with a shady history but big plans for the future; or a local business trying to be the change. To put it in the words of the great British philosopher V. Beckham: Tell me what you want, what you really, really want and I’ll tell you what I want, what I really, really want.
On a mission
On March 11, 1811, the first major Luddite riot took place in Arnold, Nottingham. Weavers turned their anger to a then-revolutionary technology: destroying the equipment in the newly invented textile factories – the equipment that took their jobs, made wages plumet and worsened their working conditions. The movement swept across the country and the textile industry took a severe beating, as mills were burned, and production facilities closed.
This historical event is now regarded as the first clear instance of ‘Man versus Machine’, with the term ‘Luddite’ still being used to refer to someone who is opposed to new technologies. Though the Luddites fought a just cause, their polarised views and destructive actions failed to get them what they wanted.
Jasmien and the Masjien (ˈʤæzmɪn ænd ðə məˈʃiːn ) faces a similar challenge. Just like the textile industry in the 19th century, today’s fashion industry is at a crossroads. And this time, the stakes are even higher. It’s not ‘just’ about our jobs or working conditions; the very future of our planet is on the line.
Knowing very well that history can teach us a thing or two, we dare to look back even further than the 19th century – casting a glance back at the Bronze and Iron Ages, when mankind flourished by embracing new inventions and technologies. It is our strong belief that the key to tackling today’s challenges lies exactly in the match between industry and cutting-edge technology.
Rather than opposing what’s new or desperately trying to hold on to yesterday, we build a bridge, hold hands and step forward into the green age.
