Designer Cédric Charlier sees Belgium as a fashion force

While Paris is considered the epicentre of fashion, designer Cédric Charlier insists Belgium is also a force to be reckoned with. The country has given fashion some of its greatest talent in the past few decades, from Martin Margiela and Dries Van Noten to Haider Ackermann and Olivier Theyskens.

"Belgium is so small that when you have something creative inside you, you really create," says Charlier at his showroom in the heart of Paris' Le Marais district.

"Belgians have a different mentality - we have no past, unlike the French who have haute couture. We have nothing to follow, so anything can happen," says the 34-year-old. "But there are still challenges.

"I'm not 22, so I need to survive beyond one season. I want to take my time, build my label step by step. But fashion is all about time. There's this pressure to move quickly. My challenge is to stay true to who I am and be honest about what type of clothes I create."

Since Charlier launched his eponymous label three seasons ago, he has generated so much press and praise from editors that it's only a matter of time before he joins the esteemed ranks of his well-established compatriots.

Charlier says fashion is his destiny. As a child he learned embroidery from his grandmother (his great-grandmother also knew how to make clothes, sewing trousers for the army).