BELGIUM - COVER FROM MARCEL G. BOURGUIGNON

A very nice cover  was sent to me through "Cover Collectors Circuit Club" by Marcel G. Bourguignon who had the kindness to send me some beautiful Belgian stamps for my collection.

Thanks a lot Marcel

THE COVER

The cover bears a very clear stamp of the Mechelen post office in Belgium as well as well as an air-mail sticker and three beautiful stamps.

On  the cover there is a personalized  stamp* issued by the Belgian P.O. for the K.V.B.P. which is a Flamandic PhilatelicClub. The second and the third stamp are coming from the Belgian sheet  issued on 15 April 2010 under the title "Mode c'est du Belge" (This is the Belgian mode) . The first stamp is  dedicated to A.F Vandevorst MODE FIRM and the other one to Cathy Pill, a Belgian fashion designer

* Personalised stamp

A personalised (or personalized) stamp is a postage stamp, with an adjoining label on the left, on which, for a fee, an image of the purchaser's choosing may be placed. The stamps vary from country to country and while some are normal stamps with a personalised label on the left attached by perforations, elsewhere the stamps are more properly regarded as one-piece personalised meter stamps with a colourful design next to the indicia. Stamps produced by Zazzle.com for the United States, for instance, are one-piece, self-adhesive with simulated perforations and visually very similar to normal United States postage stamps except for the addition of a barcode along one edge.

Usage

Examples given by postal authorities who offer this service usually depict family members, pets or other uncontroversial  subjects but users quickly realised that they could place almost any image in the space. For instance, there have been attempts to publicise missing persons, promote political causes such as Tamil independence, or to place the image of criminals or other controversial individuals on the stamps. The rules of most countries generally prohibit such things, however, stamp producers may not spot every attempt to circumvent their rules, particularly when it is not obvious who or what is being depicted, or that the image has some political or other significance.

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

THE STAMPS

KVBP

K.V.B.P. TIELT

Local: Zaal "Batavia" - Pittemsteenweg,28 - 8700 Tielt

Mr BOLLEIRE Frans - Gross Geraulaan,4 - 8700 Tielt

E-mail: bolleire.f@belgacom.net

On December 11, 1937 signed by 24 brave Antwerp Flemish stamp collectors the founding act of the 'Flemish Association for stamp collectors.

The deed was officially registered in Antwerp on 21 January 1938. That same month, was issued also the first issue of the monthly magazine of the VBP which called 'The Stamp.

The creation of the VBP undoubtedly responded to an urgent need, not only for linguistic reasons, but also for social reasons. In the first issue of the magazine, these are indicated as follows: "The lack of philatelic circles outside the major centers, with a corresponding to fragmentation of associations in these centers, and the fact that the ordinary Flemish collector too little to be draw could come into the existing circuits usually had as french language and are often also targeted only to the select bourgeoisie. "

VBP therefore was given the task: "All philatelists, over the Flemish region spread, unite in a single union to expand this into a powerful force that also philatelic field, our people would be entitled undervalued."

(Google translation from Flamish to English)

The original text has as follow :

Op 11 december 1937 ondertekenden 24 moedige Vlaamse postzegelverzamelaars te Antwerpen de stichtingsakte van de 'Vlaamse Bond voor Postzegelverzamelaars'.

De akte werd officieel geregistreerd te Antwerpen op 21 januari 1938. Nog diezelfde maand verscheen het eerste nummer van het maandblad van de VBP dat toen nog de naam 'Het Postzegel' droeg.

De oprichting van de VBP kwam ongetwijfeld tegemoet aan een dringend behoefte, niet alleen om taalredenen, maar evenzeer om sociale redenen. In het eerste nummer van het maandblad werden deze als volgt aangegeven: " Het ontbreken van filatelistische kringen buiten de grote centra, met daartegenover een te grote versnippering van het verenigingsleven in deze centra, en het feit dat de gewone Vlaamse verzamelaar al te weinig aan zijn trekken kon komen in de bestaande kringen die meestal het frans als voertaal hadden en zich dikwijls ook enkel richtten tot de selecte burgerij."

De VBP kreeg dan ook als opdracht: "Alle filatelisten, over heel het Vlaamse landsgedeelte verspreid, in één enkele bond verenigen om deze uit te bouwen tot een sterke macht die ook op filatelistisch gebied, ons volk zijn recht zou laten wedervaren."

http://www.kvbp.be/

A.F. Vandevorst (1997)

Belgian husband-wife team An Vandevorst and Filip Arickx launched their first collection in Paris in 1998 after graduating from the Fashion School of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. They launched a shoe collection in 2003 and naturally segued into a lingerie line three years later. The pair is known for their deft contrasts in fabrics, textures, and colors, often layering silky lingerie-inspired pieces with tailored jackets, reworked white cotton button-downs, or dramatic capes.

The Belgian label was launched by married couple, An Vandevorst and Filip Arikcx in 1997, linked by a mutual penchant for collecting hospital memorabilia. This occupation inspires their fashion designs that evoke functional uniforms. Their style has this conceptual feel dear to the Belgian school yet, it remains accessible, sexy and feminine.

http://theredlist.com/wiki-2-23-1185-1191-view-new-romantic-profile-af-vandevorst.html

http://www.visitflanders.com/en/themes/belgian_fashion/famous-designers/af-vandervorst/

Cathy Pill

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cathy Pill (born in Antwerp in 1981) is a Belgian fashion designer,  formerly Creator and Director of Cathy Pill label,  and presently co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of MuseStyle. Cathy Pill graduated from the fashion school E.N.S.A.V. of La Cambre in Brussels. She interned at brands such as A.F. Vandevorst and Vivienne Westwood before winning a numerous prizes.

After graduating, Cathy quickly became a multi award-winning designer. She started her career at A.F. Vandevorst and Vivienne Westwood. The brand was featured in more than 70 stockists over the world (Galleries Lafayette, Browns, Harvey Nichols, Liberty, Stijl, Irina Kha  and was worn by a number of celebrities (Lou Doillon, Beth Ditto,  Eva Green).  Cathy Pill also worked on a lot of collaborations

http://showstudio.com/contributor/cathy_pill

http://www.bpost.be/site/fr/residential/stamps/philately/stamps/2010/items/11_2010.html

Source
http://www.stampworld.com/