Serax : Fashion and retail in the spotlight
Its contemporary objects, created by international designers and artisans, have made the Belgian brand a benchmark in the homeware sector. Serax has established a prime position in tableware and, in France, across the European market. Its latest highlights include a first collaboration with fashion designer Kris Van Assche and the launch of an innovative retail concept called Store of the Future.
A third fashion chapter with Kris Van Assche
The relationship between Serax and fashion is a long-lasting love story, built selectively over time. It began with Ann Demeulemeester in 2019, and now a collaboration with another figure of the Antwerp Six seems inevitable. The Belgian designer and Serax’s CEO had both started out in the mid-1980s. While Ann Demeulemeester translated her radical and poetic style into furniture and tableware with Serax, Kris Van Assche is offering something different: his first collection brings a more feminine, sculptural approach, deeply rooted in his personal story and family home.
The designer explains: “I am honored that Serax approached me to create a tableware collection. I named my first collection Joséphine, after my grandmother, for whom setting the table was a true ritual of beauty. This collection reflects my interpretation of pure, strong design, offering the best experience for my guests.”
Kris Van Assche makes his comeback at Serax
The graduate of the Antwerp Fashion Academy has left his mark on two decades of fashion. Kris Van Assche now talks about his first interior objects, which “twist” tradition and modernity.
Your first collection for Serax is called Joséphine. Why this name?
Kris Van Assche — Joséphine de Prins was my paternal grandmother. She taught me the importance of “beauty,” whether it was in dressing well or setting a beautiful table. She even asked me to create floral decorations for festive days. She always sought to make everyday life more aesthetic. To me, she embodied old-fashioned beauty.
Do you see a link between fashion and design?
K.-V.A. — The aesthetics of the past are an intrinsic reference for me, but I like to reinvent them. As in fashion, everything starts with form and material. I like the tension created by mixing opposing elements: silvered porcelain, ornamental concrete… I also gave a square base to very recognizable shapes. With vases, I was interested in the way a bouquet or a single flower occupies space. That’s why I imagined a glass tube with angles allowing — or not — a flower to slide in. The idea is pushed even further with a blown glass poppy or tulip stem.
You also revisit a classic object, long forgotten: the candy box…
K.-V.A. — It’s a piece that embodies classical influence at its peak. The candy box reflects a lifestyle, a lost elegance… It’s the most “old-fashioned” object I’ve ever designed! And precisely for that reason, it’s exciting to reinterpret it. An unexpected material like concrete completely changes its perception.
Original support for retailers
With more than 4,000 references, Serax is present in a wide range of countries. “In Europe, France and the Netherlands are growing markets,” says Dries Stuer. “The United States, China, and the Middle East are also strong growth areas.”
At the Antwerp showroom, a new space called the Serax Living Lab showcases product installations across graphic counters of different sizes. These displays combine tableware, decorative objects, and lighting, offering inspiration for all retailers interested in the Store of the Future.
Dries Stuer explains the concept: “It’s about redefining retail by renewing the shopping experience. Retailers don’t need to hold stock: orders are shipped directly to the consumer, using a unique store code.”
The first Store of the Future openings in Ghent and Brussels have been successful. Three French retailers have already shown interest, with possible openings in Paris or Lille.
Source: Home Fashion News Magazine – September 2025 (HFN58)
