A guide to the jewelry designer in Antwerp

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I was born in Ghent and I came for the first time in Antwerp to study at the city's ballet school over 15 years ago. I had to abandon the dance after starting to feel physical difficulties in my last year, but I had the chance to find another passion in jewelry shortly after moving here. Antwerp is known as Diamond Capital of the World and we are fortunate to have some of the best workshops and dealers in the city, so there is a lot of knowledge and know-how in terms of jewelry.

What makes Antwerp so unique is its creative energy: since the 1600s, it has been a different craft center and interesting artistic profiles, artists such as Peter Paul Rubens and Rinus Van de Velde to Willy Vanderperre fashion photographer and designer Pieter Mulier. There is a tolerance and an opening that make it a very inspiring place to live, but everything is always on a human scale. Whenever I travel to a larger city like Paris or London, I am always happy to go home.

A typical Saturday, I will start the day with yoga, then go out for breakfast at La Revista in the south of the city with my husband or my friends before catching an exhibition. The Royal Museum of Fine Arts has one of the largest collections of (Belgian painter James) Ensor in the world, so you can really take your time and walk. There are also contemporary galleries such as Tim Van Laere and the Axel Vervoordt cultural complex about 15 minutes by car from the city. He often has interesting events and presentations of the artists he represents – it is really worth visiting if you have time.

To shop, I count on Dries van Notten – it's the pope

Regarding restaurants, we are very spoiled: there are always new things that appear. One of my favorites is Pottenbrug, a small French-Belgian bistro belonging to the family. It seems very authentic, and everything on the menu is good, although I particularly like the turbot. If you like fish, Misera, which is in the new part of the South, is also an excellent choice. But on Sunday, I love going to Arte, a classic Italian who has the best atmosphere – many people come together, so you are always likely to come across someone. It's a great way to finish the week and start the next one. The Cotoletta Milanese is always delicious.

To shop, I count on Dries Van Notten – it's the Pope. I try not to buy too much clothes and the big thing about the brand is that you can wear its parts for a long time and combine them with things you already have. Another department store is Houben, which stores chic brands like The Row, although I have to go away because it is dangerous. And if you like antiques, I would recommend that you go to Kloosterstraat, a street at the corner of my exhibition hall which has a lot of vintage shops and antiques, as well as Erik Tonen books, one of the best bookstores in the city. I am addicted to the purchase of books and I have a large collection of works on vintage jewelry.

A large part of my inspiration has just walked in the city – Antwerp's architecture is a nice mixture of modern and very classic buildings, which I try to combine in my work. Something most tourists do not know is that the cathedral in the center of the city has a garden, which is very isolated. This is the best place to relax because it is closed, so you don't hear anything.

There are always new things to discover in Antwerp and people are adventurous here – they dare to take risks and build their own stories. Yes, it may be one of the small European towns, but it is very dynamic with great creativity. Conception and crafts are always at the heart of the city, which gives it a certain energy and a feeling that people can be free and entirely themselves. There is nothing more inspiring than that.