Sundaze is all about that Sunday feeling, with no obligations, only endless possibilities.  Whether your day off is on an actual Sunday or any other day of the week: everybody knows and loves that feeling.  In this topic, I document inspirational people on their day off.  How we spend the day is up to them, no obligations, remember?  Through this topic, I intend to see the city through their eyes, but also find out a little bit more about what drives this person in their daily life.  The first person to offer a peek into her life, is Lies Mertens, a 25 year old graphic designer and leather accessory designer located in Antwerp, but with a lot of love for travel.

On a sunny Thursday morning (as a freelancer you get to choose your days off!), I meet up with Lies Mertens to start the day with a cup of coffee and a chat about the ultimate weekend feeling, her life and her work. We visit Normo, her favorite coffee place in town thanks to the friendly baristas, who are always ready for a chat.  She loves spending time here on her days off but also doesn’t hesitate to bike halfway across the city to spend a short break between appointments here with a cup of her favorite coffee.  Because “Normo is brilliant, really!”

After studying in Ghent for four years, Lies felt the need for something different.  As her parents are from a small village nearby and a lot of her friends live here, she ended up in Antwerp.  She sees Antwerp as a city that offers an interesting mix and a lot of opportunities. She enjoys the fact that Antwerp is so small and that a bike can get you anywhere in no time.

One of those places she frequently rides her bike to, is Antwerp’s botanical garden. Lies is a city gal at heart, thriving on that lively city atmosphere and she’s convinced she’d soon be bored with life on the country side.  But at the same time, she finds it important to be able to set foot in nature frequently. That balance between the silence of nature and the liveliness of the city is something she really needs.    That’s why she regularly – and often impulsively – takes a trip to her favorite destination Scandinavia, to enjoy its beautiful nature.

“A few months ago, I was working on a deadline when I received an email about cheap plane tickets.  I quickly checked some flights and found cheap tickets to Oslo for right after my deadline.  Within a few minutes I had booked a trip to Norway.  I ended up spending a few days in a tiny cabin in the middle of nowhere in Norway, with nothing than the company of a good book.  Few things make me happier than that.”

But closer to home she has some favorites too.  She tries to make long walks in nature on a regular basis, exploring Belgian’s most beautiful nature like the Lommelse Sahara and she’s an avid sporter.  She goes jogging at least twice a week, but also picked up cycling last summer, after winning a mint green Smeg Fridge in a bike race at Bar Left (see the after movie I made of that event here).  Since then she’s been hooked on the sport and whenever the weather allows it, you can find her on her gold racing bike, exploring Flanders’ most beautiful cycle routes.  “My favourite is the Tibeertroute, which takes you along the river Schelde and some wonderful nature.  With a group of likeminded friends, we often get together to ride our bicycles.  We’re only doing it for fun though, so we often take breaks to have a cold beer on a sunny terrace!”

Our next stop is Loa, a new place for streetfood, for which Lies designed the branding in collaboration with Benny Arts. Lies graduated as a graphic designer at Sint-Lucas Ghent but at the time she felt unsure about her career opportunities. Thus Lies decided to add an extra diploma to her curriculum.  She started to study cultural management with a focus on creative industries.  She interned at Designcenter De Winkelhaak, where she helped organize an exposition, but quickly realized that she preferred to be on the creative side of the industry.

Since a year or so, Lies decided to focus on her work as an independent graphic designer and teamed up with collective Holy Mothership, something that has been working out quite well.  “We work in different areas of expertise, ranging from developing apps, animation and photography to logo and book design.  Team work is more fun than working on my own and by using each other’s strengths we achieve better results than on our own.”

Soon she’ll also start working part time at clothing store Fresh, where she’ll be selling brands like Won Hundred and Sessun, which happen to be among her favorites. This job gives her a bit more security and the ability to only take on graphic design jobs that she enjoys doing.  “I prefer working part time in a clothing shop with a fun atmosphere over taking on graphic design assignments that don’t suit me.  Creative freedom is very important to me and I want to work on a strong portfolio in branding and book design that will help me with my career in the long run.”

  

But Lies’ ambitions go beyond graphic design only.  In her never ending search for the perfect handbag, she decided to just make her own.  Her grandmother taught her how to sow, which already gave her some affinity with the trade.  Last September she started studying leather processing, at which she turned out to be quite talented.  Right now she’s working on her first collection of handbags, which she hopes to have up and running by the end of the summer. “I design quality bags that I want to use myself.  Bags that are functional, simple and esthetically pleasing, made out of durable material.”  The sneak peeks she’s been showing on instagram have received great response, and from what I’ve seen of her designs, I’d recommend you to keep an eye out for her collection!

On our way home, we run into some friends having a drink at Dansing Chocola and decide to join them.  This day has been quite a typical peek into Lies’ free time.  She often plans her days to the max, but enjoys leaving room for spontaneity as well.  It’s rare though that you’ll find her doing nothing for a whole day.  She’s not one to waste time, and when it happens she’ll often make up for it the next day.

After sharing a beer with our friends, we part ways.  Lies hops on her bike to her next appointment, that will lead her to a new adventure she’s taking on.  This girl doesn’t sit still, that’s for sure.  You’ll certainly hear more from this talent in the future, so keep an eye out for her!

Lies Mertens - website - instagram - facebook
Normo, Minderbroedersrui 30, 2000 Antwerpen - website - facebook
Botanical garden, Leopoldstraat 24, 2000 Antwerpen
Loa, Hoogstraat 77, 2000 Antwerpen - website - facebook
Fresh, Volkstraat 34, 2000 Antwerpen - website - facebook
Dansing Chocola, Kloosterstraat 195, Antwerpen

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