During the spring 2024 semester, a group of master's students in the art history program at Ghent University (UGent), under the supervision of PhD candidate and Revers member Nele Bernheim (UGent-University of Antwerp), compiled Norine (Un)covered: A Catalogue Raisonné of the Brussels Couture House as Pictured in the Press, 1922–1951." The catalog was later translated into a physical format for a three-day exhibition at the Vandenhove Center in late May 2024.

 

Though Belgian avant-garde fashion has long been overlooked, it began with Norine. The first Belgian couture house to innovate rather than imitate, Norine collaborated with artists such as René Magritte, Raoul Dufy, Man Ray, and Max Ernst, pioneering the integration of Surrealism into fashion.

 

Today, only 28 Norine garments are known to exist, making this catalog a valuable resource for fashion collections seeking to identify anonymous pieces as Norine designs.

 

By uncovering 189 designs published in the press between 1922 and 1951, this project documents Norine's work and sheds light on its contributions to Belgian fashion history.

 

Due to copyright restrictions, the catalog, which is hosted on the Omeka S platform, is available by request only. To receive access, please email your name, affiliation, and e-mail address to nele.bernheim@ugent.be.​ 


The images on this webpage show the front and back ends of the Omeka S site used for the Norine couture project, both generously provided by PhD candidate Nele Bernheim. These visuals offer insight into the platform’s structure and the collaborative editorial work behind it. While the front end presents the public-facing catalog, the back end reveals the often unseen research and data entry processes — an essential component of the academic workflow, especially for those who worked primarily behind the scenes.