DESERT ECHOES – “THE BOX”

— Editorial

Desert Echoes - "The Box"

5 min

Endless desert landscapes set the stage for our Summer ’25 campaign, shot in South Africa. The flowing silhouettes and natural fabrics that dominate our collection blended seamlessly with the wild surroundings we found ourselves in. In contrast, a sleek structure added a futuristic, hypermodern touch to it all: a metal cabin with a Bellerose logo, crafted by local Cape Town artisans and designed right here in Brussels.

To learn more about the vision behind this striking blend of nature and modernity, we sat down with Bellerose’s very own Maëlan Delambre, the creative mind behind the cabin’s design. In the following interview, Maëlan shares his inspiration, the collaborative process with Cape Town artisans, and the challenges of bringing this structure to life in the heart of the South African desert.

For those that don’t know you, can you briefly tell us who you are and what you do here at Bellerose?

Bellerose and I go way back. To keep it short: I discovered the brand when I arrived in Belgium about 15 years ago, and I was immediately drawn into the adventure. It all started in the stores, working as a sales assistant. As someone newly arrived in a new country, I needed to find some kind of professional balance. Bellerose is a brand that’s constantly evolving, and I was lucky enough to arrive at a time when things were moving and changing. My journey reflects that same energy.

Today, I’m mainly in charge of new store projects and their interior design, working closely with Derek Van Heurck, our artistic director.

Can you tell us what the idea and the inspiration behind “the box” was?

The idea came from the marketing team, who do an amazing job constantly coming up with new concepts that reflect the Bellerose DNA. They already had a clear visual idea of the shooting locations, along with a precise creative brief. Working under those conditions was easy, as they had a clear vision of how to bring the space to life and the visual universe they were aiming to create.

Different materials were used for its construction; can you elaborate on those materials and why you chose to use those? What are its exact dimensions, actually?

The box measures approximately 3 meters wide and 2.5 meters high.For this project, we had to strike a balance between two aspects: the technical and the aesthetic. Some of the materials were chosen for their lightness, ease of use, and local availability given that we were working from thousands of kilometers away. Others were selected for their visual appeal, in harmony with the Bellerose brand, the collection, and the surrounding environment.What comes through is a bold contrast: nature against a geometric, industrial structure. The organic curves of the dunes versus the rigid lines of the corrugated metal… It’s within this tension that the object truly comes to life.

You designed the box, but the construction itself happened in South Africa. How did you handle this? Was this more complicated than a fully local project, or not at all?

Honestly, not at all. South Africa is actually known for the quality of its production companies.The plans we provided were used as a starting point, then adapted by the local team to suit their materials and assembly methods.They have real expertise, and everything was handled on their side with great professionalism.

We keep calling it “the box”, but what term would you yourself use? 

Great question! I always create a folder on my computer for each project, and the name I gave this one was “cabine” which I think it suits it better than “the box”. A beach cabin like this one would probably be a dream for quite a few seaside resorts!

If it would somehow end up back in your possession and you could use it for whatever you wanted, what would you do with it?

I’d love to see it in real life first.For most of the projects I work on, I get to experience the finished object up close, it helps me fully appreciate it. But since this one was created remotely, I feel like I’ve idealized it a bit, especially after seeing the beautiful campaign images.For its second life, I can imagine it becoming a modern beach cabin… But being more reasonable, I’d prefer that all the materials be recycled, so it can truly become part of a new lifecycle.

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— Editorial

Desert Echoes - "The Box"

Thank you Maëlan!