Kenza Vandeput

Kasbah Kosmic, by Kenza Vandeput Taleb

Kenza Vandeput is one of the fashion voices of a generation for whom a double heritage is as much the rule as the exception, and who agree that circularity really is a big delicious party. Her brand Kasbah Kosmic celebrates and questions her Algerian-Belgian identity by letting North-African and Western-European aesthetics dance with one another in joyful, generous and unique designs. She only uses upcycled materials (such as deadstock fabrics or second hand clothes) and reconstructs them into new garments combining traditional handcraft techniques with screenprinting and patchworking. The result is an eclectic dream of Maghrebian culture consisting of one-of-a-kind pieces that represent the power of a spontaneous moment of creation and freedom. Kasbah Kosmic invites everyone to be proud and open, channeling energy from the deep ancestral Kasbah with a Kosmic vision.

After getting a degree in social work and completing a one year course at the Antwerp Academy, Kenza Vandeput Taleb founded Kasbah Kosmic in 2019. For three years she worked as a social worker by day and fashion designer by night. Her first clients are part of a new generation of pioneering artists and entrepreneurs from the Brussels underground, taking Kasbah Kosmic beyond Brussels and Belgium.
Kenza does pop-up shops at Sexyland (Amsterdam) and at Bond 07 By Selima (New York), participates in the first Outsider Wear Festival and is selected for an artist residency at La S Grand Atelier for outsider art (Vielsalm). In the summer of 2022 she quits her day job to fully focus on Kasbah Kosmic. Next to publications in Les Inrocks and Desoriental, you may have spotted Kenza’s creations in music videos by Caballero, Luvresval, Primero, Loco Dice, … or donned by top tier dj’s on Hör Berlin, Kiosk Radio and at basically every lit party in Brussels. By the end of 2022 Kenza is nominated by the Belgian Fashion Awards for changemaker of the year. In February 2023 she will exhibit at MIMA and she’s also currently working on developing sustainable merch for several artists such as Fléche Love and Sara Dziri. This vision uniting art and entrepreneurship will surely be key for many more exciting things to come.