Brussels Philharmonic and Café Costume push innovation in traditional concert attire for orchestra musicians
Brussels, 23 May 2025 – For the Queen Elisabeth Competition—often described as the Olympics of classical music—the musicians of Brussels Philharmonic will take the stage wearing the new Symphonic Sporting Jacket – next generation, developed by Belgian tailor Café Costume. This new creation marks the next phase in the ongoing collaboration between the tailor and the orchestra, resulting in a jacket that unites exceptional comfort and freedom of movement with refined aesthetics and technical innovation.
With this new step, Café Costume builds on 15 years of collaboration with Brussels Philharmonic, drawing inspiration from the many parallels between professional orchestra musicians and athletes. It’s no coincidence that Café Costume is also the official tailor of the Belgian Olympic team—and that Brussels Philharmonic is preparing for the final of one of the most demanding and prestigious classical music competitions in the world.
Musical Top Performance
“The parallels between top musicians and top athletes speak for themselves,” says Gunther Broucke, intendant of Brussels Philharmonic. "But while in the world of sports, continuous research and innovation lead to technological progress in areas like clothing—to enhance performance—classical musicians often still perform in outfits that restrict movement, are uncomfortable, and fail to account for the temperatures and physical effort involved in a concert.”
A Technical Revolution
To create the Symphonic Sporting Jacket – next generation, Café Costume combined over a decade of experience with ongoing research and the latest advancements in tailoring and textiles.
“We revisited the traditional structure of the tailored jacket and completely redesigned it,” says Bruno Van Gils, founder and creative director of Café Costume. “The result is a newly engineered, optimally flexible fit. Thanks to a refined construction, the jacket is exceptionally lightweight—and incredibly comfortable to wear.”
Each jacket is entirely custom-made. In close consultation with each musician, the design was individually adapted to suit their needs and instrument. Some sleeves needed to be longer; some back panels wider—to allow for a greater range of movement.
"while in the world of sports, continuous research and innovation lead to technological progress in areas like clothing—to enhance performance—classical musicians often still perform in outfits that restrict movement"
Tuxedo Meets Sports Jacket
The jacket is crafted from a high-performance fabric: breathable, wrinkle-resistant, and highly stretchable. “In its timeless combination of black and midnight blue, it has the look of a classic tuxedo—while offering the comfort of a modern sports jacket.”
“The greatest challenge was to make this jacket even lighter and more flexible than the previous version—without compromising its timeless look,” Van Gils explains.
“The feedback from musicians helped us reduce the design to its purest form. Thanks to extensive try-outs, we pushed the technical boundaries. This is the most innovative jacket we’ve created since the beginning of our collaboration.”
15 Years of Collaboration and Innovation – Made in Belgium
In 2010, Brussels Philharmonic first invited Café Costume to take a fresh look at traditional concert dress. The result was a sleek, contemporary look, with each musician outfitted in a custom-tailored tuxedo. In 2016, the first Symphonic Sporting Jacket was introduced: a featherlight, elegant garment designed to support musicians in delivering top-level performances in comfort and style.
Today, this vision takes another step forward: a technologically advanced jacket that combines the best of high-performance sportswear with a refined, modern aesthetic—designed to meet the physical and artistic demands of professional music-making.
