Just weeks before Belgium shut down the country on March 17 in order to curb the spread of Covid-19, Belgian designer Christian Wijnants—who is known for his sculptural and avant-garde, yet comfortable aesthetic—presented his eponymous Fall/Winter 2020 collection at Palais de Tokyo in Paris. Wijnants looked back to a Sunday afternoon at a museum, where he saw Belgian master paintings, ancient Greek sculptures, and antiquities unearthed from centuries ago, to create the melange of looks. Crocheted pieces made by hand emulate reptilian scales, while fluid jumpsuits reflect the movement of Greek goddesses. Structured suits feature vibrant prints. And then just weeks later, Wijnants found himself having to shut down his atelier in Antwerp and work from home. “The health of my friends, family, and team is the most important at the moment,” said the designer. “But, I am also very concerned about my brand and am working really hard with my team to discover new ways of working and finding solutions in these challenging times.”

These days, Wijnants spends his time between his empty office and home. “Everything is much more quiet in the office—less calls, less people, less distractions, meetings—so it is actually very peaceful and allows me to be able to really focus on what I am doing,” he said. “Working from home is also very convenient for me. In a serene environment, I can work more freely and find it easier to create.”

When he’s not working, Wijnants loved to spend his pre-lockdown days in museums and dining at restaurants, but now that he’s home more, he’s been rereading a lot of his favorite Belgian and French comics, and binge-watching the Netflix series Unorthodox. “Since I live by myself in an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood, I find it interesting to learn more about this community,” said Wijnants. “Antwerp is known as one of the biggest Orthodox Jewish communities in Europe.” Wijnants has also been rewatching some of his favorite films. Here, he lists a handful of them:

Kika, directed by Pedro Almodovar

“As a teenager, I was fascinated by Almodovar’s loud and eccentric style and especially loved Jean Paul Gaultier’s costumes in the movie.”

Grand Budapest Hotel, directed by Wes Anderson
“I love every Wes Anderson movie, but this one in particular continues to fascinate me with its amazing sets, poetic world, and beautiful characters.”

Spirited Away, directed by Hayo Miyazaki
“Dreamy and poetic, brings me to another world.”

Black Cat, White Cat, directed by Emir Kusturica
“One of my favorite movies, for its strong rhythm, great music, and humor.”

The English Patient, directed by Anthony Minghella
“I love historical movies, and this one in particular due to the beautiful performance by the mesmerizing Kristin Scott Thomas; she has so much class!”

Amélie, directed by Jean Pierre Jeunet
“Captivating movie with so many ideas and its fresh approach to telling a story.”