Belgian costume maker hopes for carnival boom after COVID 'black hole'

Costumes of "Gilles of Binche" are seen at the workshop of Louis Kersten, 82, artisan and renter of costumes for" Gilles of Binche" before the Binche carnival, a UNESCO World Heritage event, in his workshop in Binche, Belgium January 24, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman

Huge ostrich feather headpieces are one of the costumes made by the Kersten family for Belgium's celebrated Mardi Gras carnival, and after the event was cancelled due to COVID in recent years, the 120-year-old family business is hoping for a revival.

Rooted in the Middle Ages, the Binche carnival, a UNESCO World Heritage event, is one of Europe's oldest surviving street carnivals and the biggest in Belgium.