The Belgian Fashion Awards 2022 took place on the 24th of November 2022 in Brussels.

Since 2017, the ‘Belgian Fashion Awards’ are organised every year by Flanders DC, MAD Brussels, WBDM, Knack Weekend and Le Vif Weekend. These awards were established in order to turn the spotlight on the reputation, creativity and diversity of Belgian fashion, both on a national and international level. Our aim is to also showcase less well-known names and the talent behind the scenes. Every year, the awards are an occasion to celebrate Belgian fashion, meet people and strengthen bonds within the creative sector. We show the world that Belgian fashion stands for independence, personality and sustainability. In the world of fashion, we are known to be surrealist, modest, hardworking, avant-garde and no-nonsense. Belgian fashion lets the work speak for itself. During the awards, we set our modesty aside and promote Belgian fashion.

The Belgian Fashion Awards 2022 will take place on the 24th of November 2022 in Brussels.

Since 2017, the ‘Belgian Fashion Awards’ are organised every year by Flanders DC, MAD Brussels, WBDM, Knack Weekend and Le Vif Weekend. These awards were established in order to turn the spotlight on the reputation, creativity and diversity of Belgian fashion, both on a national and international level. Our aim is to also showcase less well-known names and the talent behind the scenes. Every year, the awards are an occasion to celebrate Belgian fashion, meet people and strengthen bonds within the creative sector. We show the world that Belgian fashion stands for independence, personality and sustainability. In the world of fashion, we are known to be surrealist, modest, hardworking, avant-garde and no-nonsense. Belgian fashion lets the work speak for itself. During the awards, we set our modesty aside and promote Belgian fashion.

Belgian
Fashion
Awards

The Fashion Awards recognize and celebrate talent and creativity within the Belgian fashion community

The Jury Prize

rewards a Belgian designer or a designer working for a Belgian fashion house. The work in one’s own name or for a fashion house wins over the jury. This prize honours the career path of the designer. Nominations are by the members of the Official Jury.

Professional of the year

is awarded to a Belgian professional in the fashion sector, with the exception of designers, who has been noteworthy during the past 24 months.

Emerging talent of the year

is assigned to young talent or a Belgian label active in Belgium with a strong concept or great creativity. The winner must have been active in the professional milieu with his or her own collection for a maximum of 3 years. The winner receives a cash prize of € 5,000.

Fashion brand of the year

is an audience award for which Belgian brands can apply. The general public can choose their favourite via www.belgianfashionawards.be from a final selection of 10 Belgian brands carefully selected by a professional jury. The brand with the most votes wins the audience award.

Designer of the year

is awarded to a Belgian designer working in Belgium whose work in his or her own name or for a fashion house impressed the jury during the past 24 months.

Changemaker of the year

is awarded to a committed designer or entrepreneur active in the Belgian fashion industry who has provided an outstanding contribution towards positive change during the past 24 months, for instance in striving for more sustainability, inclusivity or innovation.

Most promising graduate

is awarded to an alumnus of a Belgian fashion school who graduated in June of the previous academic year. Belgian schools belonging to this category are: Royal Academy of Antwerp, La Cambre, SASK, KASK, HE Francisco Ferrer, Helmo Mode, Château Massart Mode.

Belgian
Fashion
Awards

The Fashion Awards recognize and celebrate talent and creativity within the Belgian fashion community

The Jury Prize

rewards a Belgian designer or a designer working for a Belgian fashion house. The work in one’s own name or for a fashion house wins over the jury. This prize honours the career path of the designer. Nominations are by the members of the Official Jury.

Professional of the year

is awarded to a Belgian professional in the fashion sector, with the exception of designers, who has been noteworthy during the past 12 months.

Emerging talent of the year

is assigned to young talent or a Belgian label active in Belgium with a strong concept or great creativity. The winner must have been active in the professional milieu with his or her own collection for a maximum of 3 years. The winner receives a cash prize of € 5,000.

Fashion brand of the year

is an audience award for which Belgian brands can apply. The general public can choose their favourite via www.belgianfashionawards.be from a final selection of 10 Belgian brands carefully selected by a professional jury. The brand with the most votes wins the audience award.

Designer of the year

is awarded to a Belgian designer working in Belgium whose work in his or her own name or for a fashion house impressed the jury during the past 12 months.

Changemaker of the year

is awarded to a committed designer or entrepreneur active in the Belgian fashion industry who has provided an outstanding contribution towards positive change during the past 24 months, for instance in striving for more sustainability, inclusivity or innovation.

Most promising graduate

is awarded to an alumnus of a Belgian fashion school who graduated in June of the previous academic year. Belgian schools belonging to this category are: Royal Academy of Antwerp, La Cambre, SASK, KASK, HE Francisco Ferrer, Helmo Mode, Château Massart Mode.

Winners
Belgian
fashion
Awards

The Jury Prize

Stephanie D’Heygere

Stéphanie D’heygere graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp in 2099, and began her career at Maison Margiela, where she was Head of Jewellery from 2011 to 2015. She then worked for Dior and in 2018 she founded her own eponymous label for jewellery and accessories. She won the ANDAM Accessories Prize and was highly praised by the fashion industry. Her innovative, striking unisex pieces give every day items a different twist, with a perfect balance between form and functionality. She has a strong preference for minimalist but striking pieces. Her avant-garde spirit is reminiscent of Marcel Duchamp and Marcel Broodthaers; she, too, explores the interaction between opposites. She also makes jewellery and accessories for Jacquemus, Y/Project and A.P.C.
Picture ©Arnaud Lajeunie

Designer of the year

Glenn Martens – Diesel / Gauthier

Glenn Martens (39) was born in Bruges and studied fashion at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. When he graduated in 2008 he was already working for Jean-Paul Gaultier in Paris. In 2010 he became first assistant to Yohan Serfaty for Y/Project, and also worked together with Bruno Pieters for Honest By and Weekday (H&M). In 2012 he launched his own brand, and a year later he once again took up the reins at the Paris label Y/Project, becoming one of the up and coming fashion designers. His feeling for conceptual research, his sense of humour, his versatility and his radical ideas make him an exceptional designer. He won numerous awards (ANDAM, Belgian Fashion Awards, amongst others), collaborated with Ugg, Diesel, Canada Goose and launched Evergreen, the first eco-friendly collection of Y/Project. In 2020 he became Creative Director of Diesel. In January 2022 he created a unique Haute Couture collection for Jean-Paul Gaultier SS 2022.
Picture ©Arnaud Lajeunie

Emerging talent of the year

Florentina Leitner

Florentina Leitner was born in Vienna in 1996 and studied fashion at the Fashion Institute Vienna. She left Austria in 2015 to study at the Royal Academy of Fine Art in Antwerp, and ever since she has lived and worked in this city. She graduated in 2020 and started her career working for Wendy & Jim, Dries Van Noten and Komono. At the same time she pursued her personal projects, such as a piece for Lady Gaga in collaboration with the City of Antwerp and MoMu, as well as prints for the American label Lessless. In December 2020 she launched her eponymous label, aimed at the ‘girly, fun’ woman who loves floral prints with a twist, in other words, a woman who, like her, ‘loves art and fashion’.
Photo ©Benjamin Mallek

Professional of the year

Mous Lamrabat

Mous Lamrabat (1983) was born in the north of Morocco. He grew up in Belgium, where he studied interior architecture, and then taught himself photography. He likes to exploit his dual culture: his unique vision on fashion photography is inspired by the fusion of his Moroccan roots and the Western world. His images are purposely absurd and surrealist, sometimes even provocative. He uses playful references to icons from the fashion world in his work, and likes photographing people embracing. He prefers to hide the faces of his subjects, so that everybody can recognise themselves in the images. “I want to use love and humour to convey my message,” he says. He had worked with Walter Van Beirendonck, Vogue US, Vogue Arabia and has had exhibitions at FOMU, amongst others.

Changemaker of the year

Ester Manas & Balthazar Delepierre

Spotted by the prestigious H&M Design Award, the Hyères Festival, the LVMH Prize and the ANDAM Prize, Ester Manas is considered a pioneer in size inclusivity in the fashion industry. The label was founded in 2019 and designs bold collections for fierce & joyful women. The duo behind the brand name are inspired by women’s empowerment and sisterhood, creating sustainable and ethically responsible pieces. Collection after collection, Ester Manas and Balthazar Delepierre bring sensual, bold pieces showcasing their avant-garde and inclusive vision of the woman’s body: liberated and powerful. They use a sustainable and responsible production method. Manas women are fierce, glamorous, generous and independent.
Photo ©Elodie Gerard

Most promising graduate of the year

Sebastian Van Canneyt – KASK, Gent

During his time at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent Sebastian Van Canneyt sought to blur and explore the boundaries between fashion and art. Fascinated by ‘the object’ he explored ways to turn garments into objects and vice versa. In his latest body of work he takes this fascination even further in an exposition titled ‘Endegem’ centred around ‘Ferdinand de straatstenenlegger’ whose story is told in the eponymous poetry collection. His story is the basis on which Sebastian created clothing, paintings and installations.
Photo ©Nadia Smialowska

Brand of the year

Xandres

For 55 years, diversity and inclusiveness have been the most important values for this brand. This year they decided to emphasise this by getting rid of labels, adapting their shop concepts and completely integrating the Xandres Gold brand into Xandres. They kick-started the new story with an interactive Flagship Store in Antwerp. This year Xandres also launched the first ICONIC Capsule Collection, 12 timeless pieces that represent the signature of the label. They also focus on durability, through innovative projects and collaborations to use more leftover fabrics or yarns. They also set up a Repair & Care Program for their clients.

Belgian Fashion Awards x UPR prize

Rosie Antwerp

From the nominees for the Belgian Fashion Awards, PR and communication agency UPR Agency selects one brand that can rely on their professional advice and strategic insight for a season. In 2022, the quirky Rosie Antwerp, founded in 2021 by sisters Marie and Ellen Martens, wins this prize.

Jury Belgian Fashion Awards

President of the jury: Vena Brykalin

Fashion Director Vogue Ukraine

Aya Noël

Online editor 1 Granary

picture©alexandra bertels

Élodie Ouédraogo

Creative & Co-founder UNRUN4254

picture©Joris Casaer

Branko Popovic

Co-founder/director FASHIONCLASH Foundation

picture© FilepMotwary

Caroline Esgain

Director Fashion & Lace Museum

Jesse Brouns

Freelance fashion journalist

Nicolas di Felice

Creative Director of Courrèges

Serge Carreira

Head of Emerging Brands Initiative at Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la mode

Orsola de Castro

co-founder of fashion revolution

Marie-Hélène Vanderborght

Editor of C’est du Belge, RTBF

Elisa de Wyngaert

Curator MoMu Antwerp

Eve Demoen

Curator Modemuseum Hasselt

Pascale Mussard

Présidente Villa Noailles

Thibaud Guyonnet

Creative Director & Head of Buying at Voo Store Berlin

Milou Van Rossum

Editor NRC Magazine. Fashion critic.

Nominees
Belgian
fashion
Awards

Designer
of the year:

This prize is awarded to a Belgian designer or a designer working in Belgium whose work in his or her own name or for a fashion house impressed the jury during the past 24 months.

CHARLOTTE DE GEYTER

Charlotte De Geyter was born on13th June 1992 in Antwerp. She studied Fashion at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and graduated with a master’s degree in 2016. Charlotte developed a signature aesthetic with her recognizable drawings, use of colour and personal view on femininity. After working in London, she decided to go her own way, moving back to Antwerp and launching her brand BERNADETTE together with her mother. After a successful launch with Net-a-Porter the label has expanded globally over the past years, branching out in ready-to-wear and homeware.
Picture ©Phil Engelhardt

STEPHANIE D’HEYGERE

Stéphanie D’heygere graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp in 2099, and began her career at Maison Margiela, where she was Head of Jewellery from 2011 to 2015. She then worked for Dior and in 2018 she founded her own eponymous label for jewellery and accessories. She won the ANDAM Accessories Prize and was highly praised by the fashion industry. Her innovative, striking unisex pieces give every day items a different twist, with a perfect balance between form and functionality. She has a strong preference for minimalist but striking pieces. Her avant-garde spirit is reminiscent of Marcel Duchamp and Marcel Broodthaers; she, too, explores the interaction between opposites. She also makes jewellery and accessories for Jacquemus, Y/Project and A.P.C.
Picture ©Arnaud Lajeunie

GLENN MARTENS

Glenn Martens (39) was born in Bruges and studied fashion at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. When he graduated in 2008 he was already working for Jean-Paul Gaultier in Paris. In 2010 he became first assistant to Yohan Serfaty for Y/Project, and also worked together with Bruno Pieters for Honest By and Weekday (H&M). In 2012 he launched his own brand, and a year later he once again took up the reins at the Paris label Y/Project, becoming one of the up and coming fashion designers. His feeling for conceptual research, his sense of humour, his versatility and his radical ideas make him an exceptional designer. He won numerous awards (ANDAM, Belgian Fashion Awards, amongst others), collaborated with Ugg, Diesel, Canada Goose and launched Evergreen, the first eco-friendly collection of Y/Project. In 2020 he became Creative Director of Diesel. In January 2022 he created a unique Haute Couture collection for Jean-Paul Gaultier SS 2022.
Picture ©Arnaud Lajeunie

ESTER MANAS

Spotted by the prestigious H&M Design Award, the Hyères Festival, the LVMH Prize and the ANDAM Prize, Ester Manas is considered a pioneer in size inclusivity in the fashion industry. The label was founded in 2019 and designs bold collections for fierce & joyful women. The duo behind the brand name are inspired by women’s empowerment and sisterhood, creating sustainable and ethically responsible pieces. Collection after collection, Ester Manas and Balthazar Delepierre bring sensual, bold pieces showcasing their avant-garde and inclusive vision of the woman’s body: liberated and powerful. They use a sustainable and responsible production method. Manas women are fierce, glamorous, generous and independent.
Picture ©Elodie Gerard

PIETER MULIER

When Pieter Mulier graduated in Design and Architecture in 2001, his flair for clothing caught the eye of Raf Simons, who offered him a Menswear design position at his eponymous label. In 2005, he was appointed Accessories Design Director at Jil Sander, where he discovered his passion for designing accessories. In 2012 he entered the world of couture as Design Director at Dior for Women’s Couture, RTW and Accessories. In 2016, he moved to NYC as Global Creative Director, together with Raf Simons, at Calvin Klein. There, he led the creative teams until 2019. In February 2021, Alaïa appointed Pieter Mulier as their Creative Director. He presented his first collection for Alaïa in July 2021, focusing on femininity and carrying the values of the House into the future.

Nominees
Belgian
fashion
Awards

Professional
of the year:

A professional of the fashion industry whose work has been particularly remarkable in the last 24 months but who is not a designer (stylist, photographer, artist, model)

MOUS LAMRABAT

Mous Lamrabat (1983) was born in the north of Morocco. He grew up in Belgium, where he studied interior architecture, and then taught himself photography. He likes to exploit his dual culture: his unique vision on fashion photography is inspired by the fusion of his Moroccan roots and the Western world. His images are purposely absurd and surrealist, sometimes even provocative. He uses playful references to icons from the fashion world in his work, and likes photographing people embracing. He prefers to hide the faces of his subjects, so that everybody can recognise themselves in the images. “I want to use love and humour to convey my message,” he says. He had worked with Walter Van Beirendonck, Vogue US, Vogue Arabia and has had exhibitions at FOMU, amongst others.

BIANCA QUETS LUZZI

After stints at fashion houses Maison Martin Margiela and Dirk Bikkembergs, as well as a career in politics, Bianca Quets Luzi (born in1976 in Genk, Belgium) started at Raf Simons’ eponymous menswear brand in 2008. One year later she was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the company, a position she’s been holding ever since. Since it was founded in 1995, the Raf Simons brand has gained international recognition, being highly respected for its innovative and intelligent approach to fashion design. Simons and Quets Luzi are a quasi-symbiotic duo: Simons can focus exclusively on the creative side, while Quets Luzi takes care of the financial and strategic side. The fashion house, which worked with a licensing partner for years, regained full independence with Quets Luzi at the helm, and it has recently expanded into womenswear.
Picture ©Willy Vanderperre

KAAT DEBO

Kaat Debo is the director of MoMu, the Antwerp Fashion Museum. She studied Literature and Philosophy at universities in Antwerp and Berlin, and joined MoMu in 2001 as a curator, working on the museum’s exhibitions and publications. From 2007 to 2008 she was editor-in-chief of A MAGAZINE, and in 2009 she was appointed general director and chief curator of MoMu. Since joining MoMu she has worked with some of the world’s leading fashion designers and fashion houses. During her 20+ years at the museum she has staged more than 35 exhibitions, of which she curated several herself. She helped to enhance the museum’s international reputation, for instance by taking its exhibitions all over the world, from Paris and London to Tokyo and Melbourne. She oversaw the extensive renovation and extension of the museum between 2018 and 2021. She gives regular lectures on contemporary (Belgian) fashion.
Picture ©Frederik Vercruysse

THIERRY BRUNFAUT AND DIMITRI JEURISSEN,
co-founders BASE DESIGN

Base Design is an international network of studios that creates brands with cultural impact. Located in Brussels, New York, Geneva, and Melbourne, our team of creatives, art directors, strategists and digital experts design and develop simple yet powerful brands, and build unique personalities. Its clients include Apple, The Louis Vuitton Foundation, Dior, The New York Times, MoMA, The Bob Dylan Center, Institut Français de la Mode, The Prince Estate, Studio Brussel, Deezer and Ace & Tate. Its work has been recognized by the German National Design Awards, Fast Company’s Innovation By Design Award, and the D&AD Awards for excellence in branding.
Photo credits: Ace & Tate, Dior: Marion Berrin for M le Magazine du Monde

FREDERIK HEYMAN

Frederik Heyman (born 1984) uses multiple media in his work. In each image every element and action are carefully designed and defined in advance. The artist uses photogrammetry to stage digital worlds out of relics of the past. To him, the 3D-scan is not only a means to conserve the past, but also a means to recycle the present and an attempt shape the future. Heyman explores the desire to overcome humanity. Technology and the human body are the protagonists. His imagery, whether based on fact or fiction, ask us how we want to remember. His clients are, amongst others, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Burberry, Mugler and Y/Project.

Website

Instagram

Nominees
Belgian
fashion
Awards

Changemaker
of the year:

A committed designer or entrepreneur active in the Belgian fashion industry who has provided an outstanding contribution towards positive change during the past 24 months, for instance in striving for more sustainability, inclusivity or innovation.

ESTER MANAS

Spotted by the prestigious H&M Design Award, the Hyères Festival, the LVMH Prize and the ANDAM Prize, Ester Manas is considered a pioneer in size inclusivity in the fashion industry. The label was founded in 2019 and designs bold collections for fierce & joyful women. The duo behind the brand name are inspired by women’s empowerment and sisterhood, creating sustainable and ethically responsible pieces. Collection after collection, Ester Manas and Balthazar Delepierre bring sensual, bold pieces showcasing their avant-garde and inclusive vision of the woman’s body: liberated and powerful. They use a sustainable and responsible production method. Manas women are fierce, glamorous, generous and independent.
Photo ©Elodie Gerard

SHAYLI HARRISON

Shayli is an alumna of the Antwerp Fashion Department and she has her own radical aesthetic. Her designs have been worn by Björk on tour and were featured in international fashion magazines. During her studies, Shayli developed an interest in speculative design and digital futures, which led to the first VR presentation shown at the Academy. Completing her Masters in 2018, Shayli produced Vision 12, a VR artwork commissioned by Z33 Gallery in Hasselt (Belgium). Until the pandemic Shayli worked at Manish Arora fashion house in New Delhi and then she returned to Antwerp to develop her first digital fashion collection. Through this experience she founded MUTANI, a digital fashion network connecting radical designers with digital developers to produce digital fashion pieces to wear in games and virtual worlds.

SIRÉ KABA

Erratum Fashion was founded by Siré Kaba, a Belgian Communication Manager and fashion designer of Guinean origin. Siré started her label when she came back from Senegal in 2014 with a suitcase full of African materials that inspired her and made her want to do something about the lack of African representation in Belgium. Her colourful, elegant clothes are entirely made in Belgium, from African materials such as woven pagne, batik, indigo or wax which “she loves a lot, in spite of its complex history.” The atelier of Erratum in Molenbeek is part of a social project for professional re-integration. Siré Kaba dressed princess Delphine for her first public appearance at the parade for the July National Holiday in 2021.
Photo ©Berberism

KENZA VANDEPUT

Kenza Vandeput-Taleb was born and lives in Brussels. She studied Social Work and then took a one-year course at the Royal Academy in Antwerp. Working as a social worker by day and designing in the evening, she founded Kasbah Kosmic in 2019. She is passionate abound vintage, second-hand clothes and up-cycling, so it seemed natural for her to concentrate on durable fashion. Kasbah Kosmic celebrates and questions its Belgian-Algerian heritage in its up-cycled, customized and reconstituted creations. At the moment Kenza dedicates 100% of her time to her project, using artisanal techniques, mixing materials in a quirky, unique and playful aesthetic.

MURIELLE SCHERRE

Murielle Scherre, alumnus of the fashion academy in Ghent, set up her avantgarde lingerie brand ‘la fille d’O’ in 2003. Her pieces are truly aimed at the modern woman: bold, inclusive and sustainable in every way. They are produced in a small Belgian factory using 90% locally sourced fabrics that are Oeko-Tex certified, without toxic dyes or coatings. The timeless designs are made to last, but also with the possibility of retouching or resizing if necessary. The brand doesn’t participate in trends, seasons or collections, and stock is kept very limited to produce as little waste as possible. Murielle Scherre is setting a great example for Belgian brands as a sustainable and inclusive frontrunner. Her collaboration with designer Sébastien Meunier in de-gendering lingerie is a great example. This year, she was guest curator for the exhibition DressUndress at Modemuseum Hasselt, which explores the tantalising field of tension between clothing and the body and questions prevailing ideals of beauty.
Photo ©La Fille d’O

Nominees
Belgian
fashion
Awards

Emerging talent
of the year:

A young Belgian talent, Belgian label or designer installed in Belgium that shows a strong concept or a great creativity (own collection since max 3 years).

EDOUARD BOTH

While Eduard Both was completing his Master’s degree at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp in 2017, his label CAP Studio – the initials stand for Creative Anonymous Projects – was launched to wide, international acclaim. Both’s knitwear collection appealed to retailers such as Browns, 10 Corso Como and Renaissance. He then worked as a knitwear designer for fashion houses Miu Miu, Ports 1961 and Louis Vuitton, putting CAP Studio temporarily on hold. In 2021 he brought CAP Studio back to life for an entirely new chapter. Moving away from its original focus on knitwear, CAP now concentrates on the men’s shirt, transforming it into a timeless and unisex wardrobe item. He continues to design remotely for Italian and Belgian clients such as Meryll Rogge.
Photo ©Anton Fayle

FLORENTINA LEITNER

Florentina Leitner was born in Vienna in 1996 and studied fashion at the Fashion Institute Vienna. She left Austria in 2015 to study at the Royal Academy of Fine Art in Antwerp, and ever since she has lived and worked in this city. She graduated in 2020 and started her career working for Wendy & Jim, Dries Van Noten and Komono. At the same time she pursued her personal projects, such as a piece for Lady Gaga in collaboration with the City of Antwerp and MoMu, as well as prints for the American label Lessless. In December 2020 she launched her eponymous label, aimed at the ‘girly, fun’ woman who loves floral prints with a twist, in other words, a woman who, like her, ‘loves art and fashion’.
Photo ©Benjamin Mallek

SARAH DE SAINT HUBERT

Sarah De Saint Hubert graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp in 2002. Inspired by her Belgian and French heritage, the marriage between rock ’n’ roll and femininity is tangible throughout her collections. Sarah has built a brand driven by knowledge, passion & authenticity, focused on everyday wardrobe essentials and investment pieces for the modern woman who seeks timeless yet rebellious approach to style. Sarah landed her first internship in Paris working for Givenchy’s Haute Couture collections. She expanded her horizon by working for Alberta Ferretti in Italy. After these international experiences Sarah joined Belgian designer Ann Demeulemeester, and worked there as an assistant for four years. Then she decided to take a break from fashion. When she returned, Sarah went to work as an assistant at A.F. Vandevorst. Then SARAH DE SAINT HUBERT was launched in 2019.
Photo ©Nam Simonis

MARIE MARTENS

Marie Martens graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp in 2020 and immediately started several months of internship at Dries Van Noten. She realized her dream was still to start her own label, which she did together with her sister Ellen Martens, a Marketing graduate who specialised in fashion. This was the beginning of Rosie Antwerp. Rosie distinguishes itself by its unique hand-drawn prints and elegant yet modern silhouettes. With their distinctive talents, the sisters create a young and unique vision of what women want to feel like when they get dressed in the morning. This will always be the focal point of their collections, because a woman who feels beautiful exudes beauty.
Picture ©Oriane Verstraeten

FERNANDO MIRO & ALIZÉE LOUBET

MIPINTA was born from a meeting between Europe and Brazil, two geographical places that define the main influences of the brand. Brussels, the European capital, is the point of convergence, where designers Fernando Miró and Alizée Loubet met when they began their studies at La Cambre Mode[s]. MIPINTA is all about the freedom to explore stereotypes and invent a new sartorial language. Bearing in mind the boundaries that determine men’s clothing, MIPINTA liberates the meaning of existing pieces to celebrate a masculinity free from prejudices and preconceived ideas. They reuse existing materials and commit to work in a circular way, offering new ways of making fashion. MIPINTA brings a diverse, alternative and optimistic voice to contemporary menswear.

Nominees
Belgian
fashion
Awards

Most promising graduate
of the year

Promising student from a Belgian fashion school who has graduated in June 2022.

CHING-LIN CHEN – ROYAL ACADEMY OF ANTWERP

Taiwan-born Ching-Lin Chen graduated with the highest distinction from the Antwerp Fashion Department in 2022. Before studying in Antwerp, he graduated from Shih-Chien University, Taiwan in 2014. From 2015 to 2018, Ching-Lin worked as a womenswear/knitwear designer for the Taiwanese luxury brand Shiatzy Chen. Ching-Lin focuses on avant-garde but wearable fashion. His collections show his craftsmanship and interest!n experimenting with silhouettes. He often uses wool, jacquard and floral fabrics in rich contrasting colours. His design concept is both romantic and neutral, reflecting his ideas and showing his long experience as a designer.

MÉGANE GAILLIEZ – HEFF

Since she was eight years old, the young Belgian designer who is now 24 has been interested in art. After her secondary studies in art at the Athénée royal in Rixensart she studied styling and design at the Haute Ecole Francisco Ferrer. She did an apprenticeship with Rue Blanche and worked as a costume maker and dresser for a short film. She also took part in collaborations between her school and Bozar and with Ensait in Lille, and she was an extra in a short film for the Musée Mode et Dentelle. In her collection Effervescence she mixes materials, prints and colours, with a preference for oversized.

SEBASTIAN VAN CANNEYT – KASK GENT

During his time at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent Sebastian Van Canneyt sought to blur and explore the boundaries between fashion and art. Fascinated by ‘the object’ he explored ways to turn garments into objects and vice versa. In his latest body of work he takes this fascination even further in an exposition titled ‘Endegem’ centred around ‘Ferdinand de straatstenenlegger’ whose story is told in the eponymous poetry collection. His story is the basis on which Sebastian created clothing, paintings and installations.
Photo ©Nadia Smialowska

EMMA DE MEULENAER – SASK

Emma De Meulenaar graduated from LUCA School of Arts in 2019, where she studied textile design, while also studying fashion design at SASK Sint-Niklaas. She combined these two disciplines in her work, paying great attention to materials, tactility and colour. In her graduation collection, the emphasis was on various textile techniques: hand-woven materials, her own prints and knitting. She combined both disciplines in a collection that told her personal view on a chapter from her family history. At the moment she is working as a designer of carpets and rugs at Limited Edition.

CYNTHIA BOES

21-year old Cynthia Boes from Huy began her career in the fashion world in 2016, as a self-taught designer. Because she wanted to learn more about the technical side she enrolled in HELMo in 2019. Cynthia likes to integrate various art forms in her collections – embroidery, drawings, crochet and screen printing. The cut of the garments is also crucial for her. She makes her clothing ‘oversized’ to keep it comfortable, but keeps the structured and architectural elements. She will soon take up an apprenticeship at the Royal Opera in Liège to learn more about costume design. After that she hopes to discover other small ateliers and companies in order to learn more about pattern making and making more ‘classic’ pieces

VIOLETTE VAN ROY

Violette Van Roy was born in 1982 and during her youth she experimented with many art forms: dance, music, theatre… When she was 18, she went to study Romance languages and literature at university. To become a designer seemed out of reach at the time. She taught French for 15 years and when she was nearly forty, she realised that she was no longer satisfied with experiencing fashion in a passive way, as a consumer. She also saw the limits of learning the art of sewing by herself, and decided to take a three-year evening course at IFAPME Château Massart. The combination of her literary soul and her manual skills forms the basis of her graduation collection, and will be paramount in her future creations.

FLORENT SELIGMANN – La Cambre mode(s) (ENSAV)

Florent Seligmann was born in Brussels in 1996, and studied art at college level at Saint-Luc Bruxelles, after which he went to study at La Cambre. He worked for Eric Bauduin for a year, until the death of the designer in 2018, and then did a three-month apprenticeship with Natalia Brilli on her return as an independent artist after an absence of seven years. Through these two experiences he gained a thorough insight in small-scale techniques and the creation of unique pieces. He is strongly influenced by the queer universe and he questions visual stereotypes. His latest collection is a parody of those stereotypes. Later, he hopes to create his own visual codes.
Photo ©JANSSENSJORRE