Designer
of the Year 2026
Picture © Dana Lixenberg
— Matthieu Blazy
Franco-Belgian designer Matthieu Blazy studied at La Cambre in Brussels before building an international career at some of fashion’s most influential houses. He worked at Raf Simons, Maison Margiela, Celine and Calvin Klein before joining Bottega Veneta, where he was appointed creative director in 2021. During his tenure, Blazy became known for collections that combined exceptional craftsmanship with experimentation and strong commercial appeal. In December 2024, he was appointed artistic director of Chanel, becoming only the fourth designer to lead the French house. His first ready-to-wear collection, presented for Spring/Summer 2026 at the Grand Palais in Paris in October 2025, received a standing ovation. In January 2026, he followed with his debut Haute Couture collection. At Chanel, Blazy has also demonstrated his ability to turn the traditional fashion show into an immersive experience, using elaborate settings and storytelling to create a wider universe around his collections.
Picture © Marie Déhé
— Meryll Rogge
Born in Ghent, Meryll Rogge studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp before moving to New York to work for Marc Jacobs. She later returned to Belgium and became head of womenswear at Dries Van Noten. In 2020, she launched her eponymous label, developing a distinctive vocabulary that combines classic tailoring with vintage references, unexpected contrasts and an irreverent approach to colour and proportion. In 2024, she was named Designer of the Year at the Belgian Fashion Awards. Rogge reached several major career milestones in 2025. In June, she won the ANDAM Grand Prize and the following month was appointed creative director of Marni by OTB Group. She also co-founded knitwear label B.B. Wallace with British knitwear specialist Sarah Allsopp in September 2025. In February 2026, Rogge presented her first collection for Marni during Milan Fashion Week, marking the beginning of a new chapter alongside the continued development of her own label.
— Ester Manas
Ester Manas and Balthazar Delepierre met while studying at La Cambre in Brussels and launched their Paris-based label Ester Manas in 2019. From the outset, the duo set out to challenge conventional sizing in luxury fashion, developing adaptable garments designed to fit a wide range of body types. Their collections are produced in Belgium using deadstock and European-sourced fabrics and combine technical stretch constructions with a sensual and playful approach to womenswear. Their work has been recognised by the ANDAM Prize, H&M Design Award, LVMH Prize and Hyères Festival, while one of their signature dresses has entered the permanent collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. In 2022, they received the Belgian Fashion Award for Changemaker of the Year. They continue to place body inclusivity at the centre of their work, addressing the fashion industry’s changing attitudes towards size in collections such as Spring/Summer 2025’s The Elephant in the Room. In 2026, the label further expanded its universe with the introduction of a children’s collection.