Designer
of the Year 2025
— Charlotte & Bernadette De Geyter
BERNADETTE is the Antwerp-based fashion label founded by mother-daughter duo Bernadette and Charlotte de Geyter. Their collections – spanning ready-to-wear and homeware – embody a refined vision of modern luxury, where fashion and interior design converge effortlessly. With a rich archive of meticulously hand-drawn prints, BERNADETTE transcends the boundaries of a traditional fashion house, cultivating a lifestyle defined by authenticity, joy, and optimism. Charlotte honed her craft at Antwerp’s prestigious Royal Academy of Fine Arts, where she developed a distinctive artistic style characterized by a passion for colour, bold shapes, and print. As co-founder, Bernadette dedicates herself as a fulltime consultant to the brand and to the development of the brand’s home and tableware collections, enriching the lifestyle vision of BERNADETTE. In 2025, they held their first runway women’s show in Paris and launched the Bridal Fittingroom, a collection available for purchase worldwide.
— Pieter Mulier
Pieter Mulier is the creative director of the Richemont-owned Maison Azzedine Alaïa brand. He was previously Calvin Klein’s creative director and Raf Simons’ longstanding right-hand man, tasked with executing the designer’s vision for the iconic American brand. Belgian-born Mulier studied architecture at the Brussels Institut Saint-Luc, and was subsequently invited by Simons to do an internship at his namesake label, before returning in 2002 as senior head designer to lead the creative team. Mulier was appointed creative director of Alaïa in February 2021. His first collection for Alaïa was shown in Paris for Spring/Summer 2022. In 2025 he won the Karl Lagerfeld Award for Innovation and presented his SS25 collection at the iconic Guggenheim Museum during New York Fashion Week. He also created much hyped accessories as ‘Le Teckel’ bag & ‘Le Ballerine’ shoes.
Picture © Paolo Roversi
WINNER
— Julian Klausner
Born in Belgium, Julian Klausner’s deep interest for fashion began early, leading him to study at La Cambre in Brussels, where he built a strong foundation in design and creative direction in both men’s and womenswear. This education prepared him to navigate the complexities of contemporary fashion and set him on a career path shaped by hands-on experience in some of the industry’s most influential studios. Since joining Dries Van Noten in 2018, Julian has taken on pivotal roles that have shaped the brand’s creative direction. As head of womenswear, he played a key role in the celebrated collaboration with Christian Lacroix, overseeing critical aspects of the project’s development. Over time, Julian has become a trusted partner to Dries, managing casting, image direction, and studio operations while fostering a motivated and cohesive team. He presented his first women’s runway collection as Creative Director in Paris in March 2025.