Designer
of the Year 2024
— Pieter Mulier
Pieter Mulier has spent much of his career as the right-hand man to Raf Simons. In 2002 Simons appointed him as senior head designer of his namesake label. When Simons moved to Jil Sander in 2006, Mulier followed and became director of accessories. In 2012 he joined Simons at Dior, serving as a liaison between the designer and the studio staff. When Simons moved to Calvin Klein, Mulier was appointed creative director at the brand. In 2021 Mulier parted ways with Simons to become the creative director of Alaïa. He debuted his first collection for the label in Paris for Spring/Summer 2022. Since then, Mulier has increasingly infused the label with his personal touch, earning high critical acclaim.
Picture © Alaïa
— Ester Manas
Ester Manas, based in Brussels, is a visionary sustainable fashion brand celebrated for its inclusivity and body positivity. Recognized by the H&M Design Award, Hyères Festival, LVMH Prize and ANDAM Prize, the label, founded in 2019 by Ester Manas and Balthazar Delepierre, boldly designs for strong, joyful women. Inspired by women’s empowerment and solidarity, the duo creates sustainable, socially responsible collections that resonate with modern sensibilities.
— Jean Paul Knott
Jean Paul Knott grew up in New York but currently lives and works in Brussels. He has served as the artistic director of Krizia, Louis Féraud and Cerruti, and has created costumes for Maurice Béjart Ballets. He collaborated with Yves Saint Laurent for eleven years before launching his own label for women and men in 2000. In his designs he blends masculine and feminine codes, ready-to-wear and couture. Knott prioritizes longevity over fleeting trends, with his atelier valuing craftsmanship and creating timeless, elegant pieces meant to last.
Picture © Cici Olsson
— Marina Yee
As a member of the Antwerp Six, Marina Yee helped to put Belgium on the international fashion map in the eighties. She studied fashion design at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp and launched her first collection shortly after graduating. Yee left the Antwerp Six at the end of the eighties to pursue her own artistic path, often exploring other forms of art. In 2022, in her sixties, she made a comeback in fashion, this time playing by her own rules. Long known for creating unique artistic pieces by reinventing existing garments, Yee is now applying her personal design philosophy to a series of timeless ready-to-wear garments, wearable by both men and women. With these new designs, she is making a successful international relaunch.
Picture © Klaartje Lambrechts
— Meryll Rogge
Meryll Rogge began her fashion design studies in 2005 at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. In 2008 she left school to pursue her dream job, joining Marc Jacobs’ design team in New York. As a women’s collection designer, she had the opportunity to contribute to some of his most iconic collections. Nearly seven years later she returned to Antwerp to become head of women’s design at Dries Van Noten. In 2020, the creation of her own brand, Meryll Rogge, was a natural evolution of her accomplishments and ambitions. Desiring to express something more personal she established her studio near her hometown of Ghent. In 2021, Rogge received the Belgian Fashion Award for Emerging Designer. The following year she was nominated for the LVMH Prize 2022. In 2024, she was a finalist for the Andam Grand Prize.