The Belgian Fashion Awards are an annual occasion to celebrate Belgian fashion and honour the designers of the fashion industry. This ceremony has been held in November since 2017. Many of its Belgian designers and fashion industry personalities are honored.
The Awards
They aim to highlight the creativity and diversity of Belgian fashion, both nationally and internationally. In the fashion world, Belgium is known for being surreal, avant-garde and modest. At the awards ceremony, this modesty is set aside to show that Belgian fashion is much more than that. Belgian fashion is therefore synonymous with creative innovation, personality and sustainability.
The international jury selects the winners from seven of the eight categories. The final prize, the fashion brand of the year, is awarded by the public.
The Laureates
The Jury Prize 2023 was awarded to Jan-Jan Van Essche, a fashion designer much appreciated by international fashion connoisseurs. He took part in the Pitti Uomo Fashion Week in 2023, revealing his very first fashion show that generated a strong international resonance.The jury praised its authenticity, consistency and very clear identity.
Anthony Vaccarello, creative director at Saint Laurent since 2016, received the Designer of the year award. The jury highlighted the particular interest of his work on shapes and cuts, which benefits not only women but certainly also men.
Young fashion designer Igor Dieryck wins the Emerging Talent of the Year award. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp last year, Igor Dieryck won three awards at the famous Hyères festival this autumn. The jury congratulated him for his determination and his hyper creative, almost poetic creations.
Frederik Heyman, the digital artist, has been named Professional of the Year. A former fashion photographer, he made a transformation about a decade ago to become a creator of multimedia images. It brings to life hyperrealistic worlds populated by 3D avatars representing people and objects. Renowned brands such as Y/Project, Burberry, Nike and Diesel have already called on his talents, as well as renowned artists such as Arca, Lady Gaga, and Beyoncé for his recent Renaisssance tour.
Laetitia Bica, a contemporary artist who places research at the heart of her work, is honoured with the “Changemaker of the Year” prize. Her artistic work spans various fields, placing her as a professional photographer committed to the spheres of publishing, fashion, music videos, theatre and dance.
Graduated from the Haute Ecole Francisco Ferrer in Brussels in fashion design and model making, Leslie Nonvignon received the Most Promising Graduate of the Year award. His collection featuring “totem” silhouettes establishes a connection between his search for identity as a creative spirit and the representation of Africa’s past and present.
Accessory Designer of the Year was dedicated to Sarah Levy. After ten years in architecture, Sara Levy decided to change course and undertook a master’s degree in accessories at La Cambre before launching his eponymous label. The jury praised his innovative approach to accessories, noting that his work for brands such as Marine Serre, Givenchy, Patou, and Hermès, among others, is both very distinctive and promising.
The public handed the Brand of the Year award to the fashion brand “Orta“, an acronym that refers to the French terms: “objectif”, “responsable”, “tendance” and “abordable”. In 2022, the brand developed the first all-European environmentally-friendly viscose. It also became the first Belgian ready-to-wear brand to be certified by the B Corp sustainability label.
Summary of the winners
- Jury Prize: Jan-Jan Van Essche
- Designer of the Year: Anthony Vaccarello
- Emerging Talent of the Year: Igor Dieryck
- Professional of the Year: Frederik Heyman
- Changemaker of the Year: Laetitia Bica
- Most Promising Graduate of the Year: Leslie Nonvignon
- Accessory Designer of the Year: Sarah Levy
- Brand of the Year: Orta
The Jury
The jury was led by Serge Carreira, head of the emerging brands initiative at the Fédération de la Haute Couture in Paris. Members included fashion designer Meryll Rogge (BE), editor-in-chief of Numéro and Numéro Hommes Netherlands Timoteij Letonja (NL), fashion editor of Metal Magazine Natalia Andrea Perez Hernandez (ES), curator at MoMu Antwerp Elisa De Wyngaert (BE), Modemuseum curator Hasselt Eve Demoen (BE), Louis Antwerp manager and buyer Henry Schöning (BE), make-up artist Inge Grognard (BE), Fashion & Lace Museum director Caroline Esgain (BE), TLED CEO and founder Thomas Tistounet (FR), and the editor-in-chief of C’est du Belge (RTBF) Marie-Hélène Vanderborght (BE).