Here are the winners of the ​Belgian Fashion Awards 2025

With two new categories – Company of the Year and Model of the Year – exactly 10 awards were presented. A selection of fashion professionals, “The BFA Industry 200”, compiled a shortlist of nominees. The final winners were then chosen from the list by an international jury of experts, creatives, buyers and journalists. Each winner received a unique art object by graphic designer Paul Boudens.

The award ceremony took place at the Bourla theatre in Antwerp and was presented by topmodel Hannelore Knuts and actrice Jennifer Heylen. For the first time, the ceremony was open to the general public, who were able to purchase tickets.

And the winners are...

1. Designer of the Year

Julian Klausner, born in Belgium, studied fashion at the renowned La Cambre in Brussels. Since joining Dries Van Noten in 2018, he has played crucial roles that have defined the brand's creative direction. Over time, Klausner became a trusted partner of Dries Van Noten, and since Van Noten's departure, Klausner has followed in his footsteps as creative director. In Paris, he presented his first women's collection in March 2025 and his first men's collection in June.

"He is the right person in the right place. Taking over a fashion house is a challenge, and Klausner proves that he has the talent and legitimacy to take Dries Van Noten further." (from the jury report)

2. Accessory Designer of the Year 

Mats Rombaut, born in Ghent and now living in Paris, launched his first independent shoe project, ROMBAUT, in 2013. His mission is to change the fashion industry from within by creating plant-based accessories with a reduced environmental impact. As creative director and founder of ROMBAUT and co-founder of Virón – a second independent footwear label offering environmentally friendly, sustainable, vegan and ethically responsible shoes – he is at the forefront of sustainable fashion. He also works as a creative consultant and sustainability expert, drawing inspiration from natural and scientific processes, art and music. ​​In 2025, the brand celebrated its tenth anniversary and collaborated with Puma and Iris Van Herpen. ​
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​Mats Rombaut was also nominated for the Changemaker of the Year award.

3. Emerging Talent of the Year

Designer Tim Van Steenbergen and journalist Ruth Goossens want to change the fashion system from within. With the support of GATAM vzw, they founded REantwerp, a fashion label that combines sustainability with a social mission. The label works exclusively with refugees and trains them in their studio for up to six months for a job in the Belgian fashion industry. ​

​For their collections, they use leftover materials from Belgian designers and create innovative pieces that highlight the craftsmanship and personal stories of their team members. In 2025, REantwerp opened a pop-up shop in the centre of Antwerp and later moved the studio and shop to a new location.

4. Most Promising Graduate of the Year 

Chloë Reners graduated from the fashion department at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp in June. For her graduation collection'dot dot dot' she explored themes such as surrealism and the representation of women in art. Her work focuses on combining conceptual ideas with wearable designs, with the aim of telling stories through form, texture and detail. She now lives in Paris, where she is doing an internship at Dior. In her work and collaborations, including projects with brands such as KOMONO, she strives to combine creativity, technical skills and innovation.

5. Model of the Year (nieuwe categorie)

Hanne Gaby Odiele's career began twenty years ago when she was discovered by chance at a rock festival in Kortrijk. She soon began modelling for major brands such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Dries Van Noten, and starred in campaigns for Vera Wang, Balenciaga, and Mulberry. ​In 2017, Hanne Gaby Odiele made her intersex identity public, since then she has used her fame to raise awareness about the rights of intersex people. Today, Hanne is still at the top of her game internationally. This year, she walked shows for Courrèges, Coperni, and Caroline Herrera, among others.

6. Creative Professional of the Year

STIJL is a luxury multi-brand designer shop with two locations in the centre of Brussels. Over the past three decades, founder Sonja Noël has dedicated STIJL to supporting emerging talent and independent creativity, selecting designers for their unique voice. ​An early proponent of independent Belgian and innovative international design, Noël opened her first shop in the mid-1980s, starting with the first collections of the Antwerp Six. The shop quickly became known for its specialised and carefully curated selection, as well as its focus on personalised customer service. Over the years, this innovative and daring vision was translated into other projects, such as STIJL men, STIJL Underwear, the children's shop Kat & Muis, the first Maison Martin Margiela shop and the eco-concept store Haleluja - all leading to the revival and development of the vibrant Dansaert district in Brussels. In April this year, an exhibition marking 40 years of Stijl opened at the Brussels Fashion & Lace Museum.

7. Changemaker of the Year

Masjien is an agency that operates at the intersection of fashion, sustainability and technology. When a techno-optimist joins forces with an award-winning sustainability expert, the goal is nothing less than to bring about a revolution and make an impact. From strategic advice and inspiring keynotes to hands-on project management, Jasmien Wynants and Ann Claes inform, engage and stimulate dialogue about the future of fashion. ​ ​In 2025, they launched Josie, a unique AI chatbot for all questions about greenwashing in fashion, and MOTOR – a digital fashion movement that unites and empowers groundbreaking creatives. The Berlin edition presented 12 creative talents as the first official digital side event of Berlin Fashion Week. ​ The children's book 'Do Pants Grow on Trees?' that inspires the next generation to question fashion's footprint, has already been reprinted in three languages.

8. Company of the Year (nieuwe categorie)

It began in 2009 with a capsule collection of T-shirts, today Arte Antwerp has grown into an internationally successful streetwear label. In September 2024, the brand opened its first store in Paris, a milestone that was accompanied by a campaign featuring legendary footballer Nicolas Anelka. ​​The guiding aesthetic of founder and creative director Bertony Da Silva reveals a background in graphic design and an exploration of various art forms, ranging from modern architecture to music. Arte Antwerp thus reflects a fusion of contemporary artistic expressions and subcultural trends. ​ ​The brand recently announced a collaboration with Adidas.

9. Love Brand of the Year (publieksprijs)

Belgian brands were invited to apply for this award. Afterwards, the general public voted online and choose alternative streetwear label MXDVS as the winner. ​MXDVS, founded in 2015, is a conscious rejection of what they see as the sterile aesthetics that dominate contemporary culture. The brand balances on the cutting edge between art and rebellion, between gothic and streetwear. At the helm is Belgian designer and creative director Max Reynders (born 1993), known for his work in graphic design, pattern design and jewellery design. Based in Antwerp, Reynders creates a vision that challenges conventions and embraces the raw, the daring and the unapologetic. ​In the past year, the label launched a new knitwear collection, including homewear such as blankets and cushion covers. They also organised a pop-up shop in Antwerp for their growing global community.

10. Outstanding Achievement Award

This award honours the exceptional career of a Belgian fashion designer or professional in our fashion sector. No nominees are listed for this category; the international jury independently decides who will receive this coveted award. The winner of the Outstanding Achievement Award 2025 is Tony Delcampe. Trained in textile design in Tournai and an alumnus of La Cambre Mode(s), Tony has had an impressive career since graduating in 1994. ​Since 1999, he has been running the studio of La Cambre Mode(s) and has trained generations of designers who now hold key positions at international fashion houses - such as Matthieu Blazy (Chanel), Julian Klausner (Dries Van Noten), Anthony Vaccarello (Saint Laurent), Nicolas Di Felice (Courrèges), Julien Dossena (Rabanne) - or who started their own label - such as Marie Adam-Leenaerdt, Marine Serre, Ester Manas, Alexandra Jacmin (Façon Jacmin), Louis Gabriel Nouchi, Olivier Theyskens etc.

"Tony Delcampe has played a crucial role – and continues to do so – in the history of Belgian fashion." (from the jury report)

ABOUT THE JURY

This year, the international jury was chaired by Karen Binns, world-renowned stylist, creative director and consultant from New York. Other members of the jury included: Serge Carreira (Head of Emerging Brands Initiative at Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode), Stéphanie D'heygere (jewellery designer), Saar Debrouwere (CEO Pucci) Eve Demoen (Curator Modemuseum Hasselt), Elisa De Wyngaert (Curator MoMu Antwerp), Caroline Esgain (Curator Fashion & Lace Museum Brussels), Kiyo Ishizuka (international fashion agent), Bianca Luzi (CEO Raf Simons), Philippe Pourhashemi (fashion writer, consultant & coach).

ABOUT THE BELGIAN FASHION AWARDS

The Belgian Fashion Awards have been organised annually since 2017 by the different organisations active in the Belgian fashion industry, namely Flanders District of Creativity, MAD Brussels and Wallonie-Bruxelles Design Mode (WBDM), and the editorial teams of Knack Weekend and Le Vif Weekend magazines. The awards aim to celebrate the unique character of Belgian fashion and put both established names and emerging talent from the Belgian fashion industry in the spotlight. ​ ​ 

www.belgianfashionawards.be ​
​​instagram.com/belgianfashionawards