These are the winners of the Belgian Fashion Awards 2024!
Belgian Fashion Awards 2024
On Thursday November 28, the Belgian Fashion Awards 2024 were held at MAD Brussels. This seventh edition was once again organized by Knack and Le Vif Weekend, in collaboration with Flanders DC, MAD Brussels, and Wallonie-Bruxelles Design Mode.
The Belgian Fashion Awards ceremony was hosted by Emma Moortgat at MAD Brussels. Each winner received a unique creation by graphic artist Paul Boudens, who was honored with the Henry van de Velde Lifetime Achievement Award last year.
Meryll Rogge, who launched her own label in 2020 after a successful career at Marc Jacobs in New York and as head of womenswear at Dries Van Noten, was awarded Designer of the Year. Meryll is the first woman ever to win the award for Designer of the Year. She previously won Emerging Talent of The Year at the 2021 Belgian Fashion Awards. ‘Meryll has achieved international success while staying true to herself. Her gender-fluid ready-to-wear designs capture the zeitgeist of today,’ said the jury.
The Jury Prize was awarded to Marina Yee, a member of the legendary Antwerp Six who put Belgium on the global fashion map in the 1980s. Continuing her artistic journey, Yee explored other art forms and made a celebrated comeback in 2022 with a collection of timeless, gender-inclusive pieces.
The award for Changemaker of the Year was given to Tim Van Steenbergen and Ruth Goossens, the founders of sustainable fashion label REantwerp. Partnering with GATAM vzw, they offer refugees professional opportunities in Belgium’s fashion industry. Using deadstock fabrics from iconic Belgian brands, their pieces celebrate tailoring craftsmanship while telling the unique stories of their team members. The jury commended the project for not only its laudable mission but also its strong, avant-garde collections.
Marie Adam-Leenaerdt was honored as Emerging Talent of the Year. A graduate of La Cambre Mode[s] in Brussels, she launched her first collection in 2023, earning accolades for her creativity and determination at such a young age. Her designs are sold on platforms like Net-A-Porter, Ssense and Bergdorf Goodman. Earlier this year, she was also nominated for the Andam Fashion Awards and the prestigious LVMH Prize.
The title of Accessory Designer of the Year went to Stephanie D’heygere, who began her career as Head of Jewelry at Maison Margiela before founding her eponymous label in 2018. Known for her minimalist yet striking designs, she was celebrated by the jury not just for her talent, but also for her character and work ethic.
Daniel Henry was awarded Professional of the Year. Passionate about textiles, this artist works with furniture and wallpaper designers as well as the automotive sector. He can count fashion brands like Rabanne and Nina Ricci among his clients. This year, he collaborated on the haute-couture show of Maison Margiela by John Galliano and created a contemporary textile piece for the wedding hall of Brussels city hall. ‘We want to highlight Henry as we want to emphasise that fashion is not only about shows. Fabrics and material development are the basis,' the jury said.
The jury selected Célestin Verheyden as Most Promising Graduate of the Year. During his studies at La Cambre Mode[s], Verheyden interned at Saint Laurent and Ester Manas. His final-year collection, praised for its innovative reinterpretation of traditional menswear codes, impressed the jury with its craftsmanship and originality.
Finally, the public chose Four Roses as Fashion Brand of the Year. This Belgian family business, renowned for its personal connections with producers, customers, and ambassadors, has opened four new stores in the past five years, launched a growing webshop two years ago, and recently partnered with multibrand store Juttu.
The jury
This year’s international jury was co-chaired by world-renowned trend forecaster and curator Lidewij Edelkoort and her colleague Philip Fimmano. They were joined by Serge Carreira (Head of Emerging Brands Initiative of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode in Paris), curators Elisa De Wyngaert(MoMu Antwerp), Eve Demoen (Fashion Museum Hasselt) and Nicolas Lor (Fashion & Lace Museum), Alexander Fury (Fashion Director at AnOther Magazine and fashion journalist at the Financial Times), Sarah Levy (winner of the Accessory Designer Belgian Fashion Awards 2023), Elodie Ouedraogo (co-founder of UNRUN and Fashion Director at Elle Belgium/Belgique), Daniel Rodgers (fashion journalist at Vogue UK), Lena-Sophie Röper (General Manager Designer & Luxury Zalando), Marie-Hélène Vanderborght (C’est Du Belge, RTBF), Raïssa Verhaeghe(founder and CEO of RAVER Fashion Agency) and Martina Zerneri (communication specialist and Brand Image Manager).
About the Belgian Fashion Awards
Since 2017, the Belgian Fashion Awards have been organized annually by key players in Belgium’s fashion scene, including Flanders DC, MAD Brussels, Wallonie-Bruxelles Design Mode, and the editorial teams of Knack Weekend and Le Vif Weekend. The event celebrates the distinctive character of Belgian fashion, spotlighting both established names and emerging talent. For more information: www.belgianfashionawards.be.