A 2008 graduate of Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts who dreamed of being an illustrator as a child, she swapped paint for textile swatches when moving to New York. After working her way up to lead designer at Marc Jacobs over seven years, she was back in Antwerp working for Dries Van Noten as head of women’s design in 2014 before going solo in 2020.
The Ghent, Belgium-born designer shows her women’s collections in Paris.
Several of her pieces have been acquired recently by the MoMu Antwerp museum and Brussels’ Fashion & Lace Museum and last year, she became the first woman to be named designer of the year at the 2024 Belgian Fashion Awards.
She beat out fellow finalists Willy Chavarria, Alain Paul, Zomer and EgonLab.
In addition to the cash award of 300,000 euros, she will be mentored by 36th jury president Sidney Toledano, an adviser to LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault, as well as president of the Institut Français de la Mode fashion school.
Taking home the runner-up Special Prize, its 100,000-euro purse and a year’s worth of mentoring by Toledano is Alain Paul, who parlayed a 10-year career working for the likes of Vetements and Louis Vuitton into his eponymous Alainpaul brand in 2023.
The Pierre Bergé Prize and its 100,000-euro purse went to Burç Akyol, whose eponymous genderless label marries sexiness with austerity – and flawless tailoring.
He will be mentored by Alexandre Mattiuissi, the founder and artistic director of Ami who scooped up the grand prize in 2013. The brand came on board as a sponsor of the design competition with this edition.
Also in the running in this category dedicated to emerging creative labels were Jeanne Friot and Mouty by couple Bertille and Thomas Mouty.
Belgian designer Sarah Lévy of Sarahlevy beat out footwear designer Philéo Landowski and jeweler Marco Panconesi to win the 2025 accessories prize, which comes with 100,000 euros and purse and mentoring by Sophie Delafontaine, creative director of Longchamp.
This year, the innovation prize was awarded separately in May and went to Losanje, a fashion tech company based in the central French city of Nevers that is helping brands implement the use of circular textiles.
The edition’s jury included 11 guest members, including Pascal Morand, executive president of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, Sarah Andelman and fashion documentary director Loïc Prigent.
Joining them were multihyphenate actress and author Lou Doillon; Lucky Love, the singer who performed at the opening ceremony for the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games; musical artist Eddy de Pretto; art gallery founder Emmanuel Perrotin, and model, actress and entrepreneur Liya Kebede.
Rounding out the 2025 group sitting alongside permanent members, who are mainly executives drawn from sponsors, were creative consultant Carlos Nazario; writer and fashion critic Sophie Fontanel, and Beka Gvishiani, who’s behind the Stylenotcom Instagram account.
Created in 1989 by Nathalie Dufour with the support of the French Ministry of Culture and the DEFI, a body that promotes the development of the French fashion industry, and with the late Pierre Bergé as president, has been a springboard for designers who would go on to achieve international recognition.
In October, a retrospective at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs gave an overview of the ANDAM’s 35-year run, featuring works by winners across fashion and accessories including Viktor & Rolf, Jeremy Scott, Marine Serre, Y/Project, Christopher Esber and Ukrainian milliner Ruslan Baginskiy.
