Raf Simons studied industrial design and is known for his eclectic mix of inspirations stitched together to produce a streamlined vision. Pop culture, art, music, and film are all referenced - think Flemish painters on couture gowns and Leonard Cohen lyrics on hoodies. Simons has established a cult following since transitioning from furniture to fashion design, who are drawn to his streetwise yet creative attitude and bricolage of inspirations. Jil Sander, Dior, Calvin Klein, and Prada are among his noteworthy clients.

Raf Simons' fashion design career reached a pinnacle in 2012, when he was appointed creative director of the iconic fashion house Christian Dior. Despite critics' concern about the difference between Christian Dior's liberal fashion sense and Raf Simons' simplicity, the Fall-Winter 2012 collection revitalized th

Raf Simons slapped Joy Division and New Order designs onto army fishtail parkas and paraded them down the Paris catwalk, daring the world to claim it wasn't fashion. Simons moved numerous subcultures from the fashion universe's dark and damp corners into its center, from basement clubs into the spotlight, and in the process, established a devoted fan base like few other designers had.

Born: 1968
Nationality: Belgian
Brand: Raf Simons

Martin Margiela attended the same illustrious Antwerp institution as the 'Antwerp Six,' a prominent group of designers from the class of 1980. But, unlike the rest of the ensemble, he didn't go to London to launch his career; instead, he was approached by Jean Paul Gaultier in Paris. The designer is extremely enigmatic; only a few images exist of him, and he does not grant interviews. Meanwhile, he left his namesake house in the peak of its glory in 2008, yet he remains a potent figure veiled in fashion legend.

Martin Margiela is a Belgian fashion designer most known for his Deconstruction style. Along with Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto, he was one of the people who best characterized this genre. He and Antwerp 6 established the famed Avant Garde movement in the 90s in the fashion world, also from the most prominent school in the world - Antwerp. He is also a fashionista of the most modest and primitive things. He recycles discarded objects such as gloves, old garments, and even domestic items into Couture design.

Martin Margiela is widely regarded as one of the most influential fashion designers of all time as well as one of the most famous fashion designers from Belgium, his work challenged nearly every tradition inside the fashion business as well as those who consume it. It's been about a decade since he departed his eponymous label, yet his imprint can still be found on the brand that bears his name and on practically every important designer working today.

Born: 1957
Nationality: Belgian
Brand: Maison Margiela

Anthony Vaccarello, a Belgian-Italian, has positions with Italian powerhouses like Fendi and Versus Versace thanks to his sensuous silhouettes and classic sex appeal. His work as Creative Director of Saint Laurent is characterized by a fusion of disco cliches, razor-sharp tailoring, and vintage inspirations; Rihanna and Cardi B's Swarovski crystal-encrusted boots continue his legacy as a master of modern power dressing. He enjoys the endorsement of famous Hollywood figures like Jennifer Lopez.

Before enrolling in a fashion program, Saint Laurent's artistic director was a sculpture student. Prior to creating several capsule collections for Versus Versace, he worked with Karl Lagerfeld with a focus on fur creation. He has researched the company's image since being hired as Saint Laurent's creative director in 2016. The new Saint Laurent man, as envisioned by Anthony Vaccarello, is the most similar to what the brand's founder, Yves Saint Laurent, first proposed in Paris decades ago.

Anthony Vaccarello embodies the spirit of Saint Laurent and dresses with a nod to Paris while keeping an eye on sculptural things. His designs epitomize the sophisticated dressing attitude and ambition always to appear party-ready which are hallmarks of the French mentality. Since being hired, he has reaffirmed his clear, all-encompassing vision for Saint Laurent, driving the brand ahead with vigor and resolve, understanding the dynamics of the House and its influence over the public's imagination, and creating an all-encompassing vision, taking Saint Laurent into the future.

Born: 1982
Nationality: Belgian

Kris Van Assche, a fellow alumnus of the esteemed Royal Academy of Fine Arts, is renowned for incorporating urban trends into the house aesthetics of historical brands such as Dior Homme and Saint Laurent under Hedi Slimane. Campaigns featuring hype musicians like A$AP Rocky, Oliver Sim of The xx, and Travis Scott helped bring streetwear to illustrious design brands. He discontinued his own business in 2015 in order to concentrate entirely on Berluti, where he serves as Creative Director.

Kris Van Assche's style has always been characterized by sartorial cuts, which are frequently harsh and linear but also infused with aspects from Youth Culture; it cannot be simply classified as streetwear because that would be oversimplified. But as creative director of Dior Homme, a post he held from 2007 to 2018, where he was able to elegantly define a crucial moment for the French Maison, his artistic character evolved and expanded.

One of his most recognizable looks from the "Dior period" is the suit with wide pants, which, while common in street style and fashion shows today, was a glaring example of rupture a decade ago. Of course, Raf Simons deserves special mention as the originator of this "wide" tailoring. That's all about the fourth most famous fashion designer from Belgium Toplist wants to mention.

Born: 1976
Nationality: Belgian

Dries Van Noten is the Antwerp Six member who has had the most commercial success. The designer turned down funding up until 2018, advertising, and the temptation of designing for historical brands that had been vying for his services ever since he established his own label in 1986. Van Noten, who is still a resident of Belgium, commutes daily by bicycle to his Antwerp studio, where he creates fantastical works inspired by his abiding passion for gardening and travel. He presented a selection of loud prints from his thirty-year archive in 2017 to commemorate his 100th exhibition.

The Belgian designer has been producing luxurious clothing for sophisticated women for decades. He has also evolved into a symbol of independence in a time of torn wealth. The use of materials like velvet and satin, as well as the eye-catching patterns of his designs, which are frequently inspired by Eastern culture, define Dries Van Noten's collections. The Belgian designer finds inspiration in a variety of places, including dreams, nature, Asia, art, and music. Even though he frequently borrows elements from other cultures, he always takes care to respect any symbols that have a religious or cultural connotation.

Born: 1958
Nationality: Belgian
Brand: Dries Van Noten

Walter Van Beirendonck is known for his whimsical yet politically motivated collections and is often described as wild - 'Wild and Lethal Trash' was the name of his 1990s line with Mustang. He is also considered as one of the most famous fashion designers from Belgium. His quirky collections have received media attention since originally emerging as part of the Antwerp Six, bursting with vibrant color and critical sentiments - frequently in the shape of slogans lambasting anything from the Aids pandemic to capitalism. Van Beirendonck sees fashion as a platform for expressing societal problems, with the AW 2006/07 collection 'Stop Terrorising our World' being a prime example.

He has been publishing his own collections since 1983. They are influenced by the visual arts, literature, nature, and ethnicity. His collections are distinguished by unconventional color combinations and a strong graphic impact. He created the costumes for U2's "PopMart Tour" in 1997. He received the honorary title of "Cultural Ambassador of Flanders" in 1999. He curated the 'Fashion 2001 Landed-Geland' initiative in Antwerp in 2001.

Walter Van Beirendonck, who sports a frolicsome beard, is not your usual clean-cut fashion designer. His aesthetic mirrors his design philosophy, with a preference for bright colors amid scary, enigmatic head masks and oddly called collections that are everything but conventional. Van Beirendonck's eccentric and often funny designs have influenced men's fashion. He believes that many people, including the fashion journalists, do not take him seriously. Serious fashion magazines rarely feature his work. Fortunately, his clothing is catching the attention of a young audience. Some of his success might be attributed to the way he operates with his own rules: on a small scale and with a small crew.

Born: 1957
Nationality: Belgian
Brand: Walter Van Beirendonck

Ann Demeulemeester's rising star was immediately recognized after graduating from the Royal Academy in 1981, when she was rewarded with the Golden Spindle Award, a prize created by the Belgian government to revitalize its textile sector, in 1982. A few years later, she launched her namesake label, making her Paris Fashion Week debut in 1992 - with a dark, punk-inspired look infused with Gothic inspirations that immediately distinguished itself from the glamorous, commercial collections dominating runways at the time.

Demeulemeester's sense of volume and proportion had a strong impression right away. She would create eye-catching designs using a subdued, frequently monochromatic color scheme, blending billowing, floor-length jackets with trim waistcoats and cropped trousers or showcasing sharply fitted shirts with large, exaggerated cuffs. Her early collections were primarily adaptations of traditional clothing. One of her earliest shows in Paris, her Fall/Winter 1992 collection offered a revisionist history by picturing an androgynous Edwardian age in which ladies wore elegant topcoats over ankle-length gowns and hefty boots.

For those tuned to its frequency, Demeulemeester's apparel speaks on a level deeper than only aesthetics—it resonates emotionally. It stands for a mindset, a way of life, and a full universe that includes music, literature, visual art, and philosophy. Those that want in can enter through the clothing. Poets, beggars, punks, and vampires are all elegant and filthy while in the gutter but gazing up at the stars.

Born: 1959
Nationality: Belgian
Brand: Ann Demeulemeester

Dirk Bikkembergs would be the following most famous fashion designer from Belgium. Dirk Bikkembergs, the final member of the avant-garde Antwerp Six, rapidly recognized the symbiotic connection between sport and fashion. Bikkembergs began as a shoe business, drawing inspiration from military footwear, and was determined to display at Paris Fashion Week - for SS89, Bikkembergs expanded into apparel. Decades before trainers and dresses became mainstream, early designs blended sportswear with couture-level craftsmanship. Bikkembergs, who was drawn to the practicalities of fashion, drew inspiration in the clothes of sailors, bikers, and racing drivers before designing kits for Inter Milan, a role he still occupies.

Dirk Bikkembergs made his name in footwear before launching his eponymous clothing label in 1988 and, in a break from his peers, drew inspiration in his love of football rather than high fashion. His sporty, informal designs finally led to the establishment of Bikkembergs Sport in 2000, with traditional showgrounds being replaced by the likes of Camp Nou, the home of FC Barcelona. Bikkembergs would also acquire the Italian football club F.C. Fossombrone. Bikkembergs sold his label to the Italian business Zeis Excelsa in 2012, and in 2016, British designer Lee Wood was named creative director to push the high-end sports brand's growth.

Born: 1959
Nationality: Belgian
Brand: Bikkembergs