AF Vandevorst's Ten Year Anniversary

An Vandevorst and Filip Arickx recently rang in ten years of partnership under their label A.F. Vandevorst. Lauded as the "new guard" of Belgian superstars by America Vogue's Anna Wintour, the Belgian design duo have produced some of the most varied and creative ready-to-wear collections and costumes over the last ten years—giving fashion a structural and intelligent aesthetic to keep up with. In a toast to their long and impressive road to design stardom, the autumn/winter '08-'09 presentation was inspired by the label's constantly evolving collections, focusing on what the husband and wife team knows best: contrasting themes.

The duo was inspired to work within the duality of their partnership as well as past collections under the chosen theme of "Schizophrenia." Translating the psychotic inspiration into wearable pieces, the collection featured dark masculine shouldered coats layered over loose and long feminine dresses, as well as pairings of their crisp white cotton shirts beneath oversized, shiny puffer coats belted at the waist. Color played an important role as brick red striped tights and long velvet dresses were thrown over monochromatic ensembles of black or gray.

The design duo has reason for celebration with a track record most designers only dream of. After presenting their debut collection in Paris, A.F. Vandevorst was awarded the prestigious "Venus de la mode" award, followed by a presentation at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art three years later. Their star-studded path has since included the launch of a shoe line, a lingerie collection called Nightfall and countless other design exhibits and collaborations along the way. At this rate, we expect to be toasting A.F. Vandevorst's union for many more anniversaries to come.

For more information, see www.afvandevorst.be.

—Kyle Landman