91% matchAnn Demeulemeester
Same Antwerp school: black romantic tailoring, harness detail
What changes: Still trading and broader menswear offer under new creative direction
Brand profile
A.F. Vandevorst
Antwerp womenswear label founded in 1997 by An Vandevorst and Filip Arickx, known for uniform-inspired avant-garde tailoring; it closed in February 2020.
AntwerpOrigin
WomenswearFocus
Avant-gardeStyle
$$$Price
4 brands like A.F. Vandevorst like Ann Demeulemeester, Helmut Lang, Alexandre Plokhov →
What to know about A.F. Vandevorst
The label is closed, archive only
An Vandevorst and Filip Arickx ended the house in February 2020 after roughly 40 collections; Spring/Summer 2020 was the last, and the site now serves as an archive.
Uniforms rewritten as womenswear
Military and Red Cross uniform references, equestrian hardware and fetish or religious imagery ran through sharp tailoring, draping and the outerwear it was best known for.
Antwerp Academy pedigree, early recognition
Both founders trained at the Royal Academy and Vandevorst was Dries Van Noten's first assistant; the label took the Venus de la Mode prize in its second season.
If you like A.F. Vandevorst
91% match
82% matchHelmut Lang
Uniform and utility codes stripped to 90s minimalism
What changes: Cooler and more technical, less romantic draping or fetish imagery
78% matchAlexandre Plokhov
Severe military-cut black tailoring and leather hardware
What changes: Menswear-only and harder, no lingerie or soft draping
77% matchYohji Yamamoto
Black asymmetric draping over menswear tailoring foundations
What changes: Voluminous rather than body-tracing, far larger price and range
Brand facts
A.F. Vandevorst is the closed Antwerp womenswear label founded in 1997 by married Royal Academy graduates An Vandevorst, formerly Dries Van Noten's first assistant, and Filip Arickx. The house built its identity on military and Red Cross uniform references, equestrian hardware, fetish and religious imagery, sensual draping and sharp tailoring, alongside shoes, accessories and the Nightfall lingerie line. It won the Venus de la Mode prize in its second season and produced roughly 40 collections. The founders announced closure in February 2020, with Spring/Summer 2020 the final collection; the website now functions as an archive.
- Founded
- 1997
- Origin
- Antwerp, Belgium
- Made in
- Belgium, Italy, Turkey
- Price
- $$$
- Focus
- Womenswear
- Facts checked
- September 2026
- Styles
- Avant-garde, Punk / Grunge / Goth, Minimalist / Contemporary