{"product_id":"in-feature-a-f-vandevorst","title":"IN FEATURE: A.F. Vandevorst","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eIn June 2020, after 22 years, Belgian fashion duo Anneke Vandevorst and Filip Arickx announced the closure of A.F. Vandevorst. Unlike many brands that fade away through bankruptcy or acquisition, they chose to end the label on their own terms, leaving behind one of the most consistent bodies of work in contemporary fashion.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLet's take it back to the very beginning in 1987, where the duo met on their first day of school at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp and formed a strong connection right off the bat. They even shared the same unlikely fascination with collecting Red Cross, hospital and medical memorabilia. Filip had been collecting these objects since childhood, while Anneke's interest stemmed from discovering the work of German artist Joseph Beuys as a teenager. Beuys' work centered on healing, humanism and anthroposophy, themes that deeply resonated with Anneke.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I HAD BEEN COLLECTING IT SINCE I WAS A CHILD - PIECES FROM THE RED CROSS. AND THEN I MET AN WHEN I WAS 18 AND FOUND OUT SHE ALSO COLLECTED IT” — Filip Arickx\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor Anneke and Filip, these weren't simply vintage collectibles. They represented care, responsibility and protection, ideas that would eventually become the emotional core foundation of A.F. Vandevorst.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNearly a decade later, they founded their label in 1997 after graduation. Placing them in the generation immediately following the Antwerp Six. By then, Belgian fashion had already gained an international reputation for its intellectualism and revolutionary take on clothing. Under their company Blixa, they presented their first collection in Paris. The collection already introduced many of the references and ideas that would define the house over the next two decades: Joseph Beuys, the Red Cross, religion, horses and equestrian equipment, rivets, lingerie, uniforms and fetish footwear. Just two collections later, they were awarded the Venus de la Mode for Best Newcomer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHospital imagery has become commonplace in fashion today, often devoid of any meaning or used simply for visual impact. Rather than reinventing themselves every season, Anneke and Filip spent the next twenty years refining their singular universe while studying their similarities and differences as a creative duo. Outside of fashion, the creative duo also became known for their many collaborations and artistic pursuits, from Biennale installations to travelling guerrilla stores.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter pulling the plug on their label, Vandevorst shifted her focus towards education, becoming Head of Fashion Design at Polimoda, where she also serves as a creative advisor, mentoring the next generation of designers while shaping the school's fashion programme. Meanwhile, Arickx moved further into art and object design, creating lighting and home objects with Serax while reviving Nightfall, originally an A.F. Vandevorst lingerie line, as a contemporary intimacy and pleasure brand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInterestingly, A.F. Vandevorst has not completely disappeared. In 2025, the pair revived one of their most iconic products: the X010 boots for their 25th Anniversary. They reconnected with the original family owned manufacturer that had produced them previously.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough the label officially came to an end in 2020, Anneke and Filip's work remains as relevant as ever, with demand for their pieces continuing to rise. Along with this short A.F. Vandevorst monograph, we are showcasing two pieces from their 2010s. A Double Collar Piped Long Shirt and a Paneled Double Breasted Wool Coat.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMeasurements:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eA.F. Vandevorst Paneled Double Breasted Wool Coat\u003cbr\u003eShoulders: 38cm\u003cbr\u003eChest: 40cm\u003cbr\u003eSleeve Length: 61cm\u003cbr\u003eLength: 102cm\u003cbr\u003eHem: 53cm\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eA.F. Vandevorst Double Collar Piped Long Shirt\u003cbr\u003eShoulders: 44cm\u003cbr\u003eChest: 47cm\u003cbr\u003eLength: 99cm\u003cbr\u003eSleeve Length: 60cm\u003cbr\u003eHem: 51cm\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Upstairs Garments","offers":[{"title":"A.F. Vandevorst Double Collar Piped Long Shirt","offer_id":52969051881748,"sku":null,"price":194.0,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A.F. Vandevorst Paneled Double Breasted Wool Coat","offer_id":52969051914516,"sku":null,"price":542.0,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1022\/3124\/files\/IMG_3843.jpg?v=1784893770","url":"https:\/\/upstairsgarments.com\/products\/in-feature-a-f-vandevorst","provider":"Upstairs Garments","version":"1.0","type":"link"}