The Belgian Fashion Awards (BFA) and biannual conference, Fashion Talks, were both held in Antwerp last week, with Walter Van Beirendonck winning the BFA Jury Prize recognising a career of excellence, Courrèges creative director Nicolas de Felice taking home the Designer of the Year award and Meryll Rogge named Emerging Talent of the Year.

At the fifth edition of Fashion Talks, local and international industry leaders — including designers Pieter Mulier, Jan-Jan Van Essche and Vanessa Bruno, Vestoj magazine founder Anja Aronowsky Cronberg and Clare Press, presenter of sustainable fashion podcast, Wardrobe Crisis, who gave the opening talk virtually from her base in Sydney — came together to discuss the future of the industry.

“Change has to come from the industry. Small groups are already leading the way. It’s the big groups that need to change,” said Vanessa Bruno, speaking as part of a roundtable discussion focussed on overconsumption.

“I think that the more people know about their clothes, where they come from and how they’re made, the more easily they will change their ways,” she added.

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