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Passionate about needlework and knitting since her childhood, Anne’s creative aspirations drove her yet to
taking up the studies of architecture. As a student her interest in fashion was nurtured by the frequent
confrontation with the work of fashion design students who studied at the Antwerp Fashion Institute and
eventually became known as the Antwerp Six. After a professional career as an architect of over fifteen years,
Anne decided to yield to the love of designing and making herself handcrafted fashion accessories that
combine delicate elegance and quality execution. Being an insatiable collector of wool, fabrics and embroidery
and of creative ideas for years, Anne reached the point of sharing her work with a public audience in 2012.
“On the one hand, my creative process is inspired by what is often referred to as ‘raw’ materials in fashion
design. The core materials that I select for my work bring great aesthetic value of their own since they have
been manufactured with dedication and craftsmanship. Out of respect for this work my goal is to simply design
objects that make these materials’ colors and textures speak for themselves and show at their best.
Other main sources of inspiration are things of beauty from around the world: a detail from a historical
costume (admiring the human hand that created each stitch), an exceptional piece of embroidery, Aran
knitwork, Amish style and garments or even a henna pattern on an Indian bride’s hand.”
An admirer of, amongst others, the work of Christian Dior, Dries Van Noten, Vivienne Westwood and Christian
Lacroix, Anne Van Laethem lives and works in the vicinity of Antwerp, Belgium.
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anne van laethem