And the MoMu Award Goes to... Annaëlle Reudink

Each year, MoMu honours the work of two Master’s students from the Fashion Department at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp with a prize for outstanding graphic quality. One of this year’s winners is Annaëlle Reudink, with her graduation collection Too Many Me’s, Not Enough Hangers, Professionally Undecided (working title) or Who Am I Wearing?

ANNAËLLE REUDINK: "Having too many dreams. I always imagined myself doing many things later in life – never just one profession. As I’m graduating this year, people increasingly ask me what I want to do next. Instead of giving a concrete answer, I let the collection speak for me."

"In a podcast, artist Rinus Van de Velde explained how he often places himself in imagined situations within his drawings, creating a kind of fictional autobiography. I recognised my own dilemma in that approach: through my designs, I can become everything and everyone I’ve ever wanted to be."

AR: "What fascinates me about fashion is that it literally allows me to bring my drawings to life. Many pieces in the collection feature my illustrations. I was also inspired by pop-up books. More than a visual reference, they shaped the way I constructed the garments: playing with volume, layering and the element of surprise. Just as pop-up books reveal new dimensions, the clothes uncover hidden layers of personality and identity."

AR: "The materials I chose carry that tension as well: softness versus structure, weight versus transparency. This contrast reflects my view on identity – never fixed, but layered and constantly shifting. Some fabrics, like tulle and satin, also recall the dressing-up games of my childhood. They evoke a kind of performative femininity that I either exaggerate or deliberately challenge."

AR: "Drawing and embroidery have always been ways for me to process my thoughts and emotions. I truly love it. It feels very meditative – I can spend hours on the smallest details in my illustrations or embroidery. I value that slowness, especially in a world that keeps accelerating."

Annaëlle Reudink's collection imagery is on display at MoMu Café through early February 2026, when Floran Polano, the second MoMu Award winner, takes over the lightboxes to present his MA collection Embraced Me, Strangled Silk.