Artdesigner, Leathercraftswoman & Material Shaman
Storyteller in leather and bamboo
Where materials speak
“I have a vision for our world: a world where everything is valued again for what it’s truly worth, and where people and organisations dare to choose value over status. That vision is the engine behind my atelier and my business. I want to inspire as many people as possible to join this movement — because together, we shape the world of tomorrow.” — An Vandenberk
Who is An Vandenberk ?
I am a Brussels designer and certified leather artisan with a deep drive to truly see the value in everything around her. As a material shaman, I read leather and bamboo the way others read people, sensing character, history, and what a material still has to say. That instinct became a practice: unique leather goods under my own name, An Vandenberk, and a timeless avant-garde bamboo clothing capsule, AN (formerly This Is No Disco). Through both, I restore the essential, original bond between a person, a material, and the object they become, in my signature creations, my Composites.
Creativity has been present since childhood. At eleven, I made my first garment transforming one of my mother’s old long blazers into a short, sharp jacket for myself. At fourteen, I crafted my first bag from worn jeans and old leather boots, an early foreshadowing of the philosophy that still defines my work: nothing is ever truly waste.
Today, I draws from a deep appreciation for contemporary art and architecture. I find inspiration in figures such as the late Eric Beauduin, Niyona, Raf Simons, and movements like Modernism, as embodied by Gerrit Rietveld or Toyo Ito. My designs reflect a similar play of structure, fluidity and intention.
This creative instinct runs in the family. My grandfather carved beautiful sculpted wooden boxes, through my own work, I honour and finally give visibility to a craftsmanship that never received the recognition it deserved in his lifetime. My spatial sense and gift for form I owe, unmistakably, to my engineer father and his technical, inventive mind; in his electronics workshop, I watched components and mechanisms become solutions. And more recently, I have recognised the beautiful sweaters my grandmother once knitted as the quiet root of my own feel for texture, colour and the rhythm of handwork. That creative lineage is the still, powerful source my work flows from today.
I hold a degree in Interior Design from LUCA School of Arts and earned official recognition as a certified leather artisan and pattern-cutter by Syntra Brussels.
A career in marketing management and a period in retail, including at Hermès, proved an unexpected preparation for entrepreneurship, giving me a close-up understanding of brand, positioning, quality, and timelessness. But it ultimately led me back to what had always been there, quietly calling: designing, making, and giving material its original value back.
As An Vandenberk – artdesigner, leathercraftswoman and material shaman – I bring together intuition and precision, restoring the bond between material, object and person in every Composite that leaves my atelier.
My Mission
As an artdesigner and material shaman, I devote myself to seeing value, in a person, in a material, in the bond between them. From my atelier in Brussels, I craft sculptural leather Composites and design AN, a timeless avant-garde bamboo clothing line, always shaped by care, sustainable values and timeless design.
My mission is to restore what mass production and overconsumption have worn away: the natural bond between people and what they wear and carry. A worn piece of leather, a loved one’s jacket, a bag full of memory, none of it needs to be erased. It asks for attention, understanding, and a new form. That’s what a Composite becomes: not just an object, but a story, preserved.
That same belief extends to material that carries no story yet. I source deadstock and surplus leather from dormant stocks at specialist suppliers. Hides that would otherwise have no future at all. Seeing their value, too, and giving them a second chance, is just as much a part of my mission as transforming what you bring me yourself.
This is where fashion meets integrity. This is the vision of An Vandenberk, material shaman and artisan designer in Brussels.
Vision
As a trailblazer in conscious design, I envision a world where every stitch tells a story, of uniqueness, care, and timeless intention. My practice combines sustainable materials, ethical partnerships and artisanal craftsmanship that honours tradition while shaping the future.
Luxury, to me, is not excess. It is depth, emotion, and respect. I believe in fashion as a medium for positive change, where people and planet are held in equal regard. Without labels or borders, I design for individuals – each piece an invitation to express, interpret, and belong.
Rooted in Brussels, I continue this journey as a material shaman and artisan designer, shaping a vision of more sustainable fashion and wearable art under the name An Vandenberk.
“Where materials speak.”
My Values
Sustainability
A commitment to environmental stewardship, reducing the ecological footprint, and promoting sustainable practices throughout the entire supply chain.
Authenticity
Embracing difference not through labels, but through space, space for movement, identity and self-expression beyond norms.
Craftsmanship
Dedication to preserving craftsmanship techniques and creating high-quality, long-lasting products that stand the test of time.
Circular Economy
Striving to operate within a circular economy framework, where waste is minimized, and materials are recycled or upcycled whenever possible.
Ethical Practices
Choosing suppliers who are upholding fair wages, safe working conditions, and ethical treatment of workers at all levels of the production process.
Customer Education
Empowering customers through education about sustainable fashion choices and the positive impact of conscious consumption.
Accountability
Taking responsibility for the environmental and social consequences of the business’s actions and continuously striving to improve.