After his studies, Mispelaere has spent a number of years with various French and Italian couturiers and fashion designers.
In 1989, he started training with Claude Montana who was head of Haute Couture at the House of Lanvin at the time. After spending five years as Montana’s assistant, Yvan Mispelaere goes to Rome to work for Italian ‘la dolce vita’ couturier Valentino in 1994. Valentino is also a correspondent member of the French Haute Couture chamber. After enjoying Valentino’s glamour and style for 4 years, Mispelaere is wooed away by Prada to Milan in 1998. He made the Milanese label more feminine and luxurious.
After 6 years of travel Mispelaere returns to Paris at a time where the legend of the Parisian woman is being revived. As artistic director of Féraud from 2000 to 2002, he found fulfillment in designing a typically French style, which speaks of femininity and frivolity.
After Féraud, Yvan Mispelaere worked for Chloé as an assistant under Phoebe Philo. He quitted Chloé to take up the position of design director at Gucci, where he worked under creative director Frida Giannini. In the midst of working with these powerhouses, Mispelaere created his own clothing line and first show during Paris Fashion Week in March 2003.

Since April 2010, Yvan Mispelaere has been turning heads with his new role as the Creative Director at Diane von Furstenberg where he is settling in New York for a new era in his career.