THE ANTWERP SIX : INDIVIDUALITY IN COLLECTIVITY

Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten… these names might sound familiar, because they are. These two are members of one of the most iconic fashion collectives of our time, if you add Walter Van Beirendonck, Dirk Van Saene, Marina Yee and Dirk Bikkembergs to the two first ones: the Antwerp Six.

The Antwerp Six is a group of graduates from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Belgium, trained under the sharp eye of fashion designer Linda Loppa. They earned this group status in the nineties, even though each one of them had a very different and original universe, because of common experiences that made them a cohesive unit. Martin Margiela, another Belgian contemporary designer, is often mistaken as a member of the Antwerp Six, but he moved to Paris to work for Jean-Paul Gaultier before the collective made its entrance on the Antwerp scene.

The collective presented a brand new vision and had a breakthrough in 1986, when they rented a truck and set out for the London Fashion Week with their collection. Because, after all, when you think fashion in Europe, you think Paris, London or Milan… not Antwerp. They decided that if fashion week wouldn’t come to them, then they would come to fashion week themselves.

Seeing the lack of success of their spot, they started distributing flyers and soon, a Barneys buyer came to their floor. Jackpot! This man was how the Antwerp Six just got their first order; from there, comes their nickname, because the press was unable to pronounce their names. After this incredibly bold event, the Antwerp Six split to follow their own paths, developing their own style and ideas.

DRIES VAN NOTEN

First working as a freelancer before the famous event of the 1986 London Fashion Week, he became so successful on his own that he opened a boutique in Belgium. There are now around 400 Dries Van Noten shops in the world. He does not want to do haute couture and only ready-to-wear, making him the most accessible of the clique, but his take on fashion remains rather unconventional. Skillfully juggling between Eastern and Western styles, and his love for unusual fabrics, the inspiration he finds by looking at people in Antwerp has led him to create many thoughtful pieces.

ANN DEMEULEMEESTER

Ann Demeulemeester was an incredible new talent. After the Antwerp Six era, she started to create designs that were experimental but still wearable. Her clothing style can be deemed as androgynous, or romantically modernist, since she adds a punk feel to her dull-toned clothes by slashing them. Her signature womenswear piece feels a bit masculine, reinforcing the idea of androgyny and genderlessness, and is dedicated to Patti Smith, her muse, who created spoken poetry as the soundtrack of Demeulemeester’s runway shows

WALTER VAN BEIRENDONCK

Walter Van Beirendonck finds his inspiration in art, literature and music, but is also influenced by nature. Just like Dries Van Noten, he likes creating unusual pieces: innovative cuts, original color schemes and strong graphics. Surprisingly, he also has had his own children’s collection called zulupaPUWA. He also works in other artistic fields, like theater, film and ballet costumes, and designed for U2’s PopMart Tour in the late nineties. Van Beirendonck received the honorary title of Cultural Ambassador of Flanders, his native province.

DIRK VAN SAENE

Dirk Van Saene opened his shop right after graduating from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. His contribution to the Antwerp Six brought additional spotlight on him. Noteworthy was his 1990 catwalk show in Paris where, since he’s very keen on irony, the whole staff wore shirts with his name misspelled in different ways. Van Saene strictly refuses to follow trends and puts all his imagination and creativity into his designs, and now maintains a sustainable production line with very niche pieces available in very small quantities in only a few shops around the world.

MARINA YEE

Yee is the most elusive member of the Antwerp Six. She graduated in 1981 and her fashion career took off with her leather collections, both menswear and womenswear. Right after, she disappeared from the fashion world radar until 2018, when she dropped a redesign of three coats: sailor’s coat, parka and trench coat. She is keen on simple designs and natural materials; one of her habits is to upcycle clothes she finds in flea markets.

DIRK BIKKEMBERGS

Being the only member of the Antwerp Six not being born in Belgium but in Germany, Bikkembergs was also the last one to graduate, in 1982. Before the magic they created in London, he had won an award for the country’s best young designer, leading him to designing his own men’s shoe collection. His inspiration comes from his youth: tough fabrics and straight lines. His first womenswear collection was the exact same as the menswear one, the size being the only differing factor. He is always travelling from one capital fashion to another, always seeking inspiration and seeing new things; as he said himself, “I am married to fashion and will remain faithful.” He also designed the shirts of the AC Milan football team and has been the first designer to be allowed to have a show taking place in the FC Barcelona stadium.

The Antwerp Six were pioneers of the avant-garde movement, with many designers like none other than Raf Simons following in their wake. Thanks to them and to their legacy, a new spotlight shines on Antwerp, which now even has a fashion center— the ModeNatie. Belgian fashion also generally follows the ways of these six aliens in the fashion world back then, focused on small production, with quality garments.