history
In 1986, a group of young Belgian designers travel with their work to London for the British Designers Show. They catch the attention of journalists and buyers that call them ‘The Antwerp Six’ because pronouncing their names in Dutch is difficult.
Walter Van Beirendonck, Dirk Bikkembergs, Marina Yee, Dirk Van Saene, Ann Demeulemeester and Dries Van Noten trekken go to Paris the following year under their own names to display their work, just as their contemporary Martin Margiela, who was working as an assistant for Jean Paul Gaultier back then. Their influence is so great that fashion journalist Suzy Menkes shall later declare that they helped determine the style for the 1990s.
The Six drew the attention of the entire world to Antwerp. After their huge success, it takes some years before a second generation of designers makes itself known internationally with their own collections. Paradoxically, it is Raf Simons, a designer who did not study at the Academy, who will be the trendsetter of the second wave of successful Antwerp designers in 1995, with after that amongst others Lieve Van Gorp, Wim Neels, Patrick Van Ommeslaeghe, Jurgi Persoons, Veronique Branquinho, A.F. Vandevorst, Bernhard Willhelm, Bruno Pieters, Christian Wijnants, Tim Van Steenbergen and Haider Ackermann. Because of their determination, string and conceptual collections, they immediately attain their breakthrough and they continue the avant-garde character of Antwerp fashion.
The designer’s successes have been supported and stimulated from the beginning by a strong creative co-operation with photographers (amongst others Ronald Stoops, Willy Vanderperre), stylists (amongst others Olivier Rizzo), scenographers (amongst others Bob Verhelst), graphic designers (amongst others Paul Boudens) and make-up artists (amongst others Inge Grognard, Peter Philips), who have only strengthened the impact of the Antwerp fashion image. Many of these names perhaps not that well-known have established an international career and have left their unequivocal mark on the international fashion scene.
Inge Grognard & Ronald Stoops © Ronald Stoops
Raf Simons S/S 1998 © Ronald Stoops
The Antwerp Six © Philippe Costes / WWD
history
Walter Van Beirendonck, Dirk Bikkembergs, Marina Yee, Dirk Van Saene, Ann Demeulemeester and Dries Van Noten trekken go to Paris the following year under their own names to display their work, just as their contemporary Martin Margiela, who was working as an assistant for Jean Paul Gaultier back then. Their influence is so great that fashion journalist Suzy Menkes shall later declare that they helped determine the style for the 1990s.
The Six drew the attention of the entire world to Antwerp. After their huge success, it takes some years before a second generation of designers makes itself known internationally with their own collections. Paradoxically, it is Raf Simons, a designer who did not study at the Academy, who will be the trendsetter of the second wave of successful Antwerp designers in 1995, with after that amongst others Lieve Van Gorp, Wim Neels, Patrick Van Ommeslaeghe, Jurgi Persoons, Veronique Branquinho, A.F. Vandevorst, Bernhard Willhelm, Bruno Pieters, Christian Wijnants, Tim Van Steenbergen and Haider Ackermann. Because of their determination, string and conceptual collections, they immediately attain their breakthrough and they continue the avant-garde character of Antwerp fashion.
The designer’s successes have been supported and stimulated from the beginning by a strong creative co-operation with photographers (amongst others Ronald Stoops, Willy Vanderperre), stylists (amongst others Olivier Rizzo), scenographers (amongst others Bob Verhelst), graphic designers (amongst others Paul Boudens) and make-up artists (amongst others Inge Grognard, Peter Philips), who have only strengthened the impact of the Antwerp fashion image. Many of these names perhaps not that well-known have established an international career and have left their unequivocal mark on the international fashion scene.
Inge Grognard & Ronald Stoops © Ronald Stoops
Raf Simons S/S 1998 © Ronald Stoops
The Antwerp Six © Philippe Costes / WWD
In 1986, a group of young Belgian designers travel with their work to London for the British Designers Show. They catch the attention of journalists and buyers that call them ‘The Antwerp Six’ because pronouncing their names in Dutch is difficult.