Belgian fashion is closely linked with the Antwerp Six, a group of designers whose names are known worldwide.
Who they were
The Six were Dirk Bikkembergs, Ann Demeulemeester, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Van Saene and Marina Yee, all of whom studied fashion at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. In 1986 they took their collections to the British Designer Show in London. The city of Antwerp’s own history of local fashion says journalists and buyers found their names hard to pronounce and nicknamed them the Antwerp Six, and a year later they showed in Paris under their own names. W magazine reports that Barneys New York began placing orders.
The Margiela question
Martin Margiela is often linked with the group, and W describes him as a classmate of Van Beirendonck, yet he was not among those who showed in London. At the time he was working as an assistant to Jean Paul Gaultier.
A continuing story
Dries Van Noten staged his final show in Paris on 22 June 2024, his 150th, closing a career of 38 years. MoMu Fashion Museum Antwerp marks the 40th anniversary with the first exhibition devoted solely to the group, running from 28 March 2026 to 17 January 2027. Curators have arranged around 100 looks, with a gallery for each designer, and describe the story as one of difference rather than a shared style.
Sources: MoMu: 40 years of the Antwerp Six, City of Antwerp: History of Antwerp fashion, W Magazine: The Antwerp Six at MoMu, Wikipedia: Antwerp Six, ABC News (AP): Dries Van Noten’s final show.
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