The legacy of the Antwerp Six in contemporary fashion

The Antwerp Six were a group of six fashion designers trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Belgium, in the early 1980s:  Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dirk Bikkembergs, Dirk Van Saene and Marina Yee. Although stylistically distinct, they became collectively known when they rented a van and took their collections to the British Designer Show in London in 1986 — in a sort of “Belgian invasion” that shook the center of European fashion.

The English press, fascinated by their unpronounceable names and challenging aesthetics, dubbed them Antwerp Six, coining an identity that, while never formalized among them, ultimately shaped their definitive entry into the international fashion circuit.

The group emerged at a time when Belgium was seeking to reposition itself economically after the decline of its textile industry. The local government, led by Willem Clales, launched the so-called “Textile Plan” in the 1980s — encouraging fashion design as a viable creative and economic alternative. This included the creation of contests like the Golden Spindle and campaigns like Fashion: It’s Belgian, which gave visibility to new national talents.

More importantly: the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, under the direction of Linda Loppa, offered an education focused exclusively on creative expression, disregarding commercial demands — which generated a generation of highly authorial designers with a very particular aesthetic voice.

Coincidences played their part. The talent and personalities of the members (and the circle around them) influenced every detail of the collections. There was also luck: in Belgium, the fashion sector received strong investment. And, more broadly, designers developed in a decade synonymous with boldness, creativity, and risk. It was the perfect storm — and it made us question: would it be possible to cultivate this kind of talent today?

While each developed their own signature, it is possible to identify some common threads:

• Deconstruction and anti-form: many of them operated against the dominant glamour logic of the time (like Thierry Mugler or Montana's power dressing), preferring pieces with strange fits, misaligned silhouettes, and raw finishes.

• Gender neutrality and androgyny: the group anticipated discussions on gender fluidity decades before they became central topics.

• Flemish expressionism: the Belgian aesthetic — dark, intellectualized, melancholic, and often brutalist — permeates their creations, reflecting both the artistic past of the country (Rubens, Bruegel) and its present political and social circumstances.

• Rejection of the traditional fashion system: in opposition to industrialized French and Italian fashion, they preferred authorial paths, producing on a smaller scale with a focus on creative integrity.

  
  

Each One's Path

1. Ann Demeulemeester

Perhaps the most poetic of the group, her creations are marked by elongated silhouettes, a monochromatic palette, sharp tailoring, and subtle sensuality. She founded her brand in 1985 and stepped down from creative leadership in 2013. She continues to be a reference for intellectual gothic fashion and romantic minimalism.

2. Dries Van Noten

The most commercially successful of the group, Dries is a master of print, color, and the balance between tradition and exoticism. His work combines visual opulence with technical rigor. In 2024, he announced his gradual retirement, closing a cycle of over three decades.

3. Walter Van Beirendonck

The most performative and daring of the group. He mixes futurism, pop culture, queer activism, and politics in colorful, graphic, and provocative collections. He is also an important professor at the Antwerp Academy, responsible for training new talents (including Raf Simons and Demna Gvasalia).

4. Dirk Bikkembergs

A pioneer in the fusion of fashion and sports, he became known for his hyper-masculinized men's fashion collections and sponsorship of football. He was one of the first designers to showcase on football fields and collaborate with sports clubs.

5. Dirk Van Saene

More discreet and introspective, he worked with painting, ceramics, and fashion on a small scale. He also serves as a professor at the Academy. His work blends artisanal storytelling with a very personal vision of clothing.

6. Marina Yee

The most enigmatic. She left fashion early, in the 1990s, criticizing the commercial directions of the industry. Recently, she returned to present small collections, always focusing on sustainability and the reuse of materials — anticipating the discussion on circular fashion.

Although he did not go to London with the group,  Martin Margiela graduated with them and is often referred to as “the +1.” He worked with Jean Paul Gaultier, later founded his own house in Paris and redefined fashion with his radical deconstruction, anonymity, and critique of the system. His influence is comparable only to that of Rei Kawakubo or Yohji Yamamoto.

The Antwerp Six did not create a “school” of style, but rather a model of artistic independence. They proved that fashion can be more than just trend — it can be language, resistance, and critical thought. They made Belgium a relevant hub on the global fashion map and paved the way for a new generation of conceptual creators like Raf Simons, Haider Ackermann, Kris Van Assche and Demna.

They are remembered not only for what they created, but for how they created: with courage, cohesion, and aesthetic conviction at a time that still allowed the luxury of invention.

How the “Antwerp Six” Conquered Infamy in Fashion

The rapid rise of the Six+1 is due to a series of fortuitous cultural events, as Hannah Rogers explains — but their lasting legacy still resonates today.

July 20, 2016Text by Hannah Rogers

London, 1986. An unknown group of graduates from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp arrives at the British Designer Show, crammed in a small van, to present their collections. In just three days, they are sold at Barneys, Bergdorf, and Liberty of London — catapulting them into the media spotlight. Ann Demeulemeester, Marina Yee, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Bikkembergs, Dirk Van Saene, and Walter Van Beirendonck become the “Antwerp Six.”

Three decades later, the meteoric trajectory of these young Belgians towards global recognition still fascinates the industry. The name “Antwerp Six” — coined by the press, partly because of the difficulty of pronouncing their names — remains striking not necessarily because of all six individually (some stayed in the spotlight, others disappeared), but because they symbolize the rare phenomenon of an entire group impacting international fashion simultaneously. While critics have sought a “second wave,” promoting other groups of graduates from the Antwerp Academy, history has not repeated itself.

So, what was the magic formula? Coincidences played their part. The talent and personalities of the members (and the circle around them) influenced every detail of the collections. There was also luck: in Belgium, the fashion sector received strong investment. And, more broadly, the designers developed in a decade synonymous with boldness, creativity, and risk. It was the perfect storm — and it made us question: would it be possible to cultivate this kind of talent today?

The spirit of the 80s

Very different from the filtered and hashtag-dominated sphere in which today’s designers live, 1980s fashion was charged with rebellion, anarchy, and transformation. Youth culture had already ignited the 60s and 70s, and London had usurped Paris as the European cultural center. Politically, it was a tense time: Margaret Thatcher ruled with an iron fist, the USA thrived under Reagan, and communism was crumbling in Eastern Europe. Creatively, the scene was effervescent.

In London, subcultures dominated. The city exalted the independent creative, encouraging young people to carve their own paths — bringing them together in clubs and vibrant music scenes. In this subworld, revolutionary magazines like Dazed & Confused, Blitz and The Face emerged, shaping the new fashion scene in the city. The British government began investing in young designers, hosting parties and receptions — Thatcher herself organized events at Downing Street. London Fashion Week was starting to gain traction, revealing graduates from the Royal College of Art, Central Saint Martins, and London College of Fashion. Designer fashion was establishing itself as a profitable business.

The creators of this creative melting pot reacted to their time. Along with prosperity came the dark side: bombings, strikes, unemployment, HIV/AIDS. “Maybe that stimulated creativity,” said Hendrik Opdebeek, head of men’s fashion at the iconic Belgian boutique Stijl. “People needed to create something to fight against that — to create their own worlds.” Fashion, as always, was a means of expression and escape.

Antwerp in the 1980s

1981 marked a turning point for Belgian fashion. After the decline of the linen industry, Minister of Economy Willem Clales launched the “textile plan.” With the support of Helen Ravijist, president of the Belgian Institute of Textiles & Fashion, the campaign Fashion: It’s Belgian and the Golden Spindle contest emerged to reveal young talents and connect them with prêt-à-porter brands. That same year, most of the Antwerp Six graduated — alongside their colleague Martin Margiela. Margiela did not go to London with the group, preferring to work with Jean Paul Gaultier in Paris, but remains a key figure of the group.

The Six+1 won multiple times at the Golden Spindle, capturing the Belgian audience. “There was a spirit of the time,” recalls Sonja Noel, founder of STIJL and one of the first supporters of the group. “We only had Japanese, French, and Italians. I felt that something new was needed — something closer to Belgian taste.” Their clothes combined work and nightlife. “People were looking for something new, and the group offered that.” Their creations, far from the glamour of Mugler and Montana, felt real — and subtly subverted the gender and body standards of the Parisian system. As Noel said: “What was peculiar became classic.”

While London had the Blitz club, Antwerp had Café D’anvers. “They threw huge parties,” recalls Nicola Vercraeye, a former colleague of Margiela. “Antwerp breathed creativity. We went out in absurd clothes — Helmut Lang, Gaultier, lace… can you imagine?” Parties in warehouses completed the underground scene. “We were of the same generation, same interests. It was inevitable that we would meet,” says Opdebeek.

At the Academy, the healthy competition among students raised the bar. “It’s like in sports,” explains Opdebeek. “If you have the same goal, you motivate each other. And as their styles were so different, there was no direct threat. That’s why the group became so strong.” The education, focused solely on creativity and not on commercial appeal, was also decisive. “You leave knowing how to create — and that’s it,” says Vercraeye. “This method formed the designers we know.” The result? A generation that transformed Belgian fashion into a synonym for concept, subversion, and avant-garde.

The impact

Although the fashion landscape has changed profoundly, the trajectory of the Antwerp Six+1 still teaches. In the 1990s, each followed their path and built their signature. They avoided big advertising campaigns and moved at their own pace. A sustainable model that valued “less is more.” Thirty years later, this spirit echoes — as in Raf Simons’ departure from Dior, partly due to the absurd speed of the industry. Simons, by the way, also graduated from the Antwerp Academy — coincidence?

Some say that digital has eliminated the chance to create something truly new, in a culture of visual recycling. “The way we lived is never coming back,” said Vercraeye. “I’m not saying fashion is dead, but it has been more alive. People will still need to dress, but the industry has changed. I prefer to look at it positively. We’ve reached the height of the internet. Even taking old ideas, it’s possible to make them current.” It’s a new challenge for today’s graduates, in a market that seems to have seen it all.

This market has changed in other ways as well. Noel observes that today's youth is more conservative. “They avoid exaggeration — but that’s what you need to innovate. Today, everyone wants to look like each other, belong to a group. But I believe the time of individuality and self-confidence will come. I miss that.”

Perhaps the biggest lesson from the Belgian creatives is this: the importance of trusting one’s own artistic vision. In a world saturated with images and information, critical and independent voices are the most valuable asset we have.