The Antwerp Six

Paris, Milan, London, and New York belong to the so-called “Big Four” – the four most important fashion cities in the world. But alongside these metropolises, there are also smaller, lesser-known cities that have a significant influence on events in the fashion industry. These include Antwerp. How this came about and what influences the city still has today is explained here.

There is magic in every beginning…

In Antwerp, one of the four oldest art academies in Europe is located. Founded in 1663, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts (German: Königliche Akademie für Schöne Künste) looks back on a long history. However, to explain the significance of Antwerp as a center for contemporary fashion, it is necessary to take a step back to the 1960s.

In 1963, the first fashion-related program was established at the academy with the course “Fashion and Decorative Drawing”. The program was led by Mary Prijot. At that time, society was undergoing major changes, while Belgium’s textile and clothing sector was facing serious difficulties. As a result, the government was tasked with developing a five-year plan to promote young talent and revitalize the entire industry.

In the academic year 1965/1966, the aforementioned course was renamed “Fashion and Theatre Costume”. Mary Prijot was supported by Marthe Van Leemput, who focused more on the technical aspects of the program.

Already in the following decade, the first successes of alumni could be recorded. Phara Van den Boeck, for example, managed to secure a job as a stylist with Gianni Versace in Milan within six months. This was also reported in the Flemish press.

After these beginnings, a leap to the 1980s is relevant, as the Antwerp Six refers to a design collective that achieved an international breakthrough during this decade, thereby making Flemish fashion internationally popular.

The group included the designers Dirk Bikkembergs, Ann Demeulemeester, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Van Saene, and Marina Yee.

In order to maintain a chronological order, it is necessary to take a look at the members’ periods of study. Each of the designers studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, during which time the students got to know each other. In 1986, the ambitious designers traveled to London in a truck and took part in London Fashion Week. However, the group was only given a space on the second floor to present their collections. The most popular brands were already represented on the second floor, so the buyers no longer saw the need to go to the second floor.

As a result, the Antwerp Six distributed flyers the next day with the slogan “Come up and see the ‘Antwerp Six’!” to attract buyers. The initiative was effective! The buyers and, above all, the press immediately became aware of the talents. To avoid the difficult pronunciation of the Flemish names, it was primarily the British press that adopted the name “The Antwerp Six”.

The success of the designs lay in contrast to the established and successful brands such as Burberry, which offered a very classic aesthetic with clear silhouettes. The Antwerp Six focuses on unconventional cuts, silhouettes, and colors.

In addition to the term already explained, more in-depth research also reveals the term “The Antwerp 6+1”, which includes the designer Martin Margiela. However, the designer is not part of the group. Although he was studying at the academy in Antwerp at the same time, he did not travel to London as he was already completing an internship with Jean-Paul Gaultier at the time. Nevertheless, his name is often associated with the myth of the Antwerp Six.

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The passing of time

What follows is a timeline of the city’s most famous and successful designers, most of whom are graduates of the Royal Academy.

• 1976 – Walter Van Beirendonck and Martin Margiela begin their studies.

• 1977 – Marina Yee, Dirk Bikkembergs, Dries van Noten, Dirk van Saene & Ann Demeulemeester follow. The designers completed their studies in 1980 and 1981, respectively.

  

  

  

• 1982 – Participation in the first Golden Spindle competition, which was organized by the ITCB (Institute for Textiles and the Clothing Industry in Belgium). Ann Demeulemeester won the first edition of the Golden Spindle competition.

  

• 1983 – Dirk Van Saene won the second edition of the Golden Spindle competition after the Antwerp 6 + 1 were selected as finalists and were able to present their collections as part of a show at Brussels City Hall.

  

  

  

  

  

  

• 1985 – Walter Van Beirendonck wins the third edition of the competition. In the same year, the young designers traveled to Japan to present their Golden Spindle collections in Tokyo.

  

  

  

  

  

  

• 1986 – The spring/summer collections were shown in September of that year at the Pitti trade fair in Florence. The six designers traveled across the Alps in a camper van, which not only served as transportation but also as accommodation on site.

• 1984 to 1987 – Martin Margiela, who also studied with the Antwerp Six, was already working as an assistant to Jean-Paul Gaultier at this time.

• 1986 – A famous trip to London and the beginning of the myth of “The Antwerp Six.” In the following year, each designer presented separately, but the collections were grouped under “The Six Belgian Designers,” as the international press had difficulties with the pronunciation and spelling of Flemish names.

  

• 1988 – Maison Margiela is founded.

• 1991 – Raf Simons completes an internship with Walter van Beirendonck.

• 1992 – Marina Yee turned her back on fashion. Her relationship at the time with Martin Margiela and his enormous success are said to have affected her deeply. She is believed to have developed feelings of inferiority as well as an aversion to the industry.

• 1993 to 1999 – The German fashion brand MUSTANG Jeans signs a license agreement with Walter van Beirendonck. In 1999, Beirendonck was appointed cultural ambassador of Flanders.

• 1995 – Raf Simons launches his first collection.

• 1997 – Martin Margiela becomes the new creative director at Maison Hermès. He relinquished this position in 2003.

• 2005 to 2012 – Raf Simons becomes the new creative director at Jil Sander.

• 2006 – Demna Gvasalia graduates from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp.

• 2008 – The Council of Fashion Designers of America honors Dries Van Noten with the “International Designer of the Year” award.

  That same year, Glenn Martens also successfully completed his Master’s degree at the Academy.

• 2009 – Martin Margiela leaves his company. In October 2014, John Galliano took over the creative direction of the house.

• 2014 – The Vetements label is founded by Demna in Switzerland. He left the company in 2019.

• 2012 to 2015 – DIOR gets a new creative director: Raf Simons.

• 2014 – Raf Simons receives the international award for his work at DIOR from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA).

• 2015 – The Balenciaga label appoints Demna as its new creative director. He previously worked for Maison Margiela and Louis Vuitton.

• 2016 to 2018 – Raf Simons takes over the creative direction at Calvin Klein.

• 2017 – CFDA Fashion Award goes to Demna for both Vetements and Balenciaga. 2018, followed by Accessories Designer of the Year and the 2021 Global Women’s Designer award.

• 2018 – Puig joins the capital structure of Dries Van Noten as the majority owner. The designer retains his role as Chief Creative Officer and Chairman of the Board.

• Since 2020 – Raf Simons has been Co-Creative Director at PRADA alongside Miuccia Prada.

  Also, since 2020 – Glenn Martens assumes creative leadership at DIESEL.

• Since 2021 – Pieter Mulier has been appointed as the new creative director of Alaïa. The Belgian had actually studied architecture, but his talent was immediately recognized by Raf Simons, and so Mulier became Simons’ right-hand man for 16 years.

• 2022 – Reunion of the Antwerp Six to answer some questions from students at the Academy. The Business of Fashion reported extensively on this.

Of course, each individual also tried to use the commercial success of the collective to establish their brand in the fashion industry. The most commercially successful to date is Dries van Noten, who is always part of Paris Fashion Week with his latest collections. On March 19th, 2024, Dries van Noten announced his retirement as creative director on Instagram. The following Men’s Spring/Summer 2025 collection was therefore his last.

The myth of the Antwerp Six is still very much alive in the city today and gave the creative industry in Antwerp self-confidence and a boost that continues to this day.

Have you ever heard of the myth of the Antwerp Six?