The Antwerp Six
A definitive retrospective tracking how six radical students from Antwerp transformed the global language of fashion in the 1980s.
Image credit
© Momu The Antwerp Six, 1986
Meet the artist
Dirk Bikkembergs, Ann Demeulemeester, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Van Saene, Marina Yee
The Movement
FashionArtLovers Tip
Look for the specific Limited Edition museum pass available only during this exhibition, and don't miss the Soulwax playlist—it's designed to be the auditory backbone of your visit.
Exhibition Highlights - What you'll see
Forty years ago, a group of graduates from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts packed a van and drove to London, forever altering the trajectory of contemporary style.
This exhibition at MoMu marks the first major reunion of the Antwerp Six—Dirk Bikkembergs, Ann Demeulemeester, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Van Saene, and Marina Yee. It is an exploration of how a shared education in a quiet Belgian city bloomed into six distinct, wildly influential solo careers that challenged the dominance of Paris and Milan.
You're watching the evolution of a revolution, moving from early collaborative sketches to seminal garments like Demeulemeester's monochromatic silhouettes and Van Beirendonck's vibrant, sculptural forms. The gallery space feels charged with the energy of 1986, where heavy fabrics meet delicate tailoring under focused museum lighting, inviting you to see the hand of the maker in every seam.
Worth the trip
- Historic Milestone: This is the first time all six designers are featured in a comprehensive, large-scale group exhibition dedicated to their collective legacy.
- Unseen Archives: Explore a vast collection of garments, sketches, and ephemera that chart their journey from the Royal Academy to the global stage.
- Antwerp's Creative Heart: Witness the works in the very city that nurtured them, hosted within the world-renowned architecture of the MoMu.
How to experience it
Walk through the chronological sections to understand the shared DNA of the group before seeing how their paths diverged into individual brilliance. After leaving the museum, wander through the nearby streets of the Nationalestraat, where many of these designers opened their first boutiques, to feel the lasting pulse of fashion in Antwerp's urban fabric.
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