{{Short description|Group of Belgian fashion designers}} [[File:Antwerp_Six-2013.png|thumb|260px|upright|The Antwerp Six in 2013: From left: Marina Yee, Dries Van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester, Dirk Bikkembergs, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dirk Van Saene ]] The '''Antwerp Six''' are a group of fashion designers who trained at Antwerp's Royal Academy of Fine Arts between 1980–1981 under Mary Prijot.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/18/fashion/a-rare-reunion-for-the-antwerp-six.html?_r=0|title=A Rare Reunion for the 'Antwerp Six'|newspaper=The New York Times|date=17 June 2013|last1=Menkes|first1=Suzy}}</ref> The press began referring to them as a group beginning in about 1990 after the group in 1986 drove in a van from Belgium to present at a London tradeshow and unexpectedly made an impression.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Dazed |date=2015-09-09 |title=How six unknown Belgian designers took on the world |url=https://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/26241/1/how-the-antwerp-six-took-on-the-world |access-date=2023-12-15 |website=Dazed |language=en}}</ref>
==Members== *Walter Van Beirendonck<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 March 2026 |title="Niemand had van Antwerpen gehoord": hoe Antwerpse Zes hun stad 40 jaar geleden bombardeerden tot modewalhalla |url=https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2026/03/24/40-jaar-antwerpse-zes-expositie-momu/ |website=vrt.be |language=nl}}</ref> *Ann Demeulemeester *Dries Van Noten * Dirk Van Saene *Dirk Bikkembergs *Marina Yee
==History== The fashion collective presented a distinct, radical vision for fashion during the 1980s that established Antwerp as a notable location for fashion design. The breakthrough occurred in 1986 as the group rented a truck and set out for the London Fashion Week with their collections. The reporters could not pronounce their names so began collectively referring to them as the Antwerp Six.<ref name=":0" />
Martin Margiela, another Belgian contemporary, was not actually part of the group that showed in London, although he is often mistakenly described as one of the Antwerp Six because he also emerged from the Antwerp scene immediately before the "Antwerp six" came to being. He subsequently moved to Paris, initially working for Jean Paul Gaultier and then opening his own label.
From 28 March 2026 — 17 January 2027, MoMu Fashion Museum Antwerp will exhibit ''The Antwerp Six'' celebrating the 40<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the group.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-06-20 |title=The Antwerp Six / MoMu - Fashion Museum Antwerp |url=https://www.momu.be/en/exhibitions/the-antwerp-six |access-date=2026-03-28 |website=MoMu Antwerp |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-03-27 |title=Why the Antwerp Six Were Never Really a Collective |url=https://www.wmagazine.com/culture/antwerp-six-momu-museum-show-photos |access-date=2026-03-28 |website=W Magazine |language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://visit.antwerpen.be/en/fashion Fashion in Antwerp] from the Antwerp tourism office *[https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/18/fashion/a-rare-reunion-for-the-antwerp-six.html?_r=0 A Rare Reunion for the ‘Antwerp Six’- NYT JUNE 17, 2013]
Antwerp Six Antwerp Six Category:Royal Academy of Fine Arts (Antwerp) alumni {{fashion-designer-stub}} {{Belgium-bio-stub}}