Antwerp six is a legendary group of designers, graduates of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Antwerp, who created Belgian fashion practically from scratch. The names of the participants - Anne Demelmeister, Dries van Noten, Dirk Bikkembergs, Marina Yee, Walter van Beirendonck and Dirk van Saen - are forever inscribed in the history of the global fashion industry.
History
Many researchers consider the year of release of Dememelmeister, van Noten, Beirendonk, Birkembergs, Yee and Sayen's baths as the starting point in the history of Belgian fashion, which did not actually exist before the legendary six appeared. But the triumphant ascent to the fashionable Olympus began, of course, not immediately, but only six years later, when the designers decided to go to London Fashion Week. To do this, they rented a small van, in addition, the debutants themselves had to pay all the expenses associated with the show. The rest is history.
Having conquered the discerning London public with their conceptual, intelligent design, Antwerp Six have made their hometown the new fashion capital. The end of the eighties was a turning point, when people were tired of high-status clothing, but the "wearable" alternative had not yet appeared. Only the Japanese avant-garde represented by Kawakubo and Yamamoto was a breath of fresh air, but their creations were closer to art objects. The Belgians presented a unique, experimental, but at the same time adornment of a person clothes.
Of course, each of the six members had their own style, their own ideology, their own principles and a lot of unrealized projects, but at first they had to somehow get along, find compromises and look for a common style. This is how Belgian fashion was born, its distinctive features were layering, asymmetry, disproportion and active use of black.
According to Ann Demelmeister, the members of the group could not stand each other, but in order to be noticed, they tried to stick together.
Antwerp six today
Currently, only four members of the group are flourishing in their careers: Dries van Noten, Ann Demelmeister, Walter van Beirendonck and Dirk Bieckembergs.
Dries van Noten comes from a family of textile workers, so he pays special attention to fabrics. In his collections, you can often see loose dresses and skirts, soft blazers, an abundance of embroidery and exotic prints.
Today, journalists love to "write" Martin Margel and Joseph Timister into the broken six.
The demelemeister is known to the fashion world as a rebel and intellectual. Her personal motto is "to want to be liked is to lose yourself." The main thing in her clothes is a complex cut, non-standard silhouette and texture. The designer also does not disdain unusual decor. Ribbons and chains are a kind of fetish for Ann.
Dirk Bikkembergs is attracted by sport chic and military style. He's quite eccentric, but he pays attention to how the clothes fit the models.
Finally, Walter van Beirendonck is often referred to as the "Belgian Gaultier". He works a lot with knitwear, uses numerous cinematic allusions and has a peculiar sense of humor.
