In 2026, the MoMu Fashion Museum Antwerp celebrates one of the most influential chapters in contemporary fashion with a major exhibition dedicated to the Antwerp Six, forty years after their international breakthrough. The exhibition retraces the story of six designers who, despite never forming an official collective, redefined the image of Belgian fashion worldwide.

The protagonists—Dirk Bikkembergs, Ann Demeulemeester, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Van Saene and Marina Yee—share the same starting point: the fashion department of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp. From that creative and experimental environment emerged six very different careers, united by a radical approach to design.

The exhibition brings visitors back to the late 1970s and early 1980s, when fashion was changing rapidly. The classicism of Parisian haute couture was beginning to face new influences coming from music, club culture and youth movements. In London, the punk scene led by Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren redefined the language of fashion, while designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier, Thierry Mugler and Claude Montana drew attention with increasingly bold proposals. In 1981, Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo also shook the Paris fashion scene with a completely new aesthetic.

During those years, Antwerp itself was experiencing a moment of great cultural vitality. Academy students frequented clubs, traveled between London, Paris, Milan and New York, and absorbed new influences from international music and fashion scenes. Despite their personal differences, a strong creative synergy gradually emerged among them.

The decisive moment came in 1986, when they presented their collections together in London. The international press quickly identified them as a unique phenomenon, giving rise to the name “Antwerp Six.” From that moment on, each of them would pursue an independent career, often presenting their collections in Paris.

The MoMu exhibition focuses precisely on this short but crucial period, showing how individual talent, friendship and cultural context gave rise to one of the most important chapters in contemporary fashion. The exhibition will run from 28 March 2026 to 17 January 2027 and will be accompanied by a rich program of public events dedicated to their creative legacy.