The famous “Antwerp Six.”
I’ve been hearing about this group for the past six months while I have been studying in a Masters program at Polimoda under the famous designer – and now dean – of the Italian University, Linda Loppa. For some odd reason, I had never heard about these talented designers associated as a famous group who graduated from the Antwerp Academy in Belgium and were trained under Loppa herself.
These names have been prominent fashion industry leaders since the 80’s and brought the world’s attention to the inventive styles of Belgium’s impeccable talent which include Dries Van Noten, Dirk Bikkembergs, Dirk Van Saene, Ann Demeulemeester, Walter Van Beirendonck and Marina Yee (replacing the almost reclusive Martin Margiela after his brief association with the group).
All of these designers have been able to develop a loyal fan base, usually without the advertisement of their labels, and have continued to withstand a strong international presence throughout the last 20 years.
One particularly successful designer from the group of six is Dries Van Noten, who was instrumental in bringing back femininity to women’s fashion while maintaining a base in Antwerp, and still supplying clothing to over 500 shops across the world.
The approach to his design is original and organic, a twist from the traditional money-making, ready-to-wear that we see on the catwalk. “It’s a way of looking at clothes, of designing piece by piece, rather than for catwalk effect, so each piece has its own value and can be worn how you want it,” he explains.
Noten has struggled in the market at times because of his unique approach to design and somewhat nontraditional way of not advertising his clothes in a media-obsessed industry. His first notable rough patch was during the late 90’s when extreme luxury became the look of the moment, along with the obsession of branding and the media’s use of designers as the new faces of Hollywood.
Photos courtesy of the Fashion Spot forums.
