You don’t know Antwerpen and it seems like no one does. But the city incubated designers like Dirk Bikkembergs, Ann Demeulemeester, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Van Saene, and Marina Yee, collectively known as the Antwerpen Six. This leg of my trip became a fashion treasure, an opportunity to discover these designers and learn how they conquered the world from Antwerp through their conceptual style. Though somewhat obscure, Antwerp remains a creative hub for fashion’s leading minds: Alaïa’s creative director Pieter Mulier and Prada’s co–creative director Raf Simons both call the city home, while Chanel’s new artistic director Matthieu Blazy has spent significant time there as well. Yet beyond the allure of possibly crossing paths with these industry heavyweights, Antwerp also nurtures a new generation of talent. The fashion brilliance found just 45 minutes north of Brussels is a revelation—not only for those easily enthused by chocolate and fries, but also for those who find comfort in quiet, quaint spaces. I loved this part of my trip; one of life’s greatest pleasures is learning, and I learned so much.
Ann Demeulemeester Antwerpen Store
MoMu - Fashion Museum Antwerpen
Fashions & Interiors: A gendered affair
The museum writes: “Fashion and interior design have long been intertwined. This exhibition explores the interaction, with a focus on complex gender dynamics.The emergence of modern Western consumer culture in the second half of the 19th century coincided with the rise of a bourgeois ideal of domesticity. From that point onward, fashion and interior design came to be perceived as inherently 'feminine. The housewife was expected to reflect her family's social status through both her clothing and a tastefully decorated home. Around the same time, about 1870, fashion evolved into a modern system, characterized by biannual collections, couturiers signing their designs, and designers receiving clients in their fashion houses.”
The exhibit examined the responses of several influential designers, with a particular emphasis on the visual fusion between these two forms of expression.