Jul 1, 2026 – 5.00amSometimes all you need is a van. In 1986, six young graduates of Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts were keen to show their first collections at the British Designer Show in London. Pooling their resources, Ann Demeulemeester, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Bikkembergs, Dirk Van Saene and Marina Yee piled a van high with their designs and drove from Belgium to England. At a time when Dynasty-style power dressing was in vogue, their deconstructed silhouettes, raw tailoring and subdued colour palettes were unlike anything else on show, and became an instant hit.The Antwerp Six from left: Ann Demeulemeester, Dirk Van Saene, Marina Yee, Dries Van Noten, Walter Van Beirendonck and Dirk Bikkembergs in 1987, in a photo published in WWD. Philippe CostesSubscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles
How six graduates in a rented van put Antwerp on the design map
The creativity that drove the Antwerp Six to international renown is alive and well in this Belgian city of just half a million people and 187 nationalities.
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