The Six

On the second floor of the 1986 British Designer Show in London, tucked away among the bridal gowns, six unknown Flemish designers were discovered almost by chance. With names so unpronounceable for the international crowd, someone must have called out, “Come up and see the Antwerp Six!” The echo of those words never left the Six. On the contrary, it only grew louder over the years, elevating the group to mythical status. Through their global success, Dries Van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester, Dirk Bikkembergs, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dirk Van Saene, and Marina Yee put Belgian fashion firmly on the international map. In The Six, novelist Oscar van den Boogaard reconstructs the origins and dynamics of the Antwerp Six through intimate conversations with the designers themselves, weaving their memories and experiences into a one-of-a-kind biography. Text in English and Dutch.