Antwerp: Where even the Virgin Mary wears couture.

You know you’re in a city that truly embraces fashion as an intrinsic part of its identity when even sacred iconography reflects contemporary haute couture. A mere stone’s throw from Antwerp’s historic old town, a labyrinth of ornate medieval guild houses and winding cobblestone streets, stands the magnificent baroque church of St. Andrew’s. Like many of the city’s venerable Catholic churches, it boasts breathtaking stained-glass windows that filter light into kaleidoscopic patterns, an exuberantly carved wooden pulpit that commands attention, and an enviable collection of artworks by Flemish masters, far more numerous than one could count while shaking an incense stick. Yet, our pilgrimage here is to pay homage to an art form of a distinctly different, yet equally profound, kind.

Within a hushed, contemplative chapel, an exquisite 16th-century wooden statue of the Madonna stands, reimagined not in her traditional cerulean cloak, but in a custom-made dress of pale, gauzy fabric. This ethereal garment is strikingly trimmed with a collar of delicate white pigeon feathers, a creation by the celebrated Belgian fashion designer Ann Demeulemeester. This bold sartorial statement, marrying centuries-old devotion with avant-garde design, is not merely a surprising juxtaposition but a profound embodiment of Antwerp’s spirit, where a deep love of fashion appears intricately woven into the very fabric of everyday life, art, and even spirituality. Demeulemeester, known for her poetic and often melancholic aesthetic, frequently employs monochrome palettes and natural elements, making this particular commission a signature blend of her artistic vision and the sacred narrative. It serves as a striking visual metaphor for Antwerp’s unique ability to blend the ancient with the cutting-edge, the sacred with the stylish.

This vibrant fashion landscape, however, was not always the norm. In the 19th century, the very neighbourhood surrounding St. Andrew’s was starkly known as the "parish of misery"—a reputation that stubbornly clung to it well into the 1980s. It was against this backdrop of urban decay and neglect that a young, visionary designer named Dries Van Noten made a remarkably audacious decision. In 1989, he chose to open his eponymous shop on Nationalestraat, directly across the road from his grandfather’s traditional tailor shop. This bold move was a pivotal moment, a catalyst that would ignite the transformation of a forgotten district. Almost four decades later, the beautifully restored Art Nouveau building, with its gracefully curved windows, gleaming marble floors, and sparkling chandeliers, stands as the pulsating heart of Antwerp’s now-thriving Fashion District—a rebranding effort that, understandably, proved far more appealing to the tourist board than "Misery District."

"You have to understand that there was nothing here at all before this shop opened. It changed everything," explains Yentl, a knowledgeable guide leading my daughter and me on an insightful walking tour of the area’s key fashion sites and bustling shopping streets. Her words underscore the profound impact of Van Noten’s pioneering spirit, not just on the fashion industry but on the urban regeneration of Antwerp itself. His presence, combined with the collective emergence of his peers, fostered an environment where creativity could flourish, attracting other designers, boutiques, and eventually, a world-class fashion museum.

Van Noten and Demeulemeester are both revered members of the "Antwerp Six"—a legendary group of exceptionally talented young graduates from the city’s prestigious Royal Academy of Fine Arts. This collective of visionary designers exploded onto the international fashion scene in the late 1980s, fundamentally reshaping global perceptions of design. Alongside their equally influential peers—Walter Van Beirendonck, Dirk Bikkembergs, Dirk Van Saene, and Marina Yee—they are credited with injecting vital new life and a distinct intellectual rigour into a fashion world that had for decades been largely dominated by the established powerhouses of Paris, Milan, and London. Their arrival marked a paradigm shift, championing an experimental, often deconstructivist aesthetic that challenged conventional notions of beauty and luxury.

Their remarkable story is currently being celebrated in a major new exhibition at MoMu, Antwerp’s world-class fashion museum, conveniently located just a few doors along from Van Noten’s iconic flagship store. This comprehensive retrospective, which runs until January 2027, commemorates the 40th anniversary of the group’s audacious first foray to London in 1986. With limited resources but boundless ambition, they famously piled into a rented van, caught a ferry from Ostend, and arrived in London to showcase their debut collections at the British Designer Show in Olympia. These young Belgian designers, armed with nothing but their talent, originality, and sheer chutzpah, swiftly captivated both the international fashion press and discerning buyers. They created their collections on a shoestring budget, often utilising upcycled materials, championing radical self-expression over commercial marketability, staging groundbreaking fashion shoots in abandoned car parks, and even personally designing and printing their own flyers and posters. This DIY ethos and rebellious spirit set them apart, establishing a reputation for intellectual design and an unconventional approach that continues to influence fashion today.

Though it suited the foreign press to conveniently label them as the "Antwerp Six" (a far more manageable designation than typing out all of those wonderfully long Flemish names), it’s crucial to remember that they were never a cohesive collective in the traditional sense. Their strength lay in their individual artistic visions, and it is profoundly gratifying to see that the MoMu exhibition thoughtfully respects this by dedicating individually curated spaces to each designer. The displays are as thought-provoking and imaginative as the groundbreaking clothes they showcase. Visitors are immersed in a multi-sensory experience, from the avant-garde exuberance of Walter Van Beirendonck’s wildly colourful and playful creations, often imbued with socio-political commentary, to the dark drama and poetic monochrome palette of Ann Demeulemeester’s work, which explores themes of nature, melancholy, and rock ‘n’ roll aesthetics. The exhibition ingeniously combines evocative film projections, intimate recorded interviews with the designers themselves, a dynamic moving conveyor belt displaying mannequins adorned in their seminal pieces, and an atmospheric soundtrack that transports visitors directly into the creative zeitgeist of the late 20th century. This curatorial approach highlights their diverse influences, innovative techniques, and the enduring impact each individual had on shaping contemporary fashion.

Emerging from the immersive exhibition into the warm spring sunshine, it becomes immediately clear that the enduring legacy of this pioneering group extends far beyond the catwalk and is vibrantly alive within the city itself. Nationalestraat, once a symbol of urban blight, now buzzes with a dynamic energy, where contemporary designers’ boutiques stand proudly alongside innovative kilo stores where second-hand clothes are sold by weight. At Labels Inc, fashion enthusiasts can browse a meticulously curated selection of pre-loved pieces from established Belgian designers such as Raf Simons and Martin Margiela, or discover the exciting featured collections from the city’s latest crop of Royal Academy fashion graduates, ensuring a continuous flow of new talent. Nearby Kammenstraat and Steenhouwersvest are vibrant arteries lined with an eclectic mix of vintage stores, cutting-edge streetwear brands, and independent labels like Arte Antwerp, which specialises in sleek, urban menswear inspired by graphic design, art, and architecture. Even if one wouldn’t know a Bikkembergs bag from a Belgian waffle, it’s utterly impossible not to be inspired by the pervasive sense of creativity and entrepreneurial spirit.

"The Antwerp Six taught people how to be entrepreneurs and to follow their inner voice," reflects designer Tim Van Steenbergen, who honed his craft during an apprenticeship with Dries Van Noten before going on to found the social enterprise and sustainable fashion label ReAntwerp. "They showed that if you want to do things differently, you can." This sentiment perfectly encapsulates the enduring spirit of innovation and independence that the Six instilled in the city’s design ethos.

Launched as a direct response to the staggering amount of textile waste generated by the global fashion industry, ReAntwerp offers a compelling model for ethical production. The label sells a range of beautifully tailored, limited-edition classics, from impeccably cut shirts to timeless trench coats, all crafted using leftover fabric meticulously sourced from renowned designers such as Van Noten and Christian Wijnants. Beyond its environmental mission, ReAntwerp is also a powerful social enterprise, providing invaluable training, dignified employment, and crucial support to refugees, who meticulously craft the garments in the on-site atelier. "I wanted the clothes to have as much meaning and value for the people who make them as the people who buy them," Van Steenbergen passionately states. "We have worked with refugees from Afghanistan, Syria, Pakistan, Palestine, Brazil, and Costa Rica. Our common language is textiles." This powerful motto resonates deeply, echoing Antwerp’s rich historical ties to the textile trade and underscoring how fashion can be a force for social good and integration.

Indeed, it is a fitting motto for a city whose immense wealth was historically built, in large part, on the textile trade. In the 16th century, during its Golden Age, Antwerp flourished as Europe’s largest and most bustling river port. Its docks teemed with activity as cargos of precious English wool and luxurious Italian silks, alongside dazzling diamonds from India, exotic spices from Portugal, and sweet sugar from the West Indies, were tirelessly shipped up and down the mighty River Scheldt. The immense riches accumulated from this lucrative trade were lavishly poured into the construction of the elaborate guild houses and grand civic buildings that still majestically surround the Grote Markt, the city’s magnificent showpiece square. The compelling narrative of Antwerp’s maritime past and its pivotal role as a global trading hub is vividly brought to life at the MAS (Museum aan de Stroom) museum, housed in a strikingly modern 10-storey building in the revitalised dockside Eilandje district. A visit here is incomplete without ascending to the roof terrace for unparalleled panoramic views across the winding river and sprawling dockyards, offering a tangible connection to the city’s commercial heart. Afterwards, indulge in a culinary journey at the Wolf Sharing Food Market, located in an atmospheric old warehouse with a charming waterside terrace, where you can sample street foods from around the world – a testament to Antwerp’s enduring international connections.

Beyond its commercial prowess, Golden Age Antwerp was also an undisputed artistic and intellectual powerhouse, serving as home and inspiration to a constellation of celebrated painters such as Anthony van Dyck, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Clara Peeters, and, most famously, Peter Paul Rubens. While one can admire a comprehensive collection of their masterpieces at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts (KMSKA), nothing quite compares to the profound impact of witnessing four of Rubens’ monumental altarpieces, still in situ, within the imposing grandeur of the Cathedral of Our Lady. These towering works, imbued with dramatic movement and rich colour, remain a testament to the artist’s genius and the era’s fervent religious devotion.

Rubens’ own house and studio, the Rubenshuis, are currently undergoing major renovation work, temporarily closed to the public. However, after a long day of sightseeing and shopping, it was a welcome respite to sit quietly amidst the vibrant displays of tulips and other spring flowers in the Italian-style formal gardens, which mercifully remain open for public enjoyment. We also serendipitously stumbled upon some extraordinary family portraits by Rubens at the Plantin-Moretus Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This former home and workplace for nine generations of a single family completely revolutionised the art of printing. It was within these hallowed walls that the first modern atlas, countless seminal scientific books, and beautifully illustrated Bibles rolled off the wooden printing presses, some of which astonishingly date back to the 1600s. With its dark panelled walls, leaded windows casting dappled light, and creaking floorboards, it’s an atmospheric and utterly fascinating place, where time truly seems to have stood still, offering a tangible link to the intellectual ferment of Antwerp’s past.

There’s just enough time for one last cherished moment: a refreshing bolleke beer and a perfectly crisp shrimp croquette in the sun-drenched square adjacent to our hotel, the charming Hotel ‘t Sandt, before we must check out and hop on the tram to Antwerp’s central station. From there, a mere 45-minute train ride transports us to Brussels, where we’ll catch our Eurostar train home. The hotel itself, housed within a beautifully restored 17th-century mansion, complete with polished wooden floors, an elegant spiral staircase, and original beamed ceilings, has lived through countless previous incarnations: a bustling banana warehouse, a customs house, a busy soap factory, and even a sculptor’s studio. Today, it serves as a perfect base for exploring the multifaceted city; friendly, stylish, and wearing its rich history with an undeniable grace—much like Antwerp itself.

The Antwerp Six exhibition runs at MoMu until 17 January 2027. Admission is €13 per adult and free for under-18s. The trip was provided by Visit Antwerp. Double rooms at the Hotel ‘t Sandt start from €217 a night.