The Antwerp Six at 40

Forty years after six young designers from Antwerp transformed global fashion, join us for an exclusive preview screening of THE SIX, followed by a conversation with Walter Van Beirendonck. (Event starts at 6pm instead of 630pm)

In 1986, six young designers from Antwerp changed the course of fashion history.

Walter Van Beirendonck, Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Bikkembergs, Dirk Van Saene and Marina Yee emerged from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp with radically different creative visions. Yet together, they helped establish Antwerp as one of the world’s most influential centres of fashion and design. Their work challenged conventions, redefined creativity in fashion, and inspired generations of designers around the globe.

To mark the fortieth anniversary of this remarkable moment, TheMerode hosts an exclusive preview screening of THE SIX, the new documentary directed by Reiner Holzemer and produced by Reiner Holzemer and Aminata Sambe. Through intimate conversations with the designers themselves, the film revisits the origins of the group, explores the friendships and tensions that shaped their journey, and examines the enduring influence of their work on contemporary fashion and culture.

Following the screening, guests are invited to enjoy a cocktail specially created for the occasion before joining a conversation with Walter Van Beirendonck, one of the original members of The Antwerp Six; Aminata Sambe, producer of the documentary; and moderator Dominique Nzeyimana.

Together, they will reflect on the creative freedom, ambition and independent spirit that defined The Antwerp Six, and explore how a group of young Belgian designers came to leave an outsized mark on global culture.

speaker

Walter Van Beirendonck is one of Belgium’s most influential fashion designers and a founding member of the Antwerp Six. Renowned for his bold use of colour, graphic experimentation and fearless imagination, he has spent more than four decades pushing the boundaries of fashion while exploring themes including identity, sexuality, politics and the environment. Alongside his own label, he played a pivotal role in shaping future generations of designers as Head of the Fashion Department at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp until 2022.

speaker

Aminata Sambe is a Brussels-based producer who has collaborated for many years with filmmaker Reiner Holzemer on documentaries exploring fashion, creativity and design. Her producing credits include the acclaimed films DRIES, a portrait of Dries Van Noten, and Martin Margiela: In His Own Words, an intimate exploration of one of fashion’s most influential and enigmatic designers. Her latest production, THE SIX, directed by Reiner Holzemer, revisits the story of the designers who transformed Antwerp into a global fashion capital.

moderator

Dominique Nzeyimana is a Belgian journalist, author and producer with twenty years of experience in international fashion and culture, interviewing among others Steve McQueen, Kara Walker and Pharrell Williams. She started her career at MTV, co-founded content & strategy agency KNOTORYUS with her husband, and recently took on the role of Head of Editorial Content at ELLE België/Belgique. She is the host and producer of "The Most", a deep-dive conversation podcast listened to in over 80 countries. Guests include Glenn Martens, Rinus Van de Velde, Martine Rose and many more. As an author, she co-edited prestigious publications, including Walter Van Beirendonck's fashion bibles "DRAW THE WORLD AWAKE" which won the 2025 INTERNATIONAL FASHION BOOK AWARD in Paris. Dominique Nzeyimana serves on the board of directors of FDC and also co-launched the official ELLE Podcast as host and producer.

The Antwerp Six at 40

Walter Van Beirendonck

Aminata Sambe

Dominique Nzeyimana

Become a member

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The Antwerp Six at 40

Walter Van Beirendonck

Aminata Sambe

Dominique Nzeyimana

Become a member

Reach us

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