The Six

The Antwerp Six – one book, all 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.

Oscar van den Boogaard is the renowned author of an extensive oeuvre. His work has been widely translated and nominated for major literary prizes. His novels De Heerlijkheid van Julia (Julia’s Glory), Liefdesdood (Love’s Death), Meer dan een minnaar (More Than a Lover), and Kindsoldaat (Child Soldier) were all bestsellers. De Standaard newspaper in Belgium as well as Vrij Nederland in the Netherlands have named him the voice of his generation.