During the weekend of 28 March, the MoMu or Fashion Museum Antwerp invites everyone to celebrate the long-awaited opening of ‘The Antwerp Six‘, a groundbreaking exhibition marking the 40th anniversary of the international breakthrough of Antwerp’s most iconic fashion collective.
From 28 to 29 March, the museum will host a festive opening weekend filled with free activities for all ages, offering visitors a first look at the exhibition alongside guided tours, workshops, and exclusive access to MoMu’s paper archives.
A weekend of discovery and celebration
On Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 March, MoMu opens its doors for a special preview of ‘The Antwerp Six’. Visitors can explore the exhibition before its official run, participate in introductory or family-friendly guided tours, create buttons with friends, or delve into the museum’s archival materials.
Fashion enthusiasts will also have the chance to attend a live recording of the StyleZeitgeist Podcast on Saturday evening. All activities are free and open to the public, welcoming both longtime fans and curious newcomers.
The Antwerp Six: a legacy of innovation
Running from 28 March 2026 to 17 January 2027, ‘The Antwerp Six’ is the first major exhibition dedicated to Dirk Bikkembergs, Ann Demeulemeester, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Van Saene, and Marina Yee.
The show traces their journey from students at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp to their influential solo careers, which reshaped global fashion.
Their 1986 debut at London’s British Designer Show catapulted them – and Antwerp – to international fame, challenging the era’s extravagant haute couture with their minimalist, avant-garde designs.
“These six designers redefined what fashion could be—conceptual, personal, and uncompromising,” says Kaat Debo, director of MoMu. “We are proud to bring their work together for a unique exploration of their enduring legacy.”
Beyond the exhibition: a year of fashion in Antwerp
The exhibition is just the beginning. In June, the Antwerp.Fashion Festival will spotlight the city’s current generation of designers, with fashion shows, talks, and installations across the city. The festival, part of a broader initiative by MoMu, the Flanders District of Creativity, and the City of Antwerp, aims to make fashion accessible to all, inspiring young people and vulnerable groups through creativity and sustainability.
“Forty years ago, the Antwerp Six were given the space to experiment and innovate,” says Alderwoman for Culture Lien Van de Kelder (Vooruit). “Today, we continue that tradition, supporting new talent as we celebrate our city’s role in shaping fashion history.”
Practical information
- Exhibition dates: 28 March 2026 – 17 January 2027.
- Location: MoMu – Fashion Museum Antwerp.
- Opening weekend activities: Free, 28–29 March 2026
The Antwerp Six is organized by MoMu in collaboration with the City of Antwerp and supported by EventFlanders. An illustrated catalog, featuring essays and contributions from leading fashion voices, will be available in Dutch and English at the MoMu Shop from late March.
Art and museums in Antwerp
- ANTWERP | Museum Plantin-Moretus presents 500 years of botanical illustrations in the exhibition ‘The Plants of Plantin’, from 21 March to 2 August 2026.
- FOMU 2026 | Carrie Mae Weems, Diane Severin Nguyen, Families, and Tenderly There by Tashattot.
- ANTWERP | M HKA opens new season with exhibition on censorship and artistic resistance.
- ANTWERP | Climb the Cathedral of Our Lady tower.
- ANTWERP | Rubens House appoints two design teams.
- ROYAL MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS ANTWERP | ‘The Fall of Alba’s Citadel. Image and Memory in Turbulent Times’, from 6 February to 17 May 2026.
- Antwerp’s municipal museums surpass 2 million visitors in 2025.
- ANTWERP | KMSKA schedules ambitious exhibition programme for 2026, featuring international masters such as Antony Gormley, Philip Aguirre y Otegui and Ossip Zadkine.
- Museums of the City of Antwerp look ahead to 2026.
- REVIEW | ‘La ligne de vie’ René Magritte exhibition at Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA).
- REVIEW | ‘Universal Tongue’, on dance, at Museum Aan de Stroom (MAS) until 4 January 2026.
- 2028 to be Music Year in Antwerp.
- ANTWERP | Museum Mayer van den Bergh opens exhibition ‘Public Favourites’, from Mad Meg to Delft Blue, look at art through other people’s eyes.
- ANTWERP | Graphics Museum De Reede ft. Francisco Goya, Edvard Munch, Félicien Rops and Albrecht Dürer.
- ANTWERP | Rubens Experience and Rubens Garden at Rubenshuis.
- ANTWERP | Innovations in the Middelheim Museum provide a completely new visitor experience.
- A visit of the Flemish Tram and Bus Museum – Vlaams Tram- en Autobusmuseum (VlaTAM) in Antwerp.
- ANTWERP | Discovering queer(ed) art with the Queer Tour at the KMSKA fine arts museum.
- REVIEW | Illusion Antwerpen, an active and photogenic museum.
- Antwerp museums and sports facilities team up with European Disability Card for accessible leisure activities.
- Museum Mayer van den Bergh.
- ANTWERP | Inside Rubens House.
- Museum Plantin-Moretus in Antwerp.
- ANTWERP | Museum Vleeshuis up for restoration.
- BOOK | ‘Antwerp. An Archaeological View on the Origin of the City’ by Tim Bellens.
- Red Star Line Museum.
- Paleis op de Meir.
- DIVA, Antwerp Home of Diamonds.
- ANTWERP | Red Star Line Museum of (e)migration.
