The Six: The Untold Story Of The Antwerp 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. AUTHOR: Oscar van den Boogaard (1964) grew up in Suriname and the Netherlands and studied law and French literature in Montpellier, Amsterdam and Brussels. After briefly working at a law firm, he became a full-time writer, debuting in 1990 with Dentz. He went on to publish a series of novels, diaries and essays, including Fremdkörper, Bruno's optimisme, De heerlijkheid van Julia (nominated for major literary prizes), and Sensaties. After joining De Bezige Bij, he published Het verticale strand, Magic Man and Meer dan een minnaar. Later works include De tedere onverschilligen (2013), Kindsoldaat (2018), and Jachthuis (2020), in which he explores his alter ego Maxwell. In 2023, he published In de naam van de zoon. His most recent book, De Zes: Het Onvertelde Verhaal Van De Zes Van Antwerpen, was released in 2026 (Pelckmans Publishers). SELLING POINTS: . Iconic fashion story: Chronicles the rise of the Antwerp Six, who revolutionized global fashion and put Belgium on the international style map . Exclusive firsthand insights: Based on intimate conversations with Dries Van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester, Dirk Bikkembergs, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dirk Van Saene, and Marina Yee . Literary biography: Written by Oscar van den Boogaard, blending storytelling with fashion history for a unique, engaging narrative