Walter Van Beirendonck, playful part of the Antwerp Six

He’s part of the legendary Antwerp Six, but what else did you know about fashion designer Walter Van Beirendonck? 

He was born in Brecht, in the province of Antwerp, on 4 February 1957 and is perhaps the most recognisable member of the Antwerp Six, courtesy of his remarkable beard. The Six all graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts (or the Antwerp Fashion Academy) in the early 1980s. Van Beirendonck himself lists his “first breakthrough” as the British Designer Show in 1987, where he was represented as part of the incontournable group with Dirk Van Saene, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Bikkembergs, Ann Demeulemeester and Marina Yee, but he’s been making clothes under his own label since 1983. 

His designs have been described as playful, and the man himself has said that he gets his inspiration “by art, music and literature, all mixed with ethnic and nature influences,” and has referred to “his continuous statements about the fashion world, earth, nature, contemporary life and society.” Each of his collections has been characterised by a special name, like “ZulupaPUWA”, which was a children’s collection inspired by the Zulu and Papua populations. 

He’s worked with some of the most high-profile stars and organisations, from fundraising for Amnesty International to designing outfits for rock stars like Bono from U2, and has been part of exhibitions from Paris to New York.  

It’s only logical that, being the force to be reckoned with that he is, Walter Van Beirendonck eventually became the head of the fashion department of the very academy where he learned the tricks of his trade. He occupied this role until his retirement in June 2022. Well, we say “retired”, but he still carries on designing. He’s a fashionable gift that keeps on giving. 

He found not only success in fashion through the Antwerp Six, but also love, as Van Beirendonck has been in a relationship with his life-long partner Dirk Van Saene since their student days. Passion through fashion, isn’t that beautiful? 

The Antwerp Six have really put Belgium on the map in the fashion world. Do you have an article of Walter’s design in your wardrobe, or perhaps one from the rest of the Antwerp Six?