Meet the 3 Young Creatives Shaping Antwerp’s Underground Fashion Scene
Searching for new Instagram follows can feel like you’re falling down a never-ending rabbit hole. Just when you think you’ve found the coolest artists, the most stylish models, and the best new musicians, you remember there’s some 800 million accounts, and you’re just at the tip of the tip of the iceberg. Lately, we’ve been paying extra-close attention to the geotags, because let’s face it—we follow a lot of people from the same few places: New York, Paris, London, Los Angeles. By looking in less-expected cities, we’ve found even more inspiration—and from on-the-rise people who aren’t quite “everywhere” yet.
Three of our favorite new accounts happen to have one city in common: Antwerp, Belgium. Despite being home to “the Antwerp Six” (the city’s most famous designer exports, including Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten, and Walter van Bierendonck), it remains happily close-knit and under-the-radar. And while many Antwerp residents are loyal to those iconic designers, there’s a new wave of young creatives pushing the city forward in 2018. Below, meet three on-the-rise talents paving the way for Antwerp’s next wave.
Maude gallery
Maude Van Dievoet, stylist and model
Having grown up in Antwerp, Belgium, stylist Maude Van Dievoet (who recently moved to London) jokes that she’s become “stereotypically patriotic” about Belgian designers. “People at home really support the Antwerp Six, and there’s a demand for quality and timelessness, which is an attitude I feel I’ve adopted in my own style,” she explains. “In terms of fashion, Antwerp has a very individual story to tell: Its own fashion ecosystem was boosted in the ’80s when such a bulk of talent was molded at the Royal Academy [of Fine Arts], and this fed so much into the city’s culture. Considering most Belgian designers remain in the city to live and work, I think it’s a testament to its appeal.”
Van Dievoet’s account offers a colorful, sparkling glimpse of her personal style, which she describes as “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something stolen from my mother’s wardrobe.” One day, she’s in a holographic dress and sandals; another, she’s in an elegant satin slip, and others, she’s in quirky, head-to-toe vintage finds. “My biggest influence must be my mum, who has an archive of pieces collected from her childhood full of things that weirdly fall into my bag every time I visit,” she says. “We’re both magpies.”
Ignace gallery
Ignace Wriotus, model
Like any cool millennial in 2018, Ignace Wriotus doesn’t have a single job. For starters, he’s still in school, but his Instagram account also reveals his many talents: He’s walked in shows for Heron Preston and Liam Hodges; appeared in several lookbooks and magazine editorials; and, in general, has come to represent Antwerp’s burgeoning youth scene with his edgy personal style. It ranges from archival Prada to survivalist gear by MXDVS, a mix he chalks up to his own circle of friends: “The Academy stands out the most in Antwerp, then you have famous stores like Vier and Vrijdagmarkt6,” he says. “But if people asked me, I would say the youth in Antwerp is the underdog. Me and my friends [represent] a huge variety of creatives on multiple platforms, from photography to modeling to styling… I find most of my inspiration through my friends, and through ’90s and early ’00s films. Or any movie with Jean Claude Van Damme in it.”
Wriotus is studying design in Antwerp, but doesn’t see himself as the “fashion school” type. “I would probably never do fashion,” he says. “Don’t get me wrong, I really like and admire what they do, but I don’t see myself as a creator as much as a creative.” Designers are already catching on to his work; you’re likely to see more of Wriotus—as a model, influencer, and perhaps a stylist—in the coming seasons.
Fabian gallery
Fabian Verbeke, photographer
It’s easy to see why Fabian Verbeke and Wriotus get along: Both guys are into ironic, late ’90s fashion, including bucket hats, clunky sneakers, graphic tees, and flashy logos. “I love that Antwerp is so small,” Verbeke tells Vogue. “Everyone knows everyone, and there’s a lot of interesting artists out here. Working together and learning from each other is like breathing in Antwerp. There’s also a huge creative history in the city [with the Antwerp Six], which inspires me to create my own legacy.”
Verbeke works in fashion and editorial photography, but also does consulting and printmaking on the side. He recently collaborated with the Belgian brand Leo, and is hoping to expand the collection of one-off pieces he makes under the alias Evil Live 2k. But his Instagram feed alone is a treasure trove of offbeat style inspo: “A lot of my inspiration comes from looking at ’90s and ’00s runway pictures over and over again,” he says. “I feel like knowing the past is crucial if you want to create something memorable. I’ve always been drawn to the original designers who shaped and globalized Antwerp. Dries [van Noten] and Raf [Simons] had a big influence on me getting into fashion, and will probably be in my wardrobe forever, next to a thrifted Dragon Ball Z bowling shirt or a hand painted cowboy belt.”
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