Hello old friend.
How are you, did you miss me?
I read an interview with the Antwerp Six earlier in the week and it brought back such great memories of my fashion student pilgrimages to Antwerp, the Royal Academy of Fine Art, my visits to their wonderful stores and to being part of the place that created such a cult fashion collective.
In the article they [The Antwerp Six] talked about carving your own way, creating great work and the importance of being yourself and most of all not trying to be in fashion!
The Antwerp Six, 1986
It’s true, becoming a slave to something makes you static, by following others you become stale. There is a real importance of being aware of the trends and styles around you and to see the world as it moves in real time, but the future is the most important thing to keep your eye on. The future is shaping what we are doing here and now.
Different parts of my life have taken me back to Antwerp over the last decade, it’s funny really - like everything things always come back around, right now I’m experiencing the ultimate nostalgia with the 90s fashion trend - the fashion of my youth. If I’ve learnt anything about following trends and wanting to be in fashion seeing the 90s look coming back around has been my lesson. This fashion sub culture feels like it has had no contemporary influence, no evolution or transition into the current future.
I had almost forgotten about the days of Antwerp, the people and the places. But its true, things, fashion, people, they all come back in the end - for different reasons, but still they come, interestingly most of them this week!
Ann Demeulemeester
I was continually inspired throughout the whole article but especially when reading the quote of Ann Demeulemeester “Delivering good work is the beginning of it all. Once you’ve done that, you have to have faith that sooner or later it will find its way” forever a motivation - a non conforming conceptual designer with huge confidence. She is also my favourite of the six so her guidance is of most importance!
Ann Demeulemeester SS 22
Creating a signature look is something that all of these great visionaries have mastered, its been the key to their success. There’s something in that for sure. But we all know it’s so much easier to create beautiful pieces when it comes from inside your own head, and not the head of others. My signature and my style will never go out of fashion, because I don't try to be in fashion, my work is inspired by fashion, creating a new design for the future out of something from the past.
I’m back, I know you’ve missed me!
