Dirk Van Saene

Dirk Van Saene was born in 1959.

Dirk Van Saene graduated from the Academy of Antwerp in 1981 and opened his own shop 'Beauties and Heroes,' where he sold his own creations, until he won almost all the awards of the “Gouden Spoel” contests. The following year, as one of the “Antwerp Six”, he proceeded to the British Designer show in London, and in 1989 took part in their collective show. Later, in 1990-1991, the Antwerp Six shared their showroom presentation in Paris. At the end of the eighties he made a deal with an Italian manufacturer.

In March 1990 Dirk Van Saene organized his first show in Paris with his own collection. If imagery is used in his collections it is ironic. At his first Winter 1990-1991 show in Paris, his staff wore T-shirts bearing his name, misspelt in different ways. Picture After some quiet years he made a remarkable comeback with his collection “Black Sissi”. Picture People looking for some fixed, logical development in his collections will not find it. Dirk Van Saene is a man capable of change.

Over the years he has also drawn inspiration from the fine arts, citing the work of Louise Bourgeois, Ellsworth Kelly and Diane Arbus as starting points for various collections.

Always a great admirer of classic couture, Van Saene accepted the invitation to curate a Coco Chanel exhibition in Antwerp in 2001, part of the acclaimed fashion project ‘Mode-Landed’.