The best emerging voices of the Royal Academy in Antwerp

The Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp — commonly referred to as The Academy — has a secret sauce to nurture incredible talent, from being the home to artistic masters such as Vincent Van Gogh to more recent names like the creative director of Balenciaga, Demna. The fashion faculty of the Academy opened in the 1960s, but it wasn’t until 1986, when six students packed a van and showed their collections in Paris and London, that the fashion side of the Academy gained global recognition. The van was filled with clothes from classmates Walter Van Beirendonck, Dries Van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester, Dirk Bikkembergs, Marina Yee, and Dirk Van Saene. In London, the six designers ever since been referred to as the Antwerp Six were celebrated for their new artistic, avant-garde vision that created a new trajectory for fashion. Oftentimes, Martin Margiela is considered the seventh member due to the fact that he graduated just before them. Ever since their arrival in the fashion industry, the Academy has held a splendid track record of nurturing fashion talent. Today, the Creative Director roles at the biggest fashion brands are inhabited by alumni from the Academy: Veronique Branquinho, Kris van Assche, Demna, Glenn Martens. Other names that have set up their own businesses include Meryll Rogge, Stephanie d’Heygere, and Florentina Leitner, to name a few. The Academy is like Hogwarts, but for fashion wizards.

This weekend, the graduation shows of 2024 took place, an event that is like no other, taking place on both Friday and Saturday nights, in front of 2000 people each night. Tickets for the show were sold for up to €45, and this year, the nearly 4000 tickets sold out in 12 hours. Fashion truly holds a special place in the hearts of Antwerpian. During the show, which is about four hours long (yes, four hours), students from each bachelor year showcased their projects following the same format as always (even though the Academy nurtures boundary-pushing talent, it remains conservative): historical dress, world dress, and a developed collection. Each evening ended with the grand finale — the graduation show of the master students.

Here are the most standout talents you should keep your eyes peeled for (trust us, you won’t want to miss them).

Briac Tremolieres

For his graduation collection, Tremolieres found inspiration in the British artist and leader of the Arts and Crafts movement, William Morris, specifically his poem Garden by the Sea. Morris rejected the industrial revolution and wanted people to connect with nature and its beauty. The same goes for Tremolieres' graduate collection. With nature inspired materials, and silhouettes that you would find in a botanical garden. Romantic, to say the least. 

Byeongho Lee 

For his graduation collection, Lee found inspiration from his parents' store in Seoul, where he grew up, with an added cinematic touch. Molded leather, big boots, and a mix of sturdier materials such as fur and leather create an exploration of a very futuristic, nearly dystopian view combined with a very romantic ideal of nostalgia. The collection is sprinkled with high levels of craftsmanship.

Jieun Lee

In her younger years — she is one of the older graduates, which is evident in the maturity of her collection — Lee traveled to New Zealand to study English. Without knowing any English, Lee packed her bag and moved to another continent, and by not being able to communicate with her fellow students Lee found comfort and conformity in uniform dressing. Prior to her studies at the Academy, Lee worked at Brooks Brothers, the pinnacle of American preppy and conservative clothing — it's visible where she found her inspiration but subverted it to become modern, fresh, and romantic.

Margot Verstuyft

Verstuyft drew inspiration for her collection from watching the ballet Half Life by Sharon Eyal. The pulsating, rhythmic dancing, the physicality, and unwavering commitment to movement are converted into her clothes. The ballet inspiration is direct in the pointe-shoes-turned-heels or boot-stretcher handles for the bags. It is more subtle in the leg warmers and knitwear, which allow movement.

Rohan Kale Steinmeyer 

The collection called CONTACT is a bricolage of Kale Steinmeyer's experience growing up with mixed heritage as German, American, and Indian. In the collection, he explores how culture and clothing are intertwined and become a way of expressing our values and beliefs. Sportswear is combined with more traditional clothing, and jeans are distressed to show the wear and tear of day-to-day life. A word to describe Kale Steinmeyer’s collection is sincere.

Sofia Hermens Fernandez 

The name of the collection is Semiotics of Girlhood. Hermens Fernandez is not just highlighting the symbolic system that often holds connotations with girly pop. She is rather subverting classical girl symbols, like flowers and bows, to empower rather than infantilize. With intricate levels of craftsmanship and an attention to detail, Hermens Fernandez is enhancing and changing the narrative of girlhood. Think Barbie CEO.

Sofia Rodriguez Rodriguez 

Inspiration can come when you least expect it. For Rodriguez Rodriguez, it comes from nightmares. As a control freak, the nightmares are when she loses control and fears the unknown. The nightmares of her losing her teeth are seen in the collection in the shoes, where the heels are depicted as teeth — the same teeth Rodriguez Rodriguez dreamt of losing while sleeping. She creates her own spin on Alice in Wonderland combined with My Dark Twisted Fantasy. Silhouettes and volumes are exaggerated, combined with a visual representation of I AM TRYING TO KEEP IT TOGETHER — like a burst of emotions that wants to come out.

Uliana Dobrovskaya

In the collection Elegance in Motion, Dobrovskaya explores the transitional shift of a girl entering adulthood. The clumsiness, combined with an insecurity of appearing perfect while still not knowing all of the codes. The collection is a play on tackiness and elegance, exploring where the line between the two lies. Fur, leather, high heels, short skirts, and revealing décolletages could all fit in either of the two categories. Dobrovskaya balances the collection and moves confidently in between. One of her biggest inspirations, and the reason she went to the Academy, is Demna, which can be seen in how Dobrovskaya plays with proportions and explores the disparity between high and low culture.

Yuhei Ueda 

During their master's, the students choose a mentor to guide and help them during the work on their collections. For Ueda, the choice of having the Antwerp-based designer, Jan-Jan Van Essche, was very fitting. Like Van Essche, Ueda's heart holds a special place for nature and handcraft. Coffee in Rome, whole milk in Spakenburg, or fresh orange juice in Paris. The real tastes that haven’t been mass-produced or modified. Ueda holds the same view on fashion, a slow approach to production to appreciate and cherish clothing for generations to come. Voluminous, soft silhouettes in natural materials and attention to detail are vital for the collection. In the re-see, Ueda shows how a piece of cloth turns into a coat in just a few steps. Slow luxury for real. It's haute couture meets hygge.