If you've ever wanted a reason to book a spontaneous trip to Antwerp or London, spring 2026 is giving you a very good one. Two major fashion exhibitions are shaping up to be the cultural highlights of the season, and the people behind them have been sharing some genuinely fascinating insights into what visitors can expect.
The Antwerp Six finally get their moment
MoMu, Antwerp's dedicated fashion museum, is staging a landmark exhibition dedicated to the Antwerp Six - the group of Belgian designers who graduated together in 1981 and went on to reshape fashion as we know it. Names like Dries Van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester, and Martin Margiela emerged from this tight-knit cohort, and their collective impact on the industry is still felt today.
According to Dazed, MoMu's curators recently shared six things most people don't know about the group - a reminder that even the most iconic chapters in fashion history still have untold stories worth uncovering. If you think you already know everything about this era of Belgian fashion, it sounds like this exhibition is designed to surprise you.
Schiaparelli steps into the spotlight in London
Meanwhile, London is preparing to welcome a major retrospective dedicated to Elsa Schiaparelli, the Italian designer who brought surrealism crashing into haute couture and never looked back. Curator Sonnet Stanfill has been speaking about the show ahead of its opening, offering a glimpse into the thinking behind it.
Schiaparelli's relevance feels particularly sharp right now. The house bearing her name has had a serious cultural moment in recent years, which makes this a perfect time to revisit the original visionary who built lobsters onto gowns and turned a hat into a shoe. There's real depth to explore here - her work sits at the intersection of art, fashion, and provocation in a way that still feels radical.
Why this season matters for fashion culture
What makes both of these exhibitions interesting isn't just the subject matter - it's the timing. Fashion is in a reflective mood right now, looking back at its own history with fresh eyes and asking what still holds up. The Antwerp Six and Schiaparelli represent two very different kinds of rebellion, and seeing both explored in depth within the same season feels genuinely exciting.
Whether you're a dedicated fashion obsessive or just someone who appreciates great storytelling through objects and clothes, these are the kinds of shows that tend to stay with you. Start planning accordingly.
