With its recent campaign, online fashion and lifestyle destination Zalando set out to highlight six key European cities with a strong influence on streetwear culture. Among them was Antwerp – the hidden Belgian gem that, despite its small size, is making waves in the streetwear scene. We went along for the ride
Antwerp holds a special place in fashion’s heart. After all, visionary talents Raf Simons, Martin Margiela, Glenn Martens and Haider Ackermann, all of got their start in the charming, pocket-sized Belgian city. Then there’s the revered ‘Antwerp Six’ – a group of pioneering homegrown designers, including Dries Van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dirk Van Saene, Dirk Bikkembergs and Marina Yee, who studied in Antwerp and went on to put Belgian fashion on the map. The school they attended, the acclaimed Royal Academy of Fine Arts, continues to birth some of today’s most exciting new names.
But there’s much more to Antwerp’s buzzy sartorial scene than the big names it has spawned. Over the years, the city – where cutting-edge architecture meets historic Baroque and Gothic facades, and narrow, winding cobblestone streets are lined with quaint restaurants and cafés whose bustling terraces spill onto the alleys and boutiques brimming with designer treasures – has become a vibrant playground for streetwear.
Antwerp’s allure and long-standing contribution to Europe’s streetwear sphere are captured in Zalando’s latest campaign, ‘Cultural Ties’, which hones in on some of our continent’s biggest streetwear hotspots. In addition to Antwerp, the campaign highlights five other cultural hubs – Paris, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Berlin and Warsaw – each with robust and unique streetwear communities that play a crucial role in shaping the scene as we know it today, a point underscored by YouGov research commissioned by Zalando for the campaign.
The Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp. Photo: Robin Joris Dullers
The centrally located coffee shop, Andy Roasters, where Antwerp's fashion-forward crowd flocks to enjoy hot beverages and live DJ sets. Photo: Robin Joris Dullers
The Zalando 'Cultural Ties' campaign included the launch of an Adidas Originals merchandise collection, featuring a unique T-shirt crafted for each city highlighted. Photo: Robin Joris Dullers
“We wanted to celebrate the vast richness of streetwear in cities across Europe and celebrate the diverse communities, where everyday, people express their identities through style and connect through the shared values and interests this style represents,” explains Daniela Klaeser, team lead for streetwear buying at Zalando. “Streetwear is more than style, it’s a culture code. It’s about who we are, what we stand for and where we come from – so it’s evolving all the time, which is exciting.”
What sets Antwerp’s streetwear culture apart is its flourishing skateboarding circuit, recognised globally among the sport’s biggest stars. The city’s deep-rooted history within skateboarding is closely intertwined with its streetwear community, evident in everything from the clothes worn and the music listened to to Antwerp’s thriving urban art scene. Zalando spotlighted this unique aspect in its campaign by lifting up local voices such as Nick Haemels, the creative director of the beloved downtown skate shop Lockwood, and Donnie Magazine, a key figure and opinion leader in Antwerp’s streetwear landscape.
Lockwood creative director Nick Haemels (middle) together with two local tattoo artists and skaters Younes and Jons. Photo: Robin Joris Dullers
“What makes Antwerp very different is that it’s a very, very local city. It’s very small, but it’s very connected. Everybody knows each other,” says Otto Spaas, the founder of Donnie Magazine. “But it’s still a city – a small city with a lot of creative talent. Because of the fashion university in Antwerp yes, but also for skating. I’ve heard pro skaters say that Antwerp has one of the most amazing skate scenes of our generation that they’ve seen in years. They’re like, ‘this is next level shit’.”
By including Antwerp in its campaign, Zalando also aimed to spread the word on this hidden gem of a cultural and sartorial melting pot, all while connecting European streetwear communities and their creatives, bolstering the dynamic and inclusive spirit that defines the scene. “Antwerp is a city that might not immediately come to mind when thinking of streetwear, but we hope ‘Cultural Ties’ puts it on the radar of many, to show some of the exciting and energetic styles that are emerging from its communities,” Klaeser says. “Overall, to shape the future of streetwear, it is more important than ever to be authentic, to drive value-led projects, to have a point-of-view – these things will help define, evolve and push forward the future of streetwear.”