ModeMuseum Antwerpen

Corner of the ModeNatie which houses MoMu

Knitwear exhibition ONTRAFEL. Tricot in de Mode at the Fashion Museum (ModeMuseum, MOMU) in. The central design is a dress by Walter Van Beirendonck, inspired by the colourful clothing of the Hui'an women of Quanzhou, China. The flanking designs are by the German-born fashion designer Bernhard Wilhelm. On the left a jersey sweater with elbows like the heels of a sock, and a skirt with alternating strips of knitted wool and loose threads. On the right the Beefeater wool jacket and Superflyskirt jersey dress.

Dress from the Study Collection

MoMu (Mode Museum) is the fashion museum of the City of Antwerp, Belgium. Founded on 21 September 2002, the museum collects, conserves, studies and exhibits Belgian fashion. The museum is specifically focusing on Belgian contemporary fashion designers due to the arising of a group of Antwerp-trained fashion designers during the Eighties and Nineties (Martin Margiela, Dries Van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dirk Van Saene, A.F. Vandevorst, etc.). The museum's first director was Linda Loppa who was also the founder and the director of the Fashion school of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts (Antwerp). The current director is Kaat Debo.

The museum is known for its immersive scenography. Visitors are "immersed in the world of the designer or the theme", allowing for a unique experience with every exhibition.

Exhibitions

MoMu organises continually changing theme exhibitions about a designer or fashion-related theme in an exhibition space specifically adapted to each exhibition. Each exhibition is created around a total narrative in which not only articles of clothing are displayed, but a complete context is presented. For example, sources of inspiration for a designer, connections with other art disciplines, multimedia collaborations, etc. MoMu works with designers and their team to develop the exhibition concept and the design of the exhibition. Since 4 September 2021 MoMu also continually shows a part of its own permanent collection after adding an exhibition space through an extensive three year renovation. MoMu's exhibitions have also travelled to Paris, Stockholm, London, Tokyo, Munich, Istanbul, Enschede and Melbourne. Below an overview of past, present and future exhibitions.

• Backstage: Selectie I / Backstage: Selection I - 21/09/2002 - 04/04/2003
• Patronen / Patterns - 24/04/2003 - 10/08/2003
• GenovanversaeviceversA - 09/09/2003 - 28/03/2004
• Goddess - 08/05/2004 - 22/08/2004
• Malign Muses - 18/09/2004 - 30/01/2005
• Beyond Desire - 25/02/2005 - 18/08/2005
• Katharina Prospekt: The Russians by A.F. Vandevorst - 09/09/2005 - 05/02/2006
• Yohji Yamamoto Dream Shop - 07/03/2006 - 13/08/2006
• De MoMu-Collectie: Selectie II / The MoMu Collection: Selection II - 08/09/2006 - 17/06/2007
• 6 Antwerpse Mode / 6 Antwerp Fashion - 25/01/2007 - 23/06/2007
• Bernhard Willhelm: Het Totaal Rappel - 13/07/2007 - 10/02/2008
• Moi, VERONIQUE BRANQUINHO TOuTe Nue - 12/03/2008 - 17/08/2008
• Maison Martin Margiela '20' The Exhibition - 12/09/2008 - 08/02/2009
• Paper Fashion! - 06/03/2009 - 16/08/2009
• Delvaux - 180 Jaar Belgische Luxe / 180 Years of Belgian Luxury - 17/09/2009 - 21/02/2010
• ZWART. Meesterlijk Zwart in Mode & Kostuum / BLACK. Masters of Black in Fashion & Costume - 17/09/2009 - 21/02/2010
• Stephen Jones & Het Accent op Mode / Stephen Jones & The Accent of Fashion - 08/09/2010 - 13/02/2011
• ONTRAFEL Tricot in de Mode / UNRAVEL - Knitwear in Fashion - 16/03/2011 - 14/08/2011
• WALTER VAN BEIRENDONCK. Dream The World Awake - 14/09/2011 - 19/02/2012
• EEN LEVEN IN DE MODE. Vrouwenkleding 1750–1950. Uit de Collectie Jacoba de Jonge. / LIVING FASHION. Women's Daily Wear 1750–1950. From the Jacoba de Jonge Collection. - 21/03/2012 - 12/08/2012
• Madame Grès. Sculptural Fashion / Madame Grès. Sculpturale Mode. - 12/09/2012 - 10/02/2013
• Zijde & Prints uit het Abrahamarchief - Couture in Kleur / Silks & Prints from the Abraham Archive - Couture in Colour - 13/03/2013 - 11/08/2013
• Happy Birthday Dear Academie - 08/09/2013 - 13/02/2014
• Birds of Paradise. Pluimen & Veren in de Mode / Birds of Paradise. Plumes & Feathers in Fashion - 20/03/2014 - 24/08/2014
• MoMu Nu. Hedendaagse Mode uit de MoMu Collectie / MoMu Now. Contemporary Fashion from the MoMu Collection - 25/09/2014 - 04/01/2015
• Dries Van Noten. Inspirations - 12/02/2015 - 19/07/2015
• Footprint. Het Spoor van Schoenen in de Mode / Footprint. The Tracks of Shoes in Fashion - 03/09/2015 - 14/02/2016
• Game Changers. Het 20e-Eeuwse Silhouet Heruitgevonden / Game Changers. Reinventing the 20th Century Silhouette - 18/03/2016 - 14/08/2016
• Rik Wouters & Het Huiselijk Utopia / Rik Wouter & The Private Utopia - 17/09/2016 - 26/02/2017
• Margiela, De Hermès Jaren / Margiela, The Hermès Years - 31/03/2017 - 27/08/2017
• Olivier Theyskens - She Walks in Beauty - 12/10/2017 - 15/04/2018
• Soft? Tactiele Dialogen / Soft? Tactile Dialogues - 28/09/2018 - 24/02/2019
• E/MOTION. Mode in transitie / E/MOTION. Fashion in Transition - 04/09/2021 - 23/01/2022
• P.LACE.S - De verborgen kant van Antwerpen / P.LACE.S - Looking through Antwerp Lace - 25/09/2021 - 09/01/2022

Projects

• Visuele Thesaurus voor Mode & Kostuums. Een Linked Open Data-project - 1/11/2015 - 31/08/2017
• MoMu Study Collection - MoMu has a study collection of roughly 1,000 objects. This collection consists of clothing and –fragments, as well as textile objects from the 18th century to the present.
• Google Arts & Culture - We Wear Culture. Discover fashion history through six online exhibitions curated by MoMu on the Google Arts & Culture platform.