The first and definitive monograph by Dirk Van Saene, published by Hannibal Books
Book presentation
Saturday 5 September
1pm - 6pm
at Gallery Sofie Van de Velde
The fluidity of Dirk Van Saene’s practice, his firm will to steer away from easy classification, his mercurial – if, from a commercial standpoint, discombobulating – ability to change his output bring to mind Charles Bukowski’s immortal lines in the little poem No Leaders Please: “Invent yourself and then reinvent yourself, change your tone and shape so often that they can never categorise you.” He might be known as “little Dirk”, but allowing himself to endlessly morph shows us he has a superpower.
– Angelo Flaccavento, Fashion Critic
At a time when fashion rarely surprises, Van Saene’s work is a powerful reminder that fashion can be headstrong, intelligent, hilarious, as well as astonishingly beautiful. The way he draws on the history of fashion and art while confronting the systems that shape them is both daring and original in the truest sense of the word. This book just makes me happy.
– Kaat Debo, Director MoMu – Fashion Museum Antwerp
This book is no conventional retrospective, but a multidisciplinary atlas that immerses the reader in Van Saene’s lyrical, surreal world – a richly nuanced portrait of a singular, non-conformist artist. It traces a remarkable career lived entirely on his own terms: from the Antwerp Fashion Academy to the pantheon of the Antwerp Six, from conceptual runway shows to today’s most prestigious art galleries. Intentionally non-chronological in structure, the book weaves together fashion shows, behind-the-scenes anecdotes, cult boutiques, collaborations and personal memories into a single narrative.
Dirk Van Saene (b. 1959) is a Belgian fashion designer and artist who lives in Zandhoven with his husband, Walter Van Beirendonck. He achieved international acclaim as one of the Antwerp Six. Alongside the collections released under his own name, he taught fashion design at the Antwerp Fashion Academy.
This publication follows on from Dirk Van Saene's exhibition 'All Nightingales Understand One Another' at our gallery, which runs from 5 September to 11 October 2026.
The book will be presented in Gallery Sofie Van de Velde on Saturday 5 September, between 1pm and 6pm.
The book is available in two different cover designs. The version you receive is selected at random, as intended by Dirk Van Saene.
