Winnie Yeung travels in style to Belgium’s fashion capital.

When people think of European fashion, Belgium doesn’t usually spring to mind. Yet this unassuming country is fast becoming one of the continent’s hottest style destinations, thanks to the international recognition of “the Antwerp Six”—homegrown designers Dries van Noten, Walter Van Beirendonck, Ann Demeulemeester, Dirk Van Saene, Dirk Bikkembergs and Marina Yee—who graduated from the Antwerp Royal Academy of Fine Arts in the early 1980s. In addition, the emergence of fashion talents Martin Margiela, Veronique Branquinho and Raf Simons has firmly put the city on the map for cutting-edge design. Antwerp is becoming increasingly popular as a weekend getaway for fashionable Europeans, with its pedestrian-friendly city planning and a slew of top-notch boutique hotels.

Fashion
The epicenter of Antwerp’s fashion scene is its fashion museum, MoMu. Housed in ModeNatie (also home to the Antwerp Fashion Academy), it has been hosting regular retrospective exhibitions for some of fashion’s biggest names since its opening in 2002. The surrounding area is peppered with avant garde labels, which are a joy to explore, even if you don’t buy anything. Yohji Yamamoto is located inside ModeNatie itself, and the Dries van Noten flagship store is just across the road. Further down Nationalestraat is Jutka & Riska, an awesome second-hand boutique. While you’re there, visit Veronique Banquinho and Walter, where you can also check out some conceptual art installations.

If all that high fashion is making your head spin, then head to department store Louis, which carries the city’s six major fashion labels as well as various international brands. Coccodrillo stocks rare designer shoes that you can’t find in most stores. Another (less pricy) destination is Meir, a seemingly endless shopping street that’s packed with high street labels and weekend visitors from other parts of the country. Remember: most shops close on Sundays.

Museum Walk
Antwerp’s museums are some of the world’s finest. After walking down Nationalestraat, step inside the Royal Museum of Fine Arts. The classical building has housed many of the country’s masterpieces from Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony Van Dyck to Rik Wouters, and also Auguste Rodin and Amedeo Modiglian. After that, a ten-minute walk towards the waterfront brings you to the Museum of Contemporary Art, one of the most provocative venues for modern art in Europe. Further down the road is the excellent FotoMuseum, which showcases everything from the history of photography to current exhibitions from ome of the world’s best photographers (right now an excellent Erwin Olaf show is on). Reminder: museums close on Mondays.

Dine
Antwerp is bursting to the seams with restaurants, bars and cafes, and they offer much more than just frites and waffles. While we love the casual café ambiance of Bar Berlin, our top pick has to be Restaurant De Godevaart, which goes out of its way to prove that the city’s cuisine can be just as innovative as its clothes. Young chef Dave de Belder is at the helm, offering a mind-blowing seven-course molecular gastronomy menu. It costs HK$1,500 but it’s well worth the money.

After dinner, head to Cocktails at Nine, behind Antwerp’s cathedral. Opened by Londoner Graham Herbert, this discreet bar, renovated from a 200-year-old building, is both stylish and homey, and the place to be seen. It serves kick-ass cocktails too.

Stay
The beautiful inns and hotels in Antwerp are one of the biggest draws to the city. Forget the big brands and try the smaller guesthouses, most of which are renovated from centuries-old heritage buildings. Hotel Julien (rates start at $1,787) is one of the largest. Located in a back street near the cathedral, the two 18th-century townhouses feature 11 minimalist rooms that make the most of the old fixtures—think oak floors, specially made porcelain and crisp linens. Alternatively, stay at Hotel t’Sandt (rates start at $1,949), a 29-room hotel that’s more traditional but very classy.

Real fashionistas should pick one of these two B&Bs on Nationalestraat: m0851 (rates start at $1,516) is a three-bedroom establishment located directly opposite MoMu. Original features of the old townhouse are kept and painted gold, while dramatic lighting adds a dash of color. Opposite this hotel is Room National (rates start at $1,029). Each of its three suites is decorated completely differently. One’s stark white, another is tinged with grey, and the last room is gold, with a giant vintage nude hanging on the wall.


Getting There
There is no direct flight to Antwerp from Hong Kong, so the best way there is to fly to London and then take a Eurostar to Brussels, and then transfer to Antwerp. Cathay Pacific flies four times to London everyday, rates start at $3,720. Book at www.cathaypacific.com. Eurostar has 11 trains to Brussels daily, with rates starting at $727. Book at www.eurostar.com. A Eurostar ticket to Brussels gives you free access on the Belgian rail network the same day to any city.

Shop Directory

MoMu, 28 Nationalestraat, 32-3-470-2770,www.momu.be

Yohji Yamamoto, 32 Nationalestraat

Dries van Noten’s flagship store, 16 Nationalestraat, www.driesvannoten.be.

Walter (Walter van Beirendonck’s shop), 12 St Antoniusstraat, www.waltervanbeirendonck.com

Veronique Branquinho, 73 Nationalestraat, 32-3-233-6616, www.veroniquebranquinho.be

Jutka & Riska, 87 Nationalestraat, 32-473-282-52

Ann Demeulemeester, 38 Verlatstraat, www.anndemeulemeester.be

Louis, 2 Lombardenvest

Coccodrillo, 9 Schuttershofstraat, 32-3-233-2093, www.coccodrillo.be

Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Leopold De Waelplaats, 32-3-242-0416, www.kmska.be

Museum of Contemporary Art, 32 Leuvenstraat, www.muhka.be

FotoMuseum, 47 Waalsekaai, 32-3-242-9300, www.fotomuseum.be

Bar Berlin, 1 Kleine Markt, 32-3-227-1101

Restaurant De Godevaart, 23 Sint-Katelijnevest, 32-3-231-8994

Cocktails at Nine, 9 Lijnwaadmarkt, 32-3-707-1007

Hotel Julien, 24 Korte Nieuwstraat, 32-3-229-0600, www.hotel-julien.com,

Hotel t’Sandt, 13-19 Zand, 2-3-232-9390, www.hotel-sandt.be

m0851, 19 Nationalestraat, 32-3-297-6066, www.m0851.be

Room National (24 Nationalestraat, 32-3-226-0700, www.roomnational.com