City guide: Antwerp for style slaves
A port of almost half a million on the River Scheldt and its inland estuary, the capital of Flemish-speaking Belgium has been successfully rebranding itself as a fashion centre since the 1990s and has carved out a niche at the forefront of the avant garde. Antwerp has possibly produced more internationally acclaimed fashion designers than any other city over the past 20 years.
Easy to navigate and explore on foot, it's the place to head for a weekend of checking out the cutting edge of style when you just don't have the budget for Paris, Milan or New York.
BEST MUSEUM
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Hide AdLose yourself in fashion at ModeNatie (28 Nationalestraat), aka MOMU, the museum where the Yohji Yamamoto store will have you unfolding your wallet and flexing the plastic. Located in the very heart of the Antwerp fashion world, next door to the Flanders Fashion Institute, the museum aims to show great fashion within the context of the social and cultural life of its time. Thus there is no permanent collection, but a constantly changing explosion of creativity and display of the work of the young talent next door.
BEST PLACE TO EAT
Towering over the River Scheldt, a short walk from the cruise terminal, the trendy Zuiderterras café-restaurant has glass sides that make for views as satisfying as the speciality fish. A trail-blazing architectural project that helped direct attention back to the city’s waterfront, it was designed by Flemish architect Bob van Reeth to look like a moored ship on the river: spacious, transparent and filled with mirrors. The contemporary fare includes beautifully presented salads, fish, meat, wok and vegetarian dishes, followed by an eye-catching dessert menu. Seasonal treats include young herring, mussels, game and asparagus – and if you can drag your eyes away from your plate, the endless stream of boats passing the window will keep you entertained.
BEST PLACE TO SHOP
Minimalism is queen at the store of legendary Belgian princess of fashion, Ann Demeulemeester (Leopold de Waelplaats), where her men’s and women’s clothing demonstrates meticulous cutting and majors in monochorme. A member of the Antwerp Six, the radical Belgian designers of the 1980s, she focuses on a silhouette that is both masculine and feminine. If Demeulemeester’s store is a paean to Dries van Noten’s flagship store, Het modepaleis goes for grandeur (16 Nationalestraat). Sophisticated and sexy, his collections are displayed on two floors of this elegant 19th-century building.
BEST CHOCOLATES
Well, it’s Belgium – and who cares what Karl Lagerfeld has to say about those of us who are more Adele than anorexic? Artisan chocolates from Del Rey, on Appelmansstraat, are a must – The shop and tasting rooms have been attracting chocoholics with their displays of the finest chocs, biscuits, pastries and ice-cream cakes since the 1940s. Made daily in their own workshop using traditional methods, the treats are beautifully packaged and make stylish gifts to take home.
BEST PLACE TO STAY
Antwerp is known for its beautiful old buildings, but that doesn’t mean they’re all gold paint and fading velvet.
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Hide AdFollow in the footsteps of the Louboutin-shod and check out the De Witte Lelie (Keizerstraat 16-18 2000 ), which is Flemish for The White Lily, a lovingly restored 17th-century building decorated almost completely in white. With its white linen sofas and armchairs, marble fireplaces and masses of fresh flowers, this hotel is a seriously stylish place to lay your head.
Located steps away from the Old City, it’s where Paul Smith and Jean Paul Gaultier stay when they’re in town. What more recommendation do you need? Rooms start at €225.
BEST NIGHTLIFE
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Hide AdWith no shortage of Belgian brands of beer – such as the locally brewed De Koninck – and a student population of 10,000, Antwerp has a happening club scene, especially around the docklands, as well as bars and restaurants all over the city. Head for Petrol (25 d’Herbouvillekaai), a huge black-walled warehouse with a stage, dancefloor and space for 800 to party the night away to a heady mix of electro, hip-hop, rock, techno and soul, and live rock.
Or hang out with the arty set at Bourla (3 Kelderstraat), next to the Bourla Theatre. It is home to a cosy café and upmarket restaurant where the must-have dishes include spare ribs and shrimp croquettes.