MoMu Antwerp Explores Gender Dynamics in Fashion and Domestic Interiors

The MoMu – Fashion Museum Antwerp has opened 'Fashion & Interiors. A Gendered Affair,' curated by Romy Cockx, running until August 3, 2025. The exhibition examines the relationship between fashion and domestic interiors through a gender lens, featuring installation design by architecture duo Altu Space. It traces the evolution from 19th-century portraiture, where women were depicted as symbols of bourgeois wealth amid sumptuous interiors by Alfred Stevens, to contemporary reflections on nomadism and migration by Hussein Chalayan, whose 2001 collection 'Afterwords' transformed furniture into wearable garments. The show highlights historical intersections between fashion, design, and architecture, including the collaborative work of Henry and Mary Van de Velde in Belgian Art Nouveau, Josef Hoffmann's creation of attire for Suzanne Stoclet, and the overlooked contributions of Lilly Reich to Mies van der Rohe's iconic pieces. It also explores the Antwerp Six legacy, with Ann Demeulemeester's restoration of Le Corbusier's Maison Guiette and Raf Simons' corset-shaped furniture thesis. A highlight is an immersive space by Martin Margiela, featuring his whitewashed studio aesthetic. The exhibition extends beyond the museum with a residency and installation at Vitra by designer Meryll Rogge.