Dirk Bikkembergs Archive Now Online
Since last year, visitors to the MoMu Library could consult the paper archive of fashion designer Dirk Bikkembergs. Now, a digitised version is available online. The archive—an important complement to Bikkembergs’ garments in the MoMu collection—comprises eighty boxes filled with catalogues, ephemera, sketchbooks, diaries and press clippings. Alongside mood boards offering insight into Bikkembergs’ sources of inspiration and creative process, it also includes negatives, photographs and slides—each capturing a snapshot of different eras and seasons. Together, they chart the designer’s creativity and artistic evolution: from his student years (1977–1982) to the design period for his eponymous label (1983–2012).
Dirk Bikkembergs' Legacy
In 2023, MoMu and Luc Willame, co-founder of Bikkembergs’ label, submitted a project proposal for the archive to the Flemish government’s “legacies of contemporary artists” funding programme. The aim was to develop a permanent and sustainable solution for the fashion house’s paper archive. In 2024, at the end of the project, Willame and Bikkembergs officially transferred the archive to MoMu.
Digital home for the archive
The website offers access to the digitised paper archive and is easy to navigate. Each document is meticulously described and accompanied by extensive metadata and one or more images, making it simple to find the information you’re looking for.