Dirk Bikkemberg - Fashion Designer Review

At 47, Dirk Bikkembergs who hails from Germany started studying fashion design at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Belgium. After his studies, Bikkembergs started working for Belgian fashion designers to earn himself some experience. 1985 was the year of Bikkembergs' breakthrough as he won the influential Golden Spindle award for Best Young Designer in Fashion.



Dirk Bikkemberg, spring summer collection 2005-6 - pret-o-porter held in Milan.

During the same year, Dirk Bikkembergs received the opportunity by a Belgian shoe company named Monarca to create his own shoe line for men. His first shoe collection was launched a year later. In 1989 his first ready-to-wear mens collection arose, followed four years later by the female equivalent. This collection was the first Italian produced Bikkembergs' Collection. Dirk's quality collections and rising popularity gave him the opportunity to become more and more self-reliant. The partnership helped Dirk successfully establish in 1992 his women’s line to illustrate that the masculine strength in men also exists in women. The women stripped away any macho elements from the mens collection and illustrated that the men’s strength becomes one of sexiness, power and confidence when translated for women. For the first shows the women joined the man on the stage and walked together, even wearing essentially the same garment but with a fit for women. Macho strength manifests itself into sexy power for women with their identity and femininity maintained, indeed strengthened. Since then, Dirk Bikkemberg’s career as one of the finest designers grew year after year.