In 2001, a four-month citywide event curated by Walter Van Beirendonck colored and clothed the city of Antwerp in the name of fashion, raising important questions about the future of fashion through four unconventional exhibitions.

Mode2001 began with 2WOMEN – 2VROUWEN at the former Royal Palace on the Meir, featuring Gabrielle Chanel and Rei Kawakubo—two revolutionary figures in 20th-century fashion with distinct yet equally passionate visions.

MUTILATE? – VERMINK? at MuhKa explored extreme and striking forms of fashion and body modification across cultures, from corsets and body painting to lotus feet and lip plates, questioning the very concept of “fashion.”

EMOTIONS – EMOTIES invited 300 global fashion, art, and design leaders to share emotional memories tied to clothing, showcasing fashion's deep connection to identity.

Finally, RADICALS – RADICALEN featured 25 massive rotating billboards along the Scheldt, displaying 75 radical fashion statements from international designers.

The catalog is divided into two parts, with the first part providing all the fascinating conceptual framework and its second part combines all the photo documentation of the exhibit that temporarily changed the look of Antwerp.