Marina Yee

Marina Yee
Born(1958-04-01)1 April 1958
Temse, Belgium
Died (aged 67)
Antwerp, Belgium
Alma materRoyal Academy of Fine Arts (Antwerp)
Occupations
Years active1980–2025
Labels
  • M.Y. Project (2018–)
  • Marina Yee (2018–)
AwardsJury Prize at the Belgian Fashion Awards in 2024

Marina Mariette Alfons Yee (17 April 1958 – 1 November 2025) was a Belgian fashion designer and a founding member of the Antwerp Six, a group of influential Belgian fashion designers.[1][2] She left the Antwerp Six in 1988.[3][failed verification] Vogue described her as the most elusive member of the Antwerp Six.[4] In 2018, she resurfaced in Tokyo to attend the opening of a retrospective exhibition at the avant-garde vintage shop Laila, where Yee presented five new designs under the name M.Y. Project.[5] This marked her first public output in more than a decade and initiated a successful relaunch of her fashion career. Marina Yee received the Jury Prize at the Belgian Fashion awards in 2024 for her timeless designs and artistic versatility.[6] This award recognized her influential career as a member of the Antwerp Six and her comeback in 2022 with a collection of gender-inclusive pieces, which established her as a pioneer in the industry.[7]

Early years

Yee was born in Temse, Belgium, on 17 April 1958, to Liliane de Bruyne and Jean Yee. Her father became a colonial administrator in the Belgian Congo, and the family lived there for a few years before returning to Belgium. Yee's father later became director of a department store chain, and the family moved around Belgium before settling in Hasselt when Marina was 15.[8]

Early career

Yee began her training at the Sint-Lucas Institute in Hasselt[9] before continuing her studies at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, where she remained until 1981.[10] It was during this time that she met the other members of the Antwerp Six. Her career progressed rapidly: shortly after graduation, she received financial backing from partners, first Bassetti and later Hobo.[11][12] For Hobo, she designed a collection titled Marie.[13] Yee has indicated that this collection did not fully reflect her own design vision.[citation needed]

Stepping away from fashion

Yee had a professional and personal relationship with fellow designer Martin Margiela, whom she met in 1975 at Sint-Lucas in Genk.[14] In 1992 she returned to Belgium, where she opened a snack bar, Indigo, in Brussels.[15]

Yee's career has included periods of professional activity interspersed with breaks from the fashion industry. In 1999, she designed a winter collection for the Belgian brand Lena Lena, founded by former fashion journalist Miet Crabbé. Between 2000 and 2002, she designed women’s collections for Dirk Bikkembergs.[16] In 2003, she established a studio in Brussels, producing pieces from existing garments and second-hand fabrics. In 2011, she introduced an interior fabric line for the Belgian company Aristide, comprising nine collections inspired by aspects of her personality.[17] In 2015, she collaborated with fashion academy alumnus Louison Grajcar on a perfume line.[18]

In 2018, Yee presented a new collection, marking her first public work since 2005.[19][20] The M.Y. Project, comprising five designs, was showcased in Tokyo at Laila Tokyo, a high-fashion boutique.[21] The collection focused on sustainable fashion, utilizing second-hand fabrics from vintage stores and flea markets.[22][23][24]

In 2003, she stated her preference for creating outside mass-produced collections, emphasizing the importance of maintaining her identity as a designer. She has described her approach as a "prutskous"—a term reflecting a playful and experimental engagement with the creative process rather than commercial objectives.[25][26][27]

Death

Yee died from pancreatic cancer in Antwerp on 1 November 2025, at the age of 67.[8][28][29]

References

  1. ^ "Who were the Antwerp Six?". ART HUB. 13 May 2024. Retrieved 26 October 2025.
  2. ^ Menkes, Suzy (17 June 2013). "A Rare Reunion for the 'Antwerp Six'". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 October 2025.
  3. ^ Scrayen, Wonne (15 July 2025). "An in-depth conversation with Marina Yee, the Antwerp Six enigma". 1 Granary. Retrieved 26 October 2025.
  4. ^ Kim, Monica (19 October 2018). "Finding a New Home in Tokyo, Antwerp Six Designer Marina Yee Is Ready for Recognition". Vogue. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  5. ^ "Deze Belgische ontwerpster maakt haar come-back in Japan". ELLE België (in Flemish). 29 August 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  6. ^ Moyson, Anne-Françoise (29 November 2024). "Marina Yee wint de Jury Prize op de Belgian Fashion Awards 2024: 'Dit voelt als een mooie erkenning'". Weekend (in Flemish). Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  7. ^ Maradiaga, Chris. "Marine Yee: The Quiet Creative Force". www.duchump.com. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  8. ^ a b Green, Penelope (13 December 2025). "Marina Yee, Elusive Avant-Garde Designer, Dies at 67". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  9. ^ Brouns, Jesse (30 August 2022). "De comeback van Marina Yee ik heb mijn faalangst overwonnen".
  10. ^ "Marina Yee designer".
  11. ^ "Marina Yee". De Morgen (in Dutch). 16 January 1999. Retrieved 26 October 2025.
  12. ^ Goyvaerts, Agnes (September 2003). "Van Textielplan tot ateliers in Oekraïne. Hoe Belgisch is Mode Dit is Belgisch?". DM Magazine. pp. 28–36.
  13. ^ "SIGNATURES. The Antwerp 6+1". Google Arts & Culture. Retrieved 26 October 2025.
  14. ^ Schauvre, Christophe de (24 November 2017). "The power of six". Wanderful.design. Retrieved 26 October 2025.
  15. ^ Brouns, Jesse (30 August 2022). "De comeback van Marina Yee: 'Ik heb mijn faalangst overwonnen'". Weekend (in Flemish). Retrieved 26 October 2025.
  16. ^ "Marina Yee". Knack Weekend (in Flemish). 7 October 2009. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
  17. ^ "MARINA YEE ZIET HET LICHT". De Standaard (in Flemish). 27 August 2011. Retrieved 26 October 2025.
  18. ^ "Marina Yee lanceert eigen parfums". De Standaard (in Flemish). 26 August 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2025.
  19. ^ "Marina Yee Presents New Micro-Collection & Expo in Tokyo". KNOTORYUS. 30 August 2018. Retrieved 26 October 2025.
  20. ^ Tindle, Hannah (6 September 2018). "The Antwerp Six's Most Elusive Member on Her New Collection". AnOther. Retrieved 26 October 2025.
  21. ^ "MARINA YEE EXCLUSIVE M.Y.project | LAILA TOKIO". laila-tokio.com. Retrieved 26 October 2025.
  22. ^ Kim, Monica (19 October 2018). "Finding a New Home in Tokyo, Antwerp Six Designer Marina Yee Is Ready for Recognition". Vogue. Retrieved 26 October 2025.
  23. ^ Dazed (5 September 2018). "The Antwerp Six's Marina Yee talks her new Tokyo exhibition". Dazed. Retrieved 26 October 2025.
  24. ^ "Marina Yee Presents New Micro-Collection & Expo in Tokyo". KNOTORYUS. 30 August 2018. Retrieved 26 October 2025.
  25. ^ "Marina Yee - Pioneer of Sustainable Fashion Design". 26 August 2025. Retrieved 26 October 2025.
  26. ^ Stockman, Kate (5 September 2022). "The comeback of Marina Yee". KATE STOCKMAN. Retrieved 26 October 2025.
  27. ^ "An Antwerp Six Designer Re-Emerges in Tokyo". The Business of Fashion. 29 August 2018. Retrieved 26 October 2025.
  28. ^ "Modeontwerpster Marina Yee (67), bekend van de Antwerpse Zes, overleden". Vrt.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  29. ^ Lily Templeton (2 November 2025). "Marina Yee, Part of the Antwerp Six, Dies at 67". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved 2 November 2025.

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