Walter Van Beirendonck is perhaps the most colorful and daring out of the group of prominent Belgian designers/stylists known as the Antwerp 6. His penchant for playful colorful prints and reference to queer kink culture have defined nearly 40 years of designs. His Wikipedia page notes, “Influenced by: David Bowie” as if it were an empirical fact. But this season he has integrated an environmentally conscious message in his designs which he shares in the same brash, visionary, and campy language. The collection is named after the legend of the lost city Dawleetoo on which there is a shockingly scant amount of available information- perhaps an omen of how quickly we could erase the entire evidence of our own existence.
The collection is like if you put pictures of chernobyl fallout, vintage arcade games, and 70’s hairdresser references into an AI image generator, and said “but make it runway!” Notable pieces include an organza haz-mat suit, a fetish-suit printed to look like a crash-test dummy, biker jackets with dramatic football shaped shoulder pads, and bullet proof vests in the shape of an emblematic W. A graphic print of Beirendonck imagined hieroglyphics covers spandex bike suits, oversized plastic coats, and t-shirt dresses. Oversized ruffle front tuxedo shirts in white taffera are layered over neon orange vinyl shorts which look like soap suds on the shiny surface of a Lamborghini. Imaginative branding, garish color combinations, protective gear, and athletic wear punctuate a series of striking and apocalyptic designs with which he seems to say “Careful- danger ahead!”
Beirendonck makes a subtle nod to Ziggy Stardust as well with red lightning bolts painted across the side of shiny loafers like hotrod pin-striping, and again painted onto models hands, coming to a point at the end of a sharp nail, as if it were blood dripping down. Mis-matched hair pieces are stuck to the models’ own hair which create a geometric, unnatural and cartoonish look. This along with animal-ear caps in various shades of toxic waste have me thinking this is perhaps a stylish interpretation of the radioactive birth defects that we have to look forward to. But it is perhaps a quieter detail that stole the show, and backstage everyone is saying what I am thinking- “Amazing show, and those shoes! ” Beirendonck’s signature tooth print finds itself along the sides of chic and shiny oxfords which curve up at the toe to look like the Cheshire cat’s toothy grin. He refers to these as his “crocodile shoes” and he makes them because “well, people love them!”
To close the show, each look is re-presented covered with a plastic bag and spray painted with a skeleton. Letters on their backs spell out “STOP TERRORIZING OUR WORLD.” Models are literally buckled over and gasping for air inside their body bags. It is a bold, crafty, and attention-grabbing display of pomp and circumstance that shares an imperative message.
Afterwards I ask him, “The collection is pretty apocalyptic. Is this where you think we are all headed?”
He responds, “No, no. Even if I’m telling a very strong story, there is still happiness, hope and belief in the future. I mean, the finale was rather tough- I know that. Just even to look at people covered up that way, I knew that it would be strong, but that’s how I wanted to do it.”
“And what are you yourself doing to combat fast-fashion?”
“I know that I’m probably very critical and reactive to certain things, but I really do reduce my whole way of working in a way so that I have total control over and contact with every step of what I’m doing. I never over-produce one piece. Everything is presented to my clients. We make the exact amount of pieces that we are selling. Everything is produced in Europe. Only the capsules are produced in China, because they do it better. But I mean, it really is completely under our control. Even the selections of materials and fabrics. But of course, it’s always challenging…”
Bravo, Walter. It is, and continues to be, a brilliant career.
