Antwerp, The Birthplace of Fashion - Part 4

As outlined in Part 1, Walter van Beirendonck is a member of the avant-garde fashion collective known as ‘The Antwerp Six’, which graduated from the Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts in 1980 and marked Belgium’s entry into the international fashion scene.

From left to right: (1) photo portrait of Walter Van Beirendonck (2) Walter Van Beirendonck's logo (3) poster of his SS21 collection: “I designed and tailored pieces that serve as protection from evil forces, symbolize the oneness of humankind and represent a reawakening of beauty. The ghost-like figures on paintings by Swiss artist Miriam Cahn inspired my colour and print-palettes.”

“Blind Date”, 2020-21, Antwerp

“GLÖDANDE”, collab w/ IKEA

The name, “Walter Van Beirendonck”, may conjure a memory in your mind of U2’s Pop Mart Tour in 1997, for which he was the fashion adviser. Or from somewhere else. You’ll find fragments of the designer in the most peculiar and unexpected places. In the form of costumes at a ballet performance hosted by the Paris National Opera, where he blurs the distinction between sexes. In the form of scenography for a 17th century portraits exhibition, where his mind toys with that of Van Dyck, Breughel and Rubens. In the form of collaboration with IKEA, creating a limited-edition collection.

“Sous-apparence”, 2012. Ballet de L’Opéra. Starring Marie-Agnès Gillot. Costume design by Walter Van Beirendonck.

As opposed to some of the other members of the Antwerp Six, including Ann Demeulemeester, who placed a large emphasis on the use of white and black shades, Van Beirendonck made a name for himself with his vibrant and variegated designs. But don’t just think of the 2020 fashion weeks brightly imprinted in our memories, literally – the Antwerp designer doesn’t stop at that explosion of richly saturated flame scarlet, Biscay green and orange peel. Think future dandyism, psychedelia, brutal beauty, science fiction, and spiritualism. Such is the weird and wonderful world of Walter Van Beirendonck.

Walter about his AW20 collection (left): “It’s really a collection about having the possibility to be free to enjoy beauty. it’s really a statement about that because i think that during the last [few] years, we really have less and less freedom—everything is so sensitive.”

The outlandish and sometimes even preposterous designs perhaps render the underlying messages less esoteric and more accessible, as compared with other Flemish deisgners such as Ann Demeulemeester and Dries Van Noten. The concept of these messages being more directly in reach of comprehension, even for the untrained eyes, can be said to be reflective of his vehemence to explore, criticise and depict societal dilemmas and incongruences. The bright colours can only emphasise the outré harmonies of the tenor he wishes to deliver through his designs.

“Pig”, AW18 Collection

Many amongst of us have read Cyrano de Bergerac in high school, and Van Beirendonck’s AW18 collection doesn’t fail to remind us of this dashingly panache character and the moral he learns about the danger of deception. Integrated into a collection of pieces alluding to fetishism, recreational sex, and BDSM, featuring tactfully placed cut-outs at the mouth, genitals and nipples, he criticised the hypocrisy of social media platforms. Supposed grievances about unfair treatment towards individuals being treated unfairly in the world stood in opposition to the censorship of those revealing a nipple. The dichotomic tone is underlined by the asymmetric sunglasses reminisceint of Pierre Cardin’s inconic asymmetrical sunglasses – Cardin’s memos ““Fashion is an X-ray of society” and “It was always my intention to be different, because that is the only way to last.” most certainly did not fade into nothingness in Van Beirendock’s mind.

His “He-Man” torso jacket is one of his own favourite pieces, part of the W.&L.T. (his label) SS96 collection and a statement against the AIDS epidemic. He contrasts child-like elements with exaggerated, masculine, aggressive features, alluding to the violence created by AIDS through love and innocent sexuality, with the use of plastics referring to safe ways to engage in sexual intercourse.

His exuberant creative style is mirrored in his approach to media, perhaps the most “out-there” member of the Antwerp Six, a stark contrast with Dries Van Noten, who is very much an undercover artist and shies away from the limelight. In an interview by SHOWstudio, a close-up of his conspicuous, large metal rings emphasises this imposing bearing; he reveals “my fascination for fashion and clothes started with David Bowie with his Ziggy Stardust looks, the whole appearance he created and all the different characters he created during the 70s” “I realised that through clothing you could […] change your identity, you could tell stories”. Describing what he does, he explains “I try to create dreams, that’s […] what I’m chasing I think”. His zeal didn’t originate purely from himself, though: the Antwerp Six are not simply united by their coinciding years at the Royal Academy, but predominantly through their friendly rapports, creating an “amazing period with a lot of people intensively together in the school and we were very ambitious because we felt totally isolated in Antwerp far away from the fashion world,” Van Beirendonck explains. “When Dries [Van Noten] was doing something Martin [Margiela] wanted to do better”.

“Ziggy Stardust” aka David Bowie.

Perhaps Van Beirdonck’s principal bequeathal is the substantial influence he has had on subsequent generations of fashion designers, in part by virtue of his teachings at the renowned fashion academy of Antwerp. You’ll be surprised to hear then, that he initially failed his entrance exam into the Royal Academy! His collections seek out dissolved or dissimulated truths, his tact and acumen delivering human complexities in an absurd light.