Alongside Dries van Noten and Dirk Bikkembergs, Walter Van Beirendonck was one of the Antwerp Royal Academy of Fine Arts’ graduates who, in the early 1980s, were christened ‘The Antwerp Six’. Like his contemporaries, Van Beirendonck went on to achieve international success, but always in his very own inimitable style. Dealing with ecology, fetishism, ethnography, S&M and mass consumerism; Van Beirendonck is famed for his uncompromising approach, an approach that owes just as much to art as it does to fashion. Designing the costumes for U2’s landmark PopMart tour, the Belgian designer pioneered ‘cyberpunk’ clothing with his high-tech ‘techno’ fabrics; and with collections such as Sado, Sexclown, and the politically charged Stop Terrorizing Our World, he’s never been shy of controversy and confrontation.
Since the tail end of last year, and until 19th February, the brilliant Antwerp Fashion Museum has played host to an exhaustive retrospective of Van Beirendonck’s work and his inspiration; with Walter’s Wonderwall – a 60 metre collage of images, slogans, objects and videos – and a new collaboratin with fashion photographer Nick Knight/SHOWstudio.com, stylist Simon Foxton and GQ Style UK accompanying his key works from the last 30 years…
Dazed & Confused, August 2010 ‘The Joy of Six’
Photography: Scott Trindle, Styling: Robbie Spencer
Walter Van Beirendonck A/W 2011–12 – Hand on Heart
Photography: Ronald Stoops
Dazed & Confused, August 2010 ‘The Joy of Six’
Photography: Scott Trindle, Styling: Robbie Spencer
Dazed & Confused, August 2010 ‘The Joy of Six’
Photography: Scott Trindle, Styling: Robbie Spencer
Walter Van Beirendonck S/S 1989 – King Kong Kooks
Photography: Ronald Stoops, Illustration: Jan Bosschaert
Walter Van Beirendonck A/W 2011–12 – Hand on Heart
Photography: Ronald Stoops
