The uncertainty of our current timeline can be crushing, but fortunately, some things are forever. OG fashion legend Walter Van Beirendonck, inspired by watching a whole new gen fall in love with the different eras of his work – ransacking vintage shops and the internet for archive pieces to stand out in – has brought back his FOREVER FRIENDS to meet this strange moment in time. That’s what lead to ‘FUTURE PROOF - STOP MONSTERS NOW’, the WVB Paris Fashion Week show that never happened.
THE BACKSTORY
After delighting his day ones and newer acolytes by dropping ‘W: PAST… PRESENT… FUTURE…’ on the official Paris Fashion Week digital platform on January 20 – a video retrospective celebrating a quarter-century of his designs – Walter Van Beirendonck looks ahead by re-embracing his iconic cast of characters in this new collection.
In the ‘FUTURE PROOF’ show notes, brought to life by our very own Dominique Nzeyimana, Walter reveals: “The past months have weighed heavily on all of us. Global and personal tragedies, attacks and isolation can make us question our inner strength and the power of togetherness. This is why I have brought back my FOREVER FRIENDS to accompany us during this new chapter. Side by side we can rise against the monsters attacking our individuality, health, safety and privacy in the name of greed and power.”
The gang’s all here, we’re talking 80s Walter mascot SADO (RIP), PUK PUK, MASK (a leitmotif stretching from the AESTHETICTERRORISTS days to becoming a symbol of Walter’s hard-won freedom), WALTERMAN (you know, the naked bearded logo), the pacifistic W-WORLDPEACE sign and classic Walter villain KROKODIL. The show marks a stock-taking of sorts, as well as a future-facing refresh of a rich, immortal legacy that will inspire generations to come.
THE (BACKSTAGE) SHOW
Debuting the collection via Instagram Stories on January 28, later on his feed, Walter took us ‘backstage’ into his future vision. Cutout-vests and laminated coats, fluorescent shades of pink, yellow and green, clinging body suits and masked jackets form a bright-hued parade of soon-to-be collectors’ items, most of them emblazoned with the Walter Van Beirendonck icons that have stood the test of time so irresistibly. Lensed by longtime friend and collaborator Ronald Stoops, the collection leaps at you with crackling energy: that blue and yellow long coat (worn by the ‘BLAZING BOYS’), those striped masked sweaters, the ‘ROCKET MAN’ bomber with astronaut-of-love face shield, the ‘PAINT ME BLACK’ hoodie drenched in ink with PUK PUK and friends brightly resisting the encroaching shadows… Even if this show had to be resized to 1242 by 2208 pixels rather than filling a Paris runway space, the work of this Antwerp master is just as high-powered and palpably ‘alive’ as ever. In this era of masks for everyone, who else but Walter Van Beirendonck to make it exciting?
THE ORIGINAL VISION
Feast your eyes on these not yet before seen collection drawings, so generously shared with KNOTORYUS by Walter Van Beirendonck himself. Walter is known for his extensive design process, where he creates a full drawings and inspiration book per collection, detailing the looks, make-up, accessories and even the positioning of the models while bringing his vision to life.
(c) Walter Van Beirendonck
(c) Walter Van Beirendonck
(c) Walter Van Beirendonck
(c) Walter Van Beirendonck
(c) Walter Van Beirendonck
(c) Walter Van Beirendonck
(c) Walter Van Beirendonck
(c) Walter Van Beirendonck
(c) Walter Van Beirendonck
(c) Walter Van Beirendonck
(c) Walter Van Beirendonck
Credits
Photography: Ronald Stoops
Assisted By: Sander Muyllaert
Post-production: Roën Lommelen
Hair: Ed Moelands
Models: REBELS Agency
See the Walter Van Beirendonck SS21 Show + Exclusive Sketches here.
WALTER VAN BEIRENDONCK ON Instagram
WALTER VAN BEIRENDONCK stockists
Tune into the Walter Van Beirendonck conversation on The Most podcast here.
