3 posts tagged "Walter Van Beirendonck"
Van Beirendonck Does Dallas
Equal parts raconteur, rabble-rouser, and researcher, Antwerp Six designer Walter Van Beirendonck is no stranger to the power of the modern mash-up. From kink to Kawaii and everything in between, his collections are vacuum-packed with referential points well beyond the vocabulary of typical menswear. Van Beirendonck is interested in a very specific sort of commentary, which can best be described as a blend-up of global auspices with bizarro academia. It should come as no surprise, then, that he was very interested when he received a call from Texas concerning a possible showcase. “Dallas is really very weird…” Van Beirendonck told Style.com. “But there’s so much culture, so many museums, so much going on—I was not expecting this.”
Tomorrow, Van Beirendonck will unveil an eponymous exhibition at the Dallas Contemporary museum, coinciding with the city’s inaugural Arts Week. Spotlighting his Fall 2012 and Spring 2013 collections, the show will illustrate the designer’s fascination with privacy and what isn’t always apparent on-screen. “It’s very difficult to keep a secret anymore,” said Van Beirendonck. “Everything is traveling immediately, all over the world.” Inherent in his lineups are themes of secret society dress codes, image copyright violations, reverse race misappropriation (black models in whiteface), Papua New Guinean voodooism, and more. “I decided to show all of these ideas in a really pure way—with original styling and the actual accessories from the runway,” added the designer.
Once Dallas is wrapped, it’s back to Belgium for the designer. On top of producing his label, Van Beirendonck teaches at Antwerp’s Royal Academy, where he is curating the school’s 350-year retrospective, which is set to open on September 7.
Walter Van Beirendonck will be on view at the Dallas Contemporary museum from April 12 through August 19.
Arrrgh, Real Monsters!
Next February, ARRRGH! Monstres de Mode, an exhibition presented by Greek collective Atopos CVC that highlights designers who distort and mask the human form with their fantastically frightening, sometimes grotesque garments, will land in Paris. Having debuted in Athens last year, the Vassilis Zidianakis-curated show is an extension of the book, Not a Toy, Fashioning Radical Characters, and highlights such shocking shape-shifters as Alexander McQueen, Gareth Pugh, Maison Martin Margiela, Charlie Le Mindu, and Walter van Beirendonck, as well as lesser-known young talents like Alex Mattsson and Leutton Postle. Emerging British menswear designer, Craig Green—who’s set to show his second collection in London next month with the MAN initiative—was tapped to create the identity of the exhibition. Green brought Atopos’ definition of monsters—described as “everything strange”—to life with four green and yellow figures that vaguely recall Pac-Man. “I wanted to make something that resembled a lo-fi graphic,” explained Green. The designer, who’s begun to make a name for himself with his art-meets-fashion concoctions, crafted his curious critters from wooden frames and stretched canvas. “They’re meant to be a family,” says Green. “So they fit together like male and female forms; they’re couples in love,” he explains.
Twenty-six-year-old Green, a Central Saint Martins graduate, has pieces from his 2012 M.A. collection, as well as a sculptural garment from his upcoming Fall 2013 collection, in the show. “I feel very fortunate to be featured alongside these mega designers, as well as small ones that I greatly respect.”
ARRRGH! Monstres de Monde opens on February 13 at La Gaîté Lyrique, located at 3bis, Rue Papin in Paris’ 3rd arrondissement.
Jonah Hill: Fashion Star In The Making? And More Of Today’s Top Stories
Who knew Jonah Hill was so fashion-savvy? The Superbad star spoke out in Fino Man, Filipa Fino’s new online men’s magazine, stating that his style icon is Steve McQueen. Hill also divulged that Freemans Sporting Club and Rag & Bone are his go-to labels and that he bought a Rolex Daytona watch in honor of Paul Newman. We’re impressed. [Page Six]
In other male fashion news, British actor-turned-Prada-model Gary Oldman tells Harper’s Bazaar U.K. all about his runway gig last January during Milan men’s fashion week. “It was a gas, mainly because of Mrs. Prada and her team, who are meticulous and treated me royally,” he said. [Telegraph]
Right on the heels of Rodarte and Valentino, Walter Van Beirendonck is the next designer to dabble in the realm of ballet costumes. The designer has just signed his first collaboration project with the National Opéra of Paris ballet to create costumes specifically for principal dancer Marie-Agnes Gillot. [WWD]
Kate Moss was the topic of conversation at Jade Jagger’s wedding this weekend when she turned up in a black and nude dress from Alexander McQueen’s Spring 2012 collection. Moss decided forgo doing her hair and wearing a bra for the occasion. Talk about model behavior. [Styleite]