Shut your Eyes to See

Of all places,  Dallas Contemporary Art Museum is hosting Walter Van Beirendonck’s first US show, “Lust Never Sleeps – Silent Secrets”, showing his winter 2012/2013 and summer 2013 collections (the titles of his last fashion shows).

WALTER VAN BEIRENDONCK

The Belgian designer is one of the Antwerp Six—the influential group of avant-garde Belgian fashion designers who graduated from Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts in the early ’80s, including Dries Van Noten and Ann Demeulemeester, among others. He was inspired by David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust period and went to study fashion (Bowie is also his inspiration for his last show for winter 2013), graduated in 1981 and started his own label in 1983.

WALTER VON BEIRENDONCK FALL WINTER 2013 PARIS 01/16/13

WALTER VON BEIRENDONK MEN PARIS SS10 06-26-09

WALTER VON BEIRENDONCK MEN FALL WINTER 2011 PARIS 01/21/11

Since then Van Beirendonck is famous for his whimsical approach to fashion, his bold visual statement (using contrat colors, strong graphics, different cuts, unique fabrics and textiles) and for his innovative fashion shows, from bears models to showing his collection underwater.

WALTER VAN BEIRENDONK SS2011 MEN PARIS 06/25/10

SS13 WALTER VON BEIRENDONCK PARIS 6/27/2012

Van Beirendonck is constantly pushing boundaries, questioning aesthetic norms and politica issues, reinventing concepts of popular culture in the form of fashion. ” “Fashion is a kind of fetishism and also communication”, he said, “Fetishism and the urge to beautify a body is a constant thing, but also changes through the years, although the core and reason stay the same: buying and wearing nice clothes feels good and it lets us feel better and self-secure, which is good and important.”

WALTER VAN BEIRENDONCK MENS FALL/WINTER 2012 1/21/2012

WALTER VON BEIRENDONCK FALL WINTER 2013 PARIS 01/16/13

WALTER VON BEIRENDONK MEN PARIS SS10 06-26-09