Walter Van Beirendonck

Walter Van Beirendonck is the Belgian designer and member of the ‘Antwerp Six’, a group of fashion designers who graduated from Antwerp's Royal Academy of Fine Arts where today he is the head of fashion. The Antwerp Six graduated from the academy between the years 1980 and 1981, they had studied under the former dean of the Polimoda Fashion School, Linda Loppa. As well as Walter Van Beirendonck, the Antwerp Six included Dries Van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester, Dirk Van Saene, Dirk Bikkembergs and Marina Yee. Today, Van Beirendonck is one of the most important leaders of men’s fashion, he takes inspiration from art, literature and music, together with influences from nature and ethnicity. The designer not only focusses on his own collections but also works on different projects such theatre design, ballet costumes, curation of exhibitions, object design and book illustrations. These various pathways have become eclectic influences that inform the bold prints and witty slogans that decorate Van Beirendonck's menswear collections of his eponymous label. The brand is a driving force for change in the fashion industry, showing collections that are conceptually challenging, technically innovative and graphically strong. This season's collection offers a fresh outlook, including vibrant colourways, illustrative embroideries and detailed embellishments.