ジョン・ウォーターズと5人のファン、ウォルター・ヴァン・ベイレンドンクへの愛

“Choosing the Walter Van Beirendonck logo as a nude of myself; it’s a statement that I present only myself, 100 per cent,” he told us once before. “I really go to the flesh.” As such, the clothes Van Beirendonck crafts are as singular as the designer himself; his philosophy of unity and peace, pumped through a technicolour dreamscape, has been unwavering through years of grunge and quiet luxury, war and times of peace. These are clothes to provoke change, liberated from fashion’s humdrum and commercial cycle.

I discovered Van Beirendonck in my teens ten years ago when a collection responding to the Charlie Hebdo tragedy went triple-platinum-viral on Tumblr. Men in tulles flounced, bloated sleeves swung, its colours were lively but peaceful, and its messaging struck like a lightning bolt: “Stop terrorising our world,“ read the collection’s plasticky tunics. He’s been crafting fashion mischief since the early 80s when he rose up with the Antwerp Six (he’s now the last of the fabled group to show on schedule), and all of his correspondences with the fashion world since stand the test of time. It’s a pity that wrapping his big burly men in pretty pink bows is still subversive now, and his didactic sloganned demands for a better world still strike as urgent a chord as they did then, but somehow Van Beirendonck remains the optimist.

Case in point: the designer’s latest collection, shown a considerable trek from Paris’ centre, imagined new life among us to make sense of all humankind’s hostility, arriving with new ideas, new methods, and a new look. (Aptly, the collection was called New.) “The boom of vintage or archival clothing, although a fantastic step towards a more sustainable fashion world, makes for few interesting or unseen volumes walking the streets,” he wrote in the show notes. Wicked new forms of tailoring made their assault on fashion orthodoxy, cut tight at the shoulders and widening at the thighs, their strange forms made stranger with alien elements seemingly plucked from Area 51. At the show’s close, Van Beirendonck’s models sat down in chairs, looked into the eyes of his audience, and hand gestured a peace sign. “No hair or make-up is necessary, just put on a Stephen Jones hat and strap on those silicone extraterrestrial fingers,” he decreed.

Van Beirendonck’s wardrobe is divisive in its pageantry – the French fashion scene still love their blacks and navy blues – but his tribe, once united, are truly a sight to behold, spanning ages and genders, body sizes and professional fields. So, to mark the unveiling of his latest collection, we spoke to six of the designer’s most dedicated disciples – John Waters, Otto La Rosa, Ed Mendoza, Lawson Wang, Magnus Carlsson and Pierre Lapointe – about being a part of Walter Van Beirendonck’s colourful cult.

John Waters, Filmmaker

“Walter’s clothes surprise me with humour – they are elegant without pretension, which is rare today. When I see his work, I go, ‘Yikes!’ It’s a different kind of yikes than designers like Comme des Garçons or Yohji [Yamamoto] – more of a hipster Liberace gone crazy. His clothes immediately spoke to my sense of fractured elegance. The first piece I got was one of those fake watch bracelets, which look expensive from a distance but is totally faux. Now, I mainly wear his outfits for my shows. They’re perfect for stage wear. That said, leaving my hotel dressed for a show can be awkward. Families in the elevator stare, little children are going, ‘Look! Look!’ His clothes aren’t for everyday errands.

“Dolly Parton says, ‘It costs a lot to look this cheap.’ Well, I spend a lot to look poor, though that’s more with Comme. Walter’s clothes are exhibitionist and at the same time make fun of fashion in a delightful way. When you take fashion too seriously, you become a casualty. Walter isn’t one, and I don’t feel like one either, even in his most ludicrous outfits.

“My favourite is a sort of silver foil suit I wore last Christmas. I felt like a couch in it, like I was a couch daring a microwave oven – like something that would explode if it got too close. You can take it on the road because it doesn’t wrinkle. I can whistle and the suit jumps out of my suitcase and comes over. I’ve never met him, but if he sees me online with the wrong button fastened, he’ll scold me. He sends fashion notes. It’s hilarious, and it drives him crazy.”

“When you take fashion too seriously, you become a casualty” – John Waters

Otto La Rosa, Founder of Dot Comme

“Walter opened my mind to a world that I hadn’t seen before. I was in high school in Melbourne, probably only 14 or 15 years old, when I began looking up his collections online. They inspired me to experiment with fashion before I could afford any pieces. I eventually bought my first piece on a trip to Japan when I was 17 – a yellow fleecy sweater with a star. I still wear it. Now I own somewhere between 500 and 600 pieces. Early on, I’d go to Antwerp and buy heaps when it was cheap, but now I focus on my favourite looks from the new seasons. Still, some of my favourite collections are from 1999-2001, after Walter left W&LT and before he started Aesthetic Terrorists. They weren’t produced – it was sort of just an art project – but they were so inspiring, so creative.

“He definitely has a cult following, and I enjoy meeting his fans in my shop [Dot Comme] and discussing pre-orders with them over email. I’ve met Walter a few times at his showrooms where I pick new pieces to stock. He’s a soft, gentle man. We’ve talked a lot about his past and current collections. I love how he’s not commercially focused at all, how he never has been, often to his detriment. He doesn’t even consider the manufacturing costs. Instead, he’s got his own vision, and he just goes for it.”

Magnus Carlsson, Walter Van Beirendonck Collector

“The first time I saw Walter Van Beirendonck’s work was in the mid-80s through Bam magazine showcasing new Belgian designers. All the Antwerp Six were in it. I wrote to the Belgian Fashion Institute to get a copy. Walter’s designs immediately felt like home to me. I was blown away by the colours, patterns, graphic knitwear, and the styling. One piece that stuck with me was a red shirt with a collar featuring a sewn hole and a string you could pull through. I wanted it desperately.

“The first piece I owned was a knitted sweater from the Shoot the Moon, Shoot the Sun collection, which I still have. I found it in i-D magazine, contacted London’s Christopher New store, and sent money via postal order. I’ve since built a collection of around 250 pieces, including accessories. Favourites include a black blazer with colourful dots forming a floral pattern and sewn holes trimmed with ribbons, and my spiked blazer from the WAR collection. His designs are timeless; I still wear that first sweater occasionally. Good design has no age.

“Walter’s work blends fairytales and sci-fi with humour, seriousness, and a touch of childhood wonder. It’s childish, in a grown-up way. His boldness feels genuine and he does what he likes. Meeting him at fashion weeks is always memorable – he listens, engages, and stays true to himself, much like his designs.”

“Walter’s work blends fairytales and sci-fi with humour, seriousness, and a touch of childhood wonder. It’s childish, in a grown-up way” – Magnus Carlsson

Pierre Lapointe, Singer and Songwriter

“I first discovered Walter’s work in Fashion Now by Taschen. A blue coat with red hearts, worn by a young man, caught my attention immediately. Then I turned the page and was confronted by a ’modern-clown’ outfit and a sadomasochistic mask. It was disturbing yet intriguing, blending pop elements with an unsettling edge. A few months later, I realised I’d encountered Walter’s work before on U2’s Pop tour. He had designed the visuals and the band’s outfits. Without knowing it, I had already been captivated by his vision.

“The first piece I owned was a pair of red shoes from the Autumn/Winter 2014 collection. At the time, Walter’s work wasn’t available in Canada, so I made a pilgrimage to Antwerp while visiting Brussels. My mission was clear: to acquire a piece or two. Rare and precious, each of my pieces is carefully stored or displayed, as one would treat any masterpiece. Walter’s craftsmanship, political discourse, and the intricate details in his work make his designs more than fashion – they are powerful statements.

“My album Dix chansons démodées pour ceux qui ont le cœur abîmé will be released this month, and the clothes I wear in the direction were all created by Walter Van Beirendock. His designs are theatrical yet grounding, giving me confidence and helping me connect with my body. Wearing his work feels like a declaration: ‘I exist, and I have something interesting to say.’ Walter captures the tension between being provocative and approachable, awakening a childlike sense of wonder in me. His artistry embodies a fragile balance – violent yet soothing, playful yet serious, and they give me the confidence I need when I perform on stage.”

Ed Mendoza, Fashion Designer, Artist and Ceramicist

“I was a big fan of Craig Green during my foundation at Central Saint Martins, and when I learned he interned with Walter, I dove into Walter’s work. His unapologetically unique approach, vibrant colours, and cheeky prints really opened my eyes. One favourite collection is Wonder for S/S10, where Walter redefined who could wear high fashion, featuring muscular and chubby models with hairy bellies. It showed you that anyone can look good, as long as you create clothes to fit them properly. It was so beautiful to see, and it pushed me as a designer during my Master’s to create for real people. I think his work is honest and real, it’s colourful and political. Just think of his safe-sex messaging during the Aids epidemic, his use of the colour red. It’s always more than first meets the eye.

“I met Walter at Dover Street Market for a signing. Though I was one of the last in line, he gave me a lot of his time and energy. He took his time to listen to me about his work and how much it inspired me. I showed him a bag I made for my Master’s inspired by him, which I had called the ‘Donk’. After the show, my friend added a little knitted penis and balls to it, which made him laugh. That’s something that I will cherish.”

Lawson Wang, Poet, Artist and Mathematician

“I come from a very different background – I work as a research scientist in applied mathematics from time to time – but I’ve always been drawn to art, fashion, and literature. My introduction to Walter’s creations was his Dream the World Awake exhibition at MoMu in Antwerp in 2011. The looks from Sex Clown spoke to me the most: there was a look with a penis as his hat and the character was wearing a weirdly structured white peacoat. It was like a costume in my dream that I wanted to dress every day to escape loneliness. I was stepping into a carnival of worlds beyond. 

“Some years later, I purchased my first piece: a silk T-shirt from his S/S14 Home Sweet Home collection. I had to work extra hours at my student job to afford it. I wore it even while working as a cashier at Carrefour Express. Now, I own over 100 pieces, though I don’t know the exact number since they’re all in my wardrobe. I’m an artist and poet today partly thanks to Walter’s influence. In my eyes, he truly lives as a poem, and that’s what I strive for as well. I hope that one day, I can be as content with myself as he is. After bumping into him on the street in Antwerp, I later got to know him better in person. He definitely lived up to my expectations as a true creative artist and fashion godfather. You should never expect any kind of fashion bourgeoisie from him – he’s just so sweet and humble in person.”

“Choosing the Walter Van Beirendonck logo as a nude of myself; it’s a statement that I present only myself, 100 per cent,” he told us once before. “I really go to the flesh.” As such, the clothes Van Beirendonck crafts are as singular as the designer himself; his philosophy of unity and peace, pumped through a technicolour dreamscape, has been unwavering through years of grunge and quiet luxury, war and times of peace. These are clothes to provoke change, liberated from fashion’s humdrum and commercial cycle.

I discovered Van Beirendonck in my teens ten years ago when a collection responding to the Charlie Hebdo tragedy went triple-platinum-viral on Tumblr. Men in tulles flounced, bloated sleeves swung, its colours were lively but peaceful, and its messaging struck like a lightning bolt: “Stop terrorising our world,“ read the collection’s plasticky tunics. He’s been crafting fashion mischief since the early 80s when he rose up with the Antwerp Six (he’s now the last of the fabled group to show on schedule), and all of his correspondences with the fashion world since stand the test of time. It’s a pity that wrapping his big burly men in pretty pink bows is still subversive now, and his didactic sloganned demands for a better world still strike as urgent a chord as they did then, but somehow Van Beirendonck remains the optimist.

Case in point: the designer’s latest collection, shown a considerable trek from Paris’ centre, imagined new life among us to make sense of all humankind’s hostility, arriving with new ideas, new methods, and a new look. (Aptly, the collection was called New.) “The boom of vintage or archival clothing, although a fantastic step towards a more sustainable fashion world, makes for few interesting or unseen volumes walking the streets,” he wrote in the show notes. Wicked new forms of tailoring made their assault on fashion orthodoxy, cut tight at the shoulders and widening at the thighs, their strange forms made stranger with alien elements seemingly plucked from Area 51. At the show’s close, Van Beirendonck’s models sat down in chairs, looked into the eyes of his audience, and hand gestured a peace sign. “No hair or make-up is necessary, just put on a Stephen Jones hat and strap on those silicone extraterrestrial fingers,” he decreed.

Van Beirendonck’s wardrobe is divisive in its pageantry – the French fashion scene still love their blacks and navy blues – but his tribe, once united, are truly a sight to behold, spanning ages and genders, body sizes and professional fields. So, to mark the unveiling of his latest collection, we spoke to six of the designer’s most dedicated disciples – John Waters, Otto La Rosa, Ed Mendoza, Lawson Wang, Magnus Carlsson and Pierre Lapointe – about being a part of Walter Van Beirendonck’s colourful cult.

John Waters, Filmmaker

“Walter’s clothes surprise me with humour – they are elegant without pretension, which is rare today. When I see his work, I go, ‘Yikes!’ It’s a different kind of yikes than designers like Comme des Garçons or Yohji [Yamamoto] – more of a hipster Liberace gone crazy. His clothes immediately spoke to my sense of fractured elegance. The first piece I got was one of those fake watch bracelets, which look expensive from a distance but is totally faux. Now, I mainly wear his outfits for my shows. They’re perfect for stage wear. That said, leaving my hotel dressed for a show can be awkward. Families in the elevator stare, little children are going, ‘Look! Look!’ His clothes aren’t for everyday errands.

“Dolly Parton says, ‘It costs a lot to look this cheap.’ Well, I spend a lot to look poor, though that’s more with Comme. Walter’s clothes are exhibitionist and at the same time make fun of fashion in a delightful way. When you take fashion too seriously, you become a casualty. Walter isn’t one, and I don’t feel like one either, even in his most ludicrous outfits.

“My favourite is a sort of silver foil suit I wore last Christmas. I felt like a couch in it, like I was a couch daring a microwave oven – like something that would explode if it got too close. You can take it on the road because it doesn’t wrinkle. I can whistle and the suit jumps out of my suitcase and comes over. I’ve never met him, but if he sees me online with the wrong button fastened, he’ll scold me. He sends fashion notes. It’s hilarious, and it drives him crazy.”

“When you take fashion too seriously, you become a casualty” – John Waters

Otto La Rosa, Founder of Dot Comme

“Walter opened my mind to a world that I hadn’t seen before. I was in high school in Melbourne, probably only 14 or 15 years old, when I began looking up his collections online. They inspired me to experiment with fashion before I could afford any pieces. I eventually bought my first piece on a trip to Japan when I was 17 – a yellow fleecy sweater with a star. I still wear it. Now I own somewhere between 500 and 600 pieces. Early on, I’d go to Antwerp and buy heaps when it was cheap, but now I focus on my favourite looks from the new seasons. Still, some of my favourite collections are from 1999-2001, after Walter left W&LT and before he started Aesthetic Terrorists. They weren’t produced – it was sort of just an art project – but they were so inspiring, so creative.

“He definitely has a cult following, and I enjoy meeting his fans in my shop [Dot Comme] and discussing pre-orders with them over email. I’ve met Walter a few times at his showrooms where I pick new pieces to stock. He’s a soft, gentle man. We’ve talked a lot about his past and current collections. I love how he’s not commercially focused at all, how he never has been, often to his detriment. He doesn’t even consider the manufacturing costs. Instead, he’s got his own vision, and he just goes for it.”

Magnus Carlsson, Walter Van Beirendonck Collector

“The first time I saw Walter Van Beirendonck’s work was in the mid-80s through Bam magazine showcasing new Belgian designers. All the Antwerp Six were in it. I wrote to the Belgian Fashion Institute to get a copy. Walter’s designs immediately felt like home to me. I was blown away by the colours, patterns, graphic knitwear, and the styling. One piece that stuck with me was a red shirt with a collar featuring a sewn hole and a string you could pull through. I wanted it desperately.

“The first piece I owned was a knitted sweater from the Shoot the Moon, Shoot the Sun collection, which I still have. I found it in i-D magazine, contacted London’s Christopher New store, and sent money via postal order. I’ve since built a collection of around 250 pieces, including accessories. Favourites include a black blazer with colourful dots forming a floral pattern and sewn holes trimmed with ribbons, and my spiked blazer from the WAR collection. His designs are timeless; I still wear that first sweater occasionally. Good design has no age.

“Walter’s work blends fairytales and sci-fi with humour, seriousness, and a touch of childhood wonder. It’s childish, in a grown-up way. His boldness feels genuine and he does what he likes. Meeting him at fashion weeks is always memorable – he listens, engages, and stays true to himself, much like his designs.”

“Walter’s work blends fairytales and sci-fi with humour, seriousness, and a touch of childhood wonder. It’s childish, in a grown-up way” – Magnus Carlsson

Pierre Lapointe, Singer and Songwriter

“I first discovered Walter’s work in Fashion Now by Taschen. A blue coat with red hearts, worn by a young man, caught my attention immediately. Then I turned the page and was confronted by a ’modern-clown’ outfit and a sadomasochistic mask. It was disturbing yet intriguing, blending pop elements with an unsettling edge. A few months later, I realised I’d encountered Walter’s work before on U2’s Pop tour. He had designed the visuals and the band’s outfits. Without knowing it, I had already been captivated by his vision.

“The first piece I owned was a pair of red shoes from the Autumn/Winter 2014 collection. At the time, Walter’s work wasn’t available in Canada, so I made a pilgrimage to Antwerp while visiting Brussels. My mission was clear: to acquire a piece or two. Rare and precious, each of my pieces is carefully stored or displayed, as one would treat any masterpiece. Walter’s craftsmanship, political discourse, and the intricate details in his work make his designs more than fashion – they are powerful statements.

“My album Dix chansons démodées pour ceux qui ont le cœur abîmé will be released this month, and the clothes I wear in the direction were all created by Walter Van Beirendock. His designs are theatrical yet grounding, giving me confidence and helping me connect with my body. Wearing his work feels like a declaration: ‘I exist, and I have something interesting to say.’ Walter captures the tension between being provocative and approachable, awakening a childlike sense of wonder in me. His artistry embodies a fragile balance – violent yet soothing, playful yet serious, and they give me the confidence I need when I perform on stage.”

Ed Mendoza, Fashion Designer, Artist and Ceramicist

“I was a big fan of Craig Green during my foundation at Central Saint Martins, and when I learned he interned with Walter, I dove into Walter’s work. His unapologetically unique approach, vibrant colours, and cheeky prints really opened my eyes. One favourite collection is Wonder for S/S10, where Walter redefined who could wear high fashion, featuring muscular and chubby models with hairy bellies. It showed you that anyone can look good, as long as you create clothes to fit them properly. It was so beautiful to see, and it pushed me as a designer during my Master’s to create for real people. I think his work is honest and real, it’s colourful and political. Just think of his safe-sex messaging during the Aids epidemic, his use of the colour red. It’s always more than first meets the eye.

“I met Walter at Dover Street Market for a signing. Though I was one of the last in line, he gave me a lot of his time and energy. He took his time to listen to me about his work and how much it inspired me. I showed him a bag I made for my Master’s inspired by him, which I had called the ‘Donk’. After the show, my friend added a little knitted penis and balls to it, which made him laugh. That’s something that I will cherish.”

Lawson Wang, Poet, Artist and Mathematician

“I come from a very different background – I work as a research scientist in applied mathematics from time to time – but I’ve always been drawn to art, fashion, and literature. My introduction to Walter’s creations was his Dream the World Awake exhibition at MoMu in Antwerp in 2011. The looks from Sex Clown spoke to me the most: there was a look with a penis as his hat and the character was wearing a weirdly structured white peacoat. It was like a costume in my dream that I wanted to dress every day to escape loneliness. I was stepping into a carnival of worlds beyond. 

“Some years later, I purchased my first piece: a silk T-shirt from his S/S14 Home Sweet Home collection. I had to work extra hours at my student job to afford it. I wore it even while working as a cashier at Carrefour Express. Now, I own over 100 pieces, though I don’t know the exact number since they’re all in my wardrobe. I’m an artist and poet today partly thanks to Walter’s influence. In my eyes, he truly lives as a poem, and that’s what I strive for as well. I hope that one day, I can be as content with myself as he is. After bumping into him on the street in Antwerp, I later got to know him better in person. He definitely lived up to my expectations as a true creative artist and fashion godfather. You should never expect any kind of fashion bourgeoisie from him – he’s just so sweet and humble in person.”