Cosmic chic in an otherworldly direction

Antwerp's Walter Van Beirendonck takes his SS20 collection in an otherworldly direction.

Creations from Walter Van Beirendonck's SS20 collection. [Photo/Dan Lecca]

Walter Van Beirendonck is both a maverick and dreamer in the Antwerp fashion universe, at times otherworldly and always countercultural over the course of his career, which spans nearly four decades. Known for his bold, colourful designs, he takes inspiration from a diverse range of sources, including technology, ethnography, art and pop culture, and consistently ticks the boxes on ecology, mass consumerism, gender and sexuality.

For spring/summer 2020, the eccentric designer channels kinky, luxe sportswear through something he calls "Witblitz Alien Vintage" – a collection designed for his fantasy iteration of extraterrestrials, should they arrive on earth or at the International Space Station anytime soon. "I pictured being introduced to a small part of the alien folk – a community with a limitless diversity of forms and looks," the designer explains. ET-à-porter, indeed. And it incorporates an earthly vernacular. "I put South African words on the designs because of their off-centre sounds," he adds.