Jun 24

Jun 24 Walter Van Beirendonck SS24

“I love to research, That’s how I always start. Diving into memories, discoveries, history, art — new & old. My collection of books filled with drawings and collages become visualisations of what is happening inside my brain. Embracing fresh technologies has never been something I shied away from.’’ ,” wrote Walter Van Beirendonck in the collection notes for his spring/summer 2024 collection, “DAWLEETOO,” showcased during Paris Fashion Week on Wednesday.

DAWLEETOO is an infamous “lost city,” where British explorer Alfred Isaac Middleton was said to have vanished while on an expedition. As this territory is not well known, Beirendonck’s research included generating AI imagery to envision what it might look like. “I am not ashamed to admit: when the first simulated visuals popped into my feed, telling the truth from fiction wasn’t easy,” he said.

‘’But let me tell you: researching in the era of accelerated A.I. is trippy in many ways. This time, I stumbled upon incredibly intriguing images of DAWLEETOO. Was it a lost city? Or a fake place?I am not ashamed to admit: when the first simulated visuals popped into my feed, telling the truth from fiction wasn’t easy. I wasn’t the only one tricked, surely!’’

‘’WHAT WAS REAL AND WHAT WAS SURREAL?

In a way I found it shocking.
But I’m also curious.
FASCINATED!’’

Tripping between reality and fiction, Beirendock’s spring/summer 2024 collection spanned avant-garde garments like padded vests, donning enlarged “W” iconography and circular cut-outs. Jackets, in signature bright reds, as well as baby blues and whites, featured gargantuan, wraparound collars with sharp corners jutting out from either side, while reflective leather designs, including blazers, flaunted openings in their under-arm regions.

‘’Where are the machines taking us?
The world around us is transforming at breakneck speed and it feels like we are being used as crash test dummies.

I CREATED AN ALIEN ALPHABET. Thinking of new pictorial characters that could be used in this mixed reality that we are now occupying.’’

Blazers, tops and shirts, were transparent, but with colorful underlayers. Well-tailored suits dominated the show accessorized with real-world applications of Beirendock’s work. Overall, Walter Van Beirendonck’s Spring/Summer 2024 collection was for today, for the future, and perhaps, for another planet — all at once. In his words, “We are new world explorers and guinea pigs. Surrounded by hyper-myths, today’s fairy tales.”

‘’COSMIC OUTSIDERS UNITE. Dream big but keep protecting our humanity.’’

Welcome to DAWLEETOO