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| VINYL
SUIT, 1998 DESIGNER Walter van Beirendonck, b. 1957 W< (Wild and Lethal Trash), Belgium Collection of Walter van Beirendonck PHOTOGRAPHY Dan Lecca Walter van Beirendonck was an original member of the Antwerp Six, a group of fashion designers coming out of the Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp, in the early 1980s. Whereas many of his Belgian contemporaries are known to use natural materials in somber, neutral tones, Beirendonck employs synthetic fabrics in harsh colors. Here, a shiny red suit is covered with hard, plastic pastilles, suggesting the scales of a fantastic dragon. According to Beirendonck, the surface is designed to protect and amaze. 'The body of the future," he says, "will be different." |
KILLER,
1996 Jacket, vinyl DESIGNER Walter van Beirendonck MANUFACTURER W< (Wild and Lethal Trash), Belgium PHOTOGRAPHY Chris Ruggie This pink vinyl jacket has nozzles for inflating, like those on a pool toy. The jacket is designed to reshape the body—in place of vigorous workouts, simply blow up your muscles. |
