PFW: Walter Van Beirendonck SS24 Collection
Are you ready for a conspiracy theory? British explorer Alfred Isaac Middleton was searching for the forgotten city of DAWLEETOO, as told by mysteriesrunsolved.com, but on his quest in the 1800s, Middleton disappeared. Allegedly the explorer got" lost in the jungle and taken prisoner by a group of men that wanted the gold and the statue. Middleton apparently died in captivity,” according to the book, The Lost Casket of Dawleetoo (1881). While facts surrounding Middleton's expedition are unknown, photographs connected to this lost city have circulated online. " Embracing fresh technologies has never been something I shied away from. 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," the show notes read. Questioning the validity of The lost city of DAWLEETOO served as a stimulus for designer Walter Van Beirendonck's Spring 2024 collection.
An ancient text-inspired print appearing on jackets and pants was the most literal interpretation of the lost city vibes. Other designs draw direct influence from words mentioned in the show notes, including soft, voluminous, protection, and transparency. The most successful translations from inspiration to fabrication were the prolate spheroid shoulders on jackets and blazers, oversized silk organza lavallière dresses, blouses and blazers with all the sport coat details, and pants that hit the runway in an array of colors, prints, and fits. In the midst of the new, however, was still classic Van Beirendonck elements. The W applique hats graced the catwalk, but this season, rabbit ears, bull horns, and wings decorated the caps. The W logo also found itself on the zipper sliders and the buttons of a yellow split-sleeve jacket.
This collection marks a one year since this member of the Antwerp Six retired from his head of the fashion department position at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. The new free time allows the Belgian to deep into rabbit holes for endless hours of research and inspiration. I eagerly anticipate where Walter Van Beirendonck's research takes his collection next season. Check out every look from the Walter Van Beirendonck Spring 2024 collection below.
