Walter Van Beirendonck AW24 ‘Banana Wink Boom’

Walter Van Beirendonck's Fall/Winter 2024 collection is a celebration of creativity and freedom, embracing a unique and unconventional design process. The designer describes it as a "Cadavre Exquis," a collage of consequences where tops and bottoms play a game of visual telephone, resulting in fittingly clashing yet harmonious combinations.

The collection, titled "baNaNaWinKBooM," reflects Van Beirendonck's exploration of surrealism and absurdist design. He describes the process as a "Frankensteinian art game," creating beautiful monsters that tap into the deeply Belgian DNA of surrealism. The garments showcase a mix of shapes, cuts, and patterns, forming a collage that represents both chaos and beauty.

The term "BANANA WINK BOOM" is presented as a whimsical expression that simultaneously means everything and nothing at all, capturing the essence of the collection's playful and liberating spirit. Van Beirendonck emphasizes the freedom he felt in bringing these unique pieces to life, incorporating new holes, loops, and tubes into the designs.

To emphasize the random and unconventional nature of the creative process, Van Beirendonck revisits styling and makeup techniques from 30 years ago, incorporating hats by Stephen Jones and accessories from his own archive. This deliberate mix of past and present adds a layer of depth to the collection, reinforcing the idea of freedom and less automation in the design process.

The designer invites the audience to experience a new era of fetishism and encourages them to plug into a pleasure portal, symbolizing a departure from the ordinary and an immersion into a world of artistic exploration. The show pays homage to the likes of David Bowie, capturing a repulsive need to transcend human boundaries.