“Stop Terrorising our World” – A message by Walter Van Beirendonck Fall Winter 2015: Paris Fashion Week

With slogans like “Stop Terrorising our world” and “An eye for an eye only ends-up making the whole world blind” inscribed on the front of PVC tops, the message was clear, so was the spirit of the collection. No matter what, the show must go on. The collection was a direct reference to the recent jihadist attacks in the French capital, which killed 12 people, including the editor and four other cartoonists, of the French satirical weekly magazine Charlie Hebdo.

The collection was about celebrating freedom of artistic expression and almost all the models wore “butt plug “symbol accessories – reminding of 24 meter high green plastic installation by American artist, Paul McCarthy, last year in the month of October at Place Vendôme in Paris,. Soon after the installation, an unknown assailant attacked Paul and vandalised his work .The attacker was upset with Paul, because he felt that the artist who is also a non French, misused the sacred symbol. 

Construction and deconstruction were the essence of the collection so were the quirkiness of tribal weaves. Tailored trousers in shades of blue, pink, green and beige and even printed ones were paired with PVC, woven coats, leather, half cape, sweaters and jacquard jackets. Artistic abstracts and animal sketches in combination with eye and lips imageries and 3-D jewelry with eagle motifs created a humorous visual drama - an interpretation in itself - The beauty of the human spirit is still alive, no matter what.