Walter Van Beirendonck Men’s Fall 2026: Wild Thing
Art Brut and Outsider Art inspired Walter Van Beirendonck for fall 2026. “I really love the spirit and the untamed way of working,” the designer said. He wanted that zeitgeist to infuse his collection, a healthy tug-of-war between tailoring and sportswear. Both won.
The strong, bold show opened with models sporting T-shirts trimmed with fluorescent bands, in pink, orange or green, spangled with the words “For real youth.” Their baggy pants were of plastic.
Up next was tailoring, which could be worn deconstructed or constructed, over the T-shirts. Sartorial jackets and coats had no sleeves or ones dangling empty above arms. Outerwear could be cinched with colorful, skinny belts. Even more traditional suiting came with a twist — a fabric flower poking through a pocket.
Knitwear was expressive. A series of sweaters took a cue from illustrated war rugs, while others were festooned with chunky, colorful flowers. They counterbalanced the multihued toy guns carried, reflecting today’s contradictory times.
Van Beirendonck took found objects and artfully melded them together. DIY-like, he constructed bracelets from tape, a medium often used to bring elements together. Take the tunics fashioned from plastic pieces over which tape zigzagged.
Bright, fresh colors — like red, lemon and azure — in individual blocks served as leitmotifs.
Van Beirendonck collaborated with Eastpak, 25 years after he originally teamed with the lifestyle brand. “I was the first designer they worked with,” Van Beirendonck said. For fall, he created a new series of bags, including his iconic “monster” with detachable, functional parts.
