Walter Van Beirendonck delivered a show-stopping collection at Paris Fashion Week merging imaginative designs with searing social critique. The Belgian, known for his fearless approach to fashion, used the Autumn/Winter 2025-26 menswear runway as a platform to confront the turmoil of our times. His ability to weave cutting-edge work with poignant commentary once again cemented his status as one of fashion’s most daring and enduring creative forces, writes Antonio Visconti. Photography by Jay Zoo and Anna Nguyen
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The Belgian designer, a member of the 1980s Antwerp Six, says he took a "contemplative" approach to designing his new collection. Photograph: Jay Zoo |
The designer expressed his belief that too many in the fashion world remained silent, afraid of alienating potential customers or disrupting the status quo. In a moment of candour, he stated to Agence France-Presse: “Too much war, too much extreme right,” underscoring his frustration with the state of the world.
He also lamented the fashion industry’s lack of action: “They are all afraid of selling less, the money is an issue, that’s why we see the most incredible things happening and nobody is reacting.”
Van Beirendonck's comments echoed his broader belief in fashion as a form of resistance and commentary. He has long used his designs to address issues of identity, human rights, and environmental sustainability, and his latest collection continues this tradition. The alien motifs, in particular, have become synonymous with his work as a symbol of the outsider. To Van Beirendonck, aliens represent those who are different or misunderstood, and his runway show served as a celebration of that difference.
The Belgian uses his work to speak out on pressing issues, and his Autumn/Winter 2025 collection was obviously no exception. Politically-charged messages were embroidered into many pieces. Jackets bore patches that read “Peace, not war” and “We come in peace,” resonating with the current global climate of tension and division.
Walter Van Beirendonck sees fashion as a form of resistance and has long used his designs to address issues of identity, human rights, and environmental sustainability
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Backstage before Walter Van Beirendonck's show in Paris, the models wear elongated, prosthetic fingers as part of their look. Photograph: Jay Zoo |
While the show’s political messages were loud and clear, Van Beirendonck’s craftsmanship and technical innovation remained central to his work. He is a master of balancing artistic expression with wearability, and this collection was no different. Alongside the more outlandish designs, there were classic loose-fitting suits in rich tweeds, a nod to traditional menswear but reinterpreted through the designer’s unique lens.
These suits, paired with oversized scarves or sculptural headpieces, conveyed an air of both elegance and rebellion. The juxtaposition of the familiar with the strange is what makes Van Beirendonck’s work so compelling: it challenges the viewer to question what fashion can be.
Messages of peace and unity were amplified during the show’s finale, as models gathered raising peace signs while John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s 'Give Peace a Chance' played
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Checked suits, oversized bowler hats and shirts with cartoony motifs were beautifully made yet subversive. Photograph: Anna Nguyen |
The influence of past decades was undeniable, yet Van Beirendonck’s work was not nostalgic. His pieces embraced theatrical proportions and surreal details, challenging conventional menswear norms.
The collection’s alien-inspired elements took centre stage. There were references to extraterrestrial life in the form of exaggerated silicone finger prosthetics. These spindly, otherworldly appendages punctuated the models' looks, adding a layer of the preternatural to the collection's serious undertones.
The alien theme was further explored through cartoonish motifs, such as spacecraft-adorned collared shirts and handbags designed to resemble alien faces, which added to the spectral atmosphere. Van Beirendonck’s fascination with the unknown served as both a visual motif and a metaphor for the marginalized, the outsiders of society. But the designs are beautifully made using superb textiles.
"I focused heavily on precise tailoring and high-quality fabrics, and I used traditional knowledge dating back centuries to think up new lengths and exciting shapes using innovative methods." he explained. "Beautiful fabrics sourced from English and Scottish mills, mixed with 3D-printed pieces and AI-generated images. Alien couches that care for you!"
The collection’s alien-inspired elements like the exaggerated silicone finger prosthetics, added a layer of the preternatural to the collection's serious undertones.
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A sleek overcoat and natty bag contrast with alien-like fingers. Photograph: Jay zoo |
Van Beirendonck designed classic suits but reimagined them in bold new ways. Wide trousers with pleats that ballooned out, and jackets that hugged the shoulders before trailing into elongated lines, were part of his effort to redefine the silhouette of modern menswear.
The collection also leaned heavily into what could be described as a dystopian aesthetic, with references to workwear and futuristic fabrics. Baseball caps with floor-length fringe and bomber jackets with oversized studs were some of the standout pieces that made a statement about the state of the world today.
The emphasis on bright neon colors: orange, pink, green, and electric blue added to the sense of otherworldliness, contrasting sharply with some of the more subdued, muted pieces in brown and navy. Despite the fanciful elements, the underlying message was clear.
Van Beirendonck’s collection was also a call to action, a plea for creativity to respond to the political challenges of the moment. His provocative statements, from the alien motifs to the political patches and peace symbols, encapsulated his belief that fashion should be more than just a product to be consumed.
Classic suits were reimagined in bold new ways: wide trousers with pleats ballooned out, jackets hugged the shoulders before trailing into elongated lines, redefining the silhouette of modern menswear
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The collection finale in all its corporeal splendour. Photograph: Anna Nguyen. |
From his career taking off in the 1980s in Antwerp until now, Van Beirendonck has seen design as a way to challenge the status quo. And in times of crisis, he believes it becomes even more essential to speak out through creative expression. In an era where many are hesitant to speak out, Walter Van Beirendonck’s new collection stood as a powerful reminder that fashion can, and should, be a force for change.
Scroll down to see more highlights from the show including exclusive backstage images
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Paris Fashion Week. Autumn/Winter 2025-2026: Walter Van Beirendonck. Photograph: Anna Nguyen |
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Paris Fashion Week, Autumn/Winter 2025-26: Walter Van Beirendonck. Photograph; Anna Nguyen |
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Paris Fashion Week, Autumn/Winter 2025-26: Walter Van Beirendonck. Photograph: Anna Nguyen |
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Paris Fashion Week, Autumn/Winter 2025-26: Walter Van Beirendonck: Photograph: Jay Zoo |
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Paris Fashion Week, Autumn/Winter 2025-26: Walter Van Beirendonck. Photograph: Jay Zoo |
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Paris Fashion Week, Autumn/Winter 2025-26: Walter Van Beirendonck. Photograph; Anna Nguyen |
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Paris Fashion Week, Autumn/Winter 2025-26: Walter Van Beirendonck. Photograph: Anna Nguyen |
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Paris Fashion Week, Autumn/Winter 2025-26: Walter Van Beirendonck. Photograph: Anna Nguyen |
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Paris Fashion Week, Autumn/Winter 2025-26: Walter Van Beirendonck. Photograph: Jay Zoo |
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Paris Fashion Week, Autumn/Winter 2025-26: Walter Van Beirendonck. Photograph: Jay Zoo |
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Paris Fashion Week, Autumn/Winter 2025-26: Walter Van Beirendonck. Photograph: Anna Nguyen |
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Paris Fashion Week, Autumn/Winter 2025-26: Walter Van Beirendonck. Photograph: Jay Zoo |
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Paris Fashion Week, Autumn/Winter 2025-26: Walter Van Beirendonck. Photograph: Anna Nguyen |
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Paris Fashion Week, Autumn/Winter 2025-26: Walter Van Beirendonck. Photograph: Jay Zoo |
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Paris Fashion Week, Autumn/Winter 2025-26: Walter Van Beirendonck. Photograph: Jay Zoo |
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Paris Fashion Week, Autumn/Winter 2025-26: Walter Van Beirendonck. Photograph: Jay Zoo |
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Paris Fashion Week, Autumn/Winter 2025-26: Walter Van Beirendonck. Photograph: Jay Zoo |
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Paris Fashion Week, Autumn/Winter 2025-26: Walter Van Beirendonck. Photograph: Jay Zoo |