Walter Van Beirendonck fused the future with the past, and just the right amount of weird this season. In the suburb of Saint Ouen, located in the north of Paris, Van Beirendonck unveiled his high-energy ‘NEW’ collection—a celebration of uncharted, futuristic fashion territories. 

Van Beirendonck is no stranger to embracing innovation and his FW25 collection is a testament to his ability to blend cutting-edge technologies with artisanal craftsmanship techniques. Precise tailoring and premium fabrics sourced from English and Scottish mills were transported with 3D printing techniques and AI visuals. Flashes of neon orange were visible through cut-out detailing on lapel pockets or through a slit in a pair of shorts, bringing an otherworldly aesthetic to otherwise classic silhouettes. One model walked down the runway in an orange and black nylon tracksuit—akin to modern cycling wear—defying convention with an alien mask and supernatural orange body paint. Extra-terrestrial motifs like this were apparent throughout, with models sporting long, alien fingers—reminiscent of Jamie Lee-Curtis’ unforgettable sausage fingers in Scheinert and Kwan’s surrealist film Everything Everywhere All at Once.

Unexpected accessories brought an element of surprise; seeing fringed baseball caps, domed tophats by Stephen Jones, vibrant knitted wrap scarves and exaggerated, and studded footwear, which complemented the sharp cuts and voluminous silhouettes. 

Van Beirendonck considers the current cultural trend and our admiration for all things archival, reflecting that "the nostalgia for the looks of old subcultures leaves little space for mind-blowing new techniques, applications, or cuts to land on the runways." He also considers it his “duty to keep pushing what is possible in fashion.”

Models, with their silicon fingers raised to the ceiling, concluded the show with a unanimous statement, 'We come in peace'. This solidified the Antwerp designer's desire for future generations to embrace the new and the unknown, summed up in the statement, "I want future generations to know that no boundaries can stop creation. Only fear can.” To that, we salute. 

Walter Van Beirendonck Autumn-Winter 2025 Paris, France