German fashion designer Bernhard Willhelm has been making headlines in recent years for his extravagant collections and unconventional stagings. In fact, he doesn’t go for sobriety and excess, preferring to combine bright colors and large volumes. Once again, this was the case this year. At the Brognard Palace that the designer took up residence. Along immense corridors, we enter his colorful universe, which never fails to surprise. A moment frozen in time, some models move forward as if on the foggy asphalt of the lunar satellite, others simply slump to the ground. Equipped with aluminum-colored backpacks, we feel as if we’re light-years away from Earth. Time escapes us, and we don’t want to leave these corridors full of surprises illustrating Bernhard Willhelm’s boundless creativity. Music lends the atmosphere the quintessence of lament. In their hands, the models hold jars filled with frightening photos, sometimes portraits of themselves, ransacked paintings, or a broom vacuum-packed in plastic. Gaudy colors, numerous motifs: African, Navajo, army, as well as thick stripes, jumpsuits, bangs and a remarkable collection of sneakers. The make-up is incredible, giving the models a pallid look. We feel as if we’ve stepped back in time to discover prehistoric men who have crossed the centuries, possessing the universe’s most unmentionable secrets. A true anachronism. We salute the artistic prowess of the creator who, I hope, has not finished surprising us.
Sophie Farjon
Cette publication est également disponible en : Français (French)
