Ensemble

Walter Van Beirendonck

spring/summer 2009 · (a) nylon, elastane, metal, (b) nylon, elastane, (c, d) leather, wood, (e) plastic (polyethylene foam), synthetic fiber, metal · Costume Institute

Presenting an irreverent take on masculinity, sexuality and the story of the original sin, Walter Van Beirendonck's eXplicit collection for spring/summer 2009 revisits the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, with models not only wearing fig leaves on the garments but even beards made fully out of fig leaves. Trompe l'oeil (optical illusion) spandex bodysuits with anatomical drawings represent the original, innocent man before the Fall. The contrast between nature and culture, or innocence and sin, is created through the use of synthetic materials which evoke organic materials.

Artist

Walter Van Beirendonck

Date

spring/summer 2009

Medium

(a) nylon, elastane, metal, (b) nylon, elastane, (c, d) leather, wood, (e) plastic (polyethylene foam), synthetic fiber, metal

Culture

Belgian

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Purchase, Friends of The Costume Institute Gifts, 2020