PARIS, Jul 9, 2004/ FW/ --- Clever use of geometrical prints and inventive color combinations is the message from Bernard Willhelm this season. Using traditional costumes of the Japanese working class as template, the Antwerp-based designer enchanted his audience at the College Pilatre de Rosier last Friday with an unconventional take on men’s fashion.

With Hollywood blockbuster movies The Matrix and Kill Bill, kung fu and Asian culture, specifically Japan had been on the public eye for the past several years. Bernard Willhelm bucked the trend of focusing on the samurai; and instead looked into the farmers and artisans of old Japan, creating a hyper-modern wardrobe for the avant-garde gentleman.

Using an all-Asian models ensemble to prove his point, Willhelm sent golf outfits in blue and white giant checks, the traditional peplum-like pants cut in a bigger scale. The tank top was also in blue and white checks, but this time the prints are in a smaller scale; the Japanese obi became thinner and tied like a bow.

This collection is not for the faint of heart and meant for a gentleman who does not mind being the center of attention. Yet, one cannot discount Bernard Willhelm’s brilliance with this groundbreaking look of fashion for the future.

Bernard Willhelm

Bernard Willhelm

Bernard Willhelm