Farfetch unveils Walter van Beirendonck archive collection

Farfetch has teamed up with vintage specialist House of Liza to launch a collection of Walter Van Beirendonck archive pieces, featuring 122 original designs from the Belgium designer’s body of work over the past 33 years.

“There couldn’t be a better time for a reappraisal of Walter van Beirendonck’s design legacy: his influence can be seen on an entire generation of designers,” explains Farfetch deputy editor, Rob Nowill in a statement. “As his archive shows - particularly through the expert curation of House of Liza - Walter is a designer who has always celebrated creativity above all else. His body of work is at once joyful and political, playful yet highly considered. I can’t think of a designer whose work is better suited to our times.”

The collection is exclusive to Farfetch and marks the first time that customers across the globe have been given access to such a vast archive from one of fashion’s leading visionaries. Van Beirendonck is one of Belgium’s most renowned fashion designers and was an original member of the ‘Antwerp Six’, known for his irreverent approach to design and his ability to push the boundaries of debates around taste and gender.

Farfetch teams up with House of Liza to launch archival Walter van Beirendonck collection

Farfetch has worked closely with House of Liza founder Gonçalo Velosa and Van Beirendonck himself to put together the curated edit of signature styles and one-of-a-kind designs from the Walter Van Beirendonck archive.

Spanning from 1990 to 2018 across all past and current labels, the edit acts as a time capsule of the designer’s body of work and offers some of his most iconic pieces, including his showstopping deconstructed bomber from the early 1990/91 collection The Big Bang, bespoke trousers created from an interlinking huddle of ‘Walter’ toys from the 2003/04 Pixidust collection, and a tailored jacket with three-dimensional appliqué effects from the acclaimed 2008 Sexclown collection.

Goncalo Velosa, founder, House of Liza, added: “That we’ve been able to pull together such an incredible offer of product from one of menswear’s most seminal voices is hugely exciting. It is so rare to find WVB archive pieces, so this is very special for both Farfetch and House of Liza.

“Customers will be able to explore original pieces from Walter’s first label World Wide by Walter, commercial heavyweights from his cult brand Wild and Lethal Trash, and classic styles from his most recent label Walter Van Beirendonck. We even have one-of-a-kind looks from Walter’s Aestheticterrorists label.”

The Walter van Beirendonck archive collection will be available in sizes from S-L, in single quantities of each piece. Prices start from 210 pounds.

Images: courtesy of Farfetch - Van Beirendonck's current students at University of Antwerp wearing a selection of archive pieces.