Bernhard Willhelm

2004 Sternberg Press Publication

Many designs are characterized by childlike motifs and are regressive in a pronouncedly friendly way. They take a stand against an adult world shaped by obligatory dress codes that put the selection of what is to be worn under social control and separate ‘correct’ clothing from false. ... [His] designs therefore cause consternation also because they create a gently ironic parallel world to those low-life products which presumably are too familiar and banal even for fashion victims to be appropriated and recoded as fashion.

This book provides an exemplary look into the work of Bernhard Willhelm (*1972), the German fashion designer whose sartorial skills have been hailed by both the fashion industry and the art world. Willhelm, who studied in Antwerp and is now working in Paris, draws inspiration from contemporary fashion culture as well as from his country’s traditional clothing style, the German folklore costumes which he reiterates and deconstructs in his work. This deliberate and unconventional approach to an otherwise conservative Heimat reservoir distinguishes him from other stars in the international fashion industry. The texts discuss Willhelm’s innovative take on his native turf, as well as the impact of contemporary photography and pop culture on designers and artists alike. Fully conceived by the designer, this book documents Willhelm’s most important projects and collections.

Editors: Vanessa Joan Müller, Nicolaus Schafhausen
Contribution: Ingeborg Harms

2004, English/German
24×32 cm, 200 pages, 137 color and 67 b/w ill., hardcover with dust jacket
ISBN 978-0-9726806-7-7
Copublisher: Ursula Blickle Stiftung

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