Dirk Bikkembergs (Q2938)
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Dirk Bikkembergs is a fashion house from FMD.
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Dirk Bikkembergs |
Dirk Bikkembergs is a fashion house from FMD. |
Statements
1993
womenswear designer
designer
Asked to sum up his collection for Dirk Bikkembergs in three words, Lee Wood chosemasculine,authentic, andcontemporary. Here’s another:crisp. Now in his third season as creative director, Wood has, without question, made as clean a break as possible from the previous iteration of the brand. He is rewriting the narrative so that what we see now no longer aims for shock value; you get the sense he’d be satisfied to earn your respect (and obviously also your business). But that’s hardly a tall order given the flattering proportions that shifted from generous and boxy to neat and relaxed.Wood said he arrived at this duality after taking a trip to Antwerp and Rotterdam, where he observed a sharp difference in spirit, despite their geographic proximity. Whereas the former embraces its past, the other is seizing on the future. His translation of this could be found in the way certain coats and trousers remained indisputably classic while jackets spliced with knitwear, pockets with technical flourishes, or surface treatments on outwear were designed to appear a few style cycles ahead. It’s tough to say whether new clients will connect better with the more accessible blousons or the edgier blues, although men who have maintained some loyalty to the label have likely never been boring in their dress.And in truth, Wood is not reinventing the wheel, just the brand, so it’s all relative. The color-blocked cardigan, slightly Bauhaus, shown with nylon pants felt just boundary-pushing enough, much the same way cycling-style tops and fisherman sweaters reinforced how much ground was being covered. Backstage, Wood revealed that he embedded a few souvenirs from his trip in the collection: the snakeskin-like print was actually an enlarged and digitally rendered Belgian chocolate mold; squint just so and you’ll see Rembrandt’s face emerging from white paint atop the yellow logo sweatshirt. Call it Wood’s tale-of-two-cities collection, with far more bests than worsts.
14 January 2018
“Brutal honesty,” said Dirk Bikkembergs’s creative director, Lee Wood, backstage at his sophomore show this morning. He was referring to a kind of internal reckoning—one sprung from looking at Brutalist architecture, naturally—as he continues to clean up the Bikkembergs aesthetic. And what Wood revealed today was, honestly, solidly fortified and generally pretty convincing.He made sure to mention sturdy fabrics, such as a “rough” jersey used to build out a workwear jacket, or a raw highlighter green denim-and-black leather combo that was “so stiff, it stands up on its own.” (This was used to create another utilitarian-leaning jacket.) Crombie coats had leather strap bands sewn at the shoulder; a great oatmeal-hued windowpane tailored suit was washed in starch to give it “awkwardness.” These were all strong. Wood’s palette was clean, moving from dark to light with the added dashes of green near the catwalk’s end. And even though a few pieces in the roster stepped too headlong into odd territory (some of that chartreuse color-work, for example), there was some intentionality there. “I don’t want to make things too pretty,” said Wood.
18 June 2017
A clean break: This was what occurred at the Dirk Bikkembergs show today, where Lee Wood’s relaunch took all means available to gloss over the puzzling mess that the brand had become. Calling this a “dream opportunity,” backstage preshow, the British designer, who worked at Versace for over 15 years and developed his own brand, L72 (which won Altaroma and ItalianVogue’s “Who is on Next” scouting competition in 2015), said the Antwerp Six, of which Bikkembergs belonged, had been a source of inspiration as a student.Already, under Wood’s stewardship (precipitated by a 51 percent acquisition by a Chinese company), the menswear appeared more aligned with what Bikkembergs might be designing were he still active today (although, obviously, that’s a big hypothetical). As if emerging from a heavy detox, these clothes were newly streamlined yet nonetheless maintained a heavy-duty attitude. Wood noted how the first look, an ample leather coat with a rain-slick finish, set the stage for unmistakable modern masculinity. He then focused on construction through paneled detailing on pant legs and oversize, offset pockets to emphasize, he said, how “everything is very present; nothing is hidden.”The puffa interpretations, dress coats with oversize pockets, and the down vest–suit jacket hybrids—all the outerwear, basically—have the strongest chance of enticing guys to reconsider the brand beyond its previous soccer appropriations. Novelty sweaters boasting extreme elbow patches, inserts like trompe l’oeil tanks, or looped, tiered sleeves gave a sense of Wood’s ability to interpret essentials with originality. “I wanted to create clothes for life,” he maintained, noting how he has outgrown any inclination toward shock value. “I’ve gone through grunge, I’ve gone through glamour, and I think it’s time for this. What Dirk did and what’s happening now are very well-connected.” The right time for the right designer, in other words.
15 January 2017
Dirk Bikkembergs is determined to put himself on the women's fashion map. He has an uphill road ahead of him. Ask a women's editor who he is, and you're likely to get a: "Isn't he the guy that puts athletes in underwear?" As a matter of fact, yes. But he was also a member of the Antwerp Six, reminded his newly installed creative director, Paola Toscano, at a presentation today. Her plan, she explained, is to bring some edge to his sporty schtick. You saw it in a fitted motorcycle jacket with heavy-duty zips, as well as in molded leather peplums that snapped onto the waists of sleeveless silk dresses. For the most part, though, this was a collection of snappy sportswear, in the bright green of football pitches, marigold yellow, purple, and blue. The highlight was a thickly striped sweatshirt with short sleeves and low armholes that gave it an urban spin. Toscana wasn't breaking new ground, but with that look, she landed on something that could connect with the tough women's crowd.
22 February 2012