RUNWAY: Walter Van Beirendonck FW18

Latex, subversion and perversion were buzzwords at Belgian designer Walter Van Beirendonck's FW18 show. There were coats with cutouts for the mouth, nipples and penis (or vagina), as for some of the hoods and caps, they resembled gimp masks while a sea of shiny latex accentuated the sexual theme with words like "PIG" or "TOP" plastered on clothes. Van Beirendonck's collections are often more than what meets the eye and this outre sexualization of his collection seems to be his reaction to the outre sexualization of society: people "leaking" their own sex tapes to become the next Kim Kardashian or posting thirst trap pics on Instagram or sharing nude photos of themselves with anyone who asks for it. Though the designer makes no judgement on those individuals, it's a pervasive part of our society now and Van Beirendonck is only reflecting back what he sees.