At Paris legendary Moulin Rouge, Bernhard Willhelm ran full speed ahead with a powerful, beautiful and at times slightly overwhelming presentation.
Gone were last season s adorable little homemakers with embroidered aprons and Heidi-like demeanor. Willhelm replaced them with tribes of nomads that wore long, striped overcoats, monastic dresses, twisted tops and kimono-style jackets. A giant projection of dancing skeletons served as a backdrop for colorful patchwork skirts, fringed shirts, argyle sweaters and tapestry-inlaid coats. Willhelm also showed several looks stamped with a random list of first names, which resembled a meaningless barrage of newspaper-print logos. Spanking-white sneakers kept the looks fresh and focused.
Willhelm s collection could ve used a bit of editing, but with this show it s clear that the German-born designer is one to watch very closely in the future.
