Bernhard Willhelm

[1] Bernhard Willhelm studied fashion design at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp,[2] during which he assisted Walter van Beirendonck, Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood and Dirk Bikkembergs.

[9] His inspirations range from South German folklore, historical costume to sport and traditional Japanese dress as well as questions of diversity, the human condition, facets of culture and perceptions of reality.

[11] Wilhelm is known for his unconventional approach to presenting seasonal collections, preferring installations, performances and tableaux vivants over the fashion runway.

[12] His career has been marked by collaborations with artists and creatives across disciplines, including Bjork, Olaf Breuning, Cutler X, Joe Dallesandro, Carsten Fock, William Forsythe, Carmen Freudenthal, Item Idem,[13] Nick Knight, Nikolaus Schafhausen, Rade Petrasevic, Elle Verhagen, Tony Ward, and Lukas Wassmann.

In 2013, Willhelm presented his men / women AW13-14 collection, in the form of a dance performance in collaboration with Josh Johnson and The William Forsythe Company, Frankfurt.