Henrik Vibskov’s Clothes Can Weather It Out

The models walking down the runway on Henrik Vibskov’s Spring Summer 2019 show seemed prepared for the improbable: some were wearing anoraks that were as sturdy as they were elegant. Others seemed to have left the house in a luxurious bathrobe… and yet some odd sandals over socks.

The Danish designer was inspired by the wind, which can be a friend or a foe in people’s plans. “We as mankind are depending of and using the wind as a tool for transport, energy and play, “he stated. “Wind can be our helpful friend but has a factor of quickly turning to be our enemy and create unexpected situations.”

Therefore, the pieces he sent out during the most recent menswear Paris Fashion Week were meant to withstand the whims of the wind. In this case, the gusts of air came courtesy of three performers, called the VIBS Air Repair Service, who parsimoniously controlled a set of mechanical turbines to their will, sending recycled old sheets from a laundry service tumbling onto the ground and the audience into a trance. “Through rhythm, sound, body movement and pulse, the installation emphasises the inspiration of the collection, Vibskov explained. “It is a visualisation of how people can work with the wind instead of against it.”

And work with it he did: the clothes are a vibrant, colourful send-up of streetwear –for example, a rich blue suit in a relaxed silhouette, featuring paper planes in flight and the word SOAP as a pattern. It seemed like a plea to retain some exquisiteness, a modicum of elegance and self-control, even in the face of an uncontrollable force.