Bernhard Willhelm: Nothing is done in half measures

Debuting his womenswear collection in Paris in March 1999, it was immediately followed by his first models for menswear in October 2000 though he would not present it on the catwalk until January 2003 during Paris menswear week.

Trained at the Royal Academy of Antwerp where he graduated in spring 1998, Bernhard Willhelm worked as an assistant to Walter Van Beirendonck, Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood and Dirk Bikkembergs before he launched his own label.

In September 2002, he moved to Paris which coincided with his collaboration with Cappucci where he was Artistic Director for two years (2002 – 2004). Willhelm launched the Italian house’s first ready-to-wear collection.

In 2003, the Ursula Blickle Art Foundation in Germany organized a retrospective of Bernhard Willhelm’s work in celebration for the release of a book (2004) about him published by Lukas & Sternberg

In 2005, the German designer created a schoolboy’s uniform Misericordia, a charity for orphan children. This was also the year that he launched his first shoe collection; the development of the White Wild Bunch, launch an online presence at YOOX.com and won the ANDAM prize for the most promising talent of the new creative movement.

In 2009 all the way thru 2010, for the 10th anniversary of his label, The Groninger Museum will be holding a large solo exhibition of contemporary fashion designers Bernhard Willhelm and Jutta Kraus from Dec 13, 2009 to Nov 4, 2010.

Photo by Thomas Barnes