Fashion world 'afraid' of Trump, says Belgium's Van Beirendonck

Belgian designer Walter Van Beirendonck said Wednesday that the fashion world was "afraid" of US President Donald Trump and failing to speak out against him for commercial reasons.

Talking to AFP after his menswear show at Paris Fashion Week, Van Beirendonck said he hoped more creative people and fashion leaders would oppose Trump's "disgusting" rhetoric.

Van Beirendonck's show featured models with jackets bearing "peace, not war" badges and concluded with "Give Peace a Chance" by John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

"I think it's on everyone's mind. It's horrible what is happening in the world right now," he said. "Too much war, too much extreme right."

The 67-year-old said he wanted to react to Trump's inauguration on Monday, "and I also hope that more creative people will react."

"They should talk more," he told AFP. "They are all afraid of selling less; the money is an issue; that's why we see the most incredible things happening, and nobody is reacting."

The outspoken Antwerp-based independent designer's comments come two days after Trump's inauguration in Washington, attended by French fashion tycoon Bernard Arnault and two of his children.

LVMH boss Arnault and his daughter Delphine, who runs Dior, were given prominent seats behind outgoing president Joe Biden and other past American leaders.

The European corporate fashion business, which LVMH and Kering dominate, is known to be worried about the possible impact of a trade war between the United States and Europe under Trump.

If Trump slapped tariffs on high-end European clothing and leather goods, American consumers would have to pay higher prices, especially since the luxury market is facing a global slowdown.

Van Beirendonck's show on Wednesday featured smatterings of his usual bright, clashing colors and more classic loose-fitting suits in brown and navy Scottish tweeds.

He returned to his regular theme of encountering alien life, which he has used in the past as a symbol of diversity and outsiders.

Brands in flux

Paris Men's Fashion Week kicked off on Tuesday, with Louis Vuitton artistic director Pharrell Williams presenting his fifth collection at the Louvre Museum.

In collaboration with his friend and Japanese designer Nigo, the show featured softly tailored suits in on-trend browns and tweeds, streetwear-inspired baseball jackets, and long Bermuda shorts.

Paul Smith and French brand 3.Paradis presented their autumn-winter 2025-2026 collections on Wednesday.

Several top labels are hiring new designers or seeking fresh inspiration in a market with weaker-than-usual demand in China.

A model presents a creation for the Walter Van Beirendonck Menswear Ready-to-wear Fall-Winter 2025/2026 collection as part of the Paris Fashion Week, in Paris on January 22, 2025. Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP

After a two-year hiatus, Lanvin will return on Sunday, presenting Peter Copping's debut collection as the artistic director of France's oldest couture house.

Notably, absences include Givenchy, whose new chief designer Sarah Burton has reserved her first collection for Women's Fashion Week in March, and Loewe, whose artistic director Jonathan Anderson is rumored to be on the way out.

Hedi Slimane left his role as artistic director at Celine in October, John Galliano quit Maison Margiela in December, and Chanel unveiled their new creative director, Matthieu Blazy, only a month ago.