Walther van Beirendonck & Wild and lethal trash! Believe

The spectacular shows of Belgian fashion designer Walter Van Beirendonck and his Wild and Lethal Trash label, caused a furor during Paris fashion week in 1998. One look at his work and the reason should be clear, for in this book he uses French artist Orlan -- whose medium, her own body, she alters with plastic surgery -- for a blend of fashion, make up, art, and design that is more akin to science fiction than anything else. Like Mariko Mori, Piplotti Rist, and Vanessa Beecroft, Van Beirendonck has conceived of something so futuristic, outlandish, and fresh that language has yet to catch up with it. The book includes van Beirendonck's own sketches, fashion critic Suzy Menkes' reviews, Marc Newson's shop-in-shop concept as well as a fascinating photo shoot by Juergen Teller.