S PR E A D LO V ES HENRIK VIBSKOV / STO RY KEN MILLER / P H OTO G R A P H Y NICK&CHLOÉ
MULTI MEDIA MEGASTAR FASHION DESIGNER, ARTIST, DJ, DRUMMER ... BREAKDANCER?
H
enrik Vibskov’s fashion shows have consistently drawn raves, not just for his playful approach to high design, but for his willingness to create a spectacle beyond sending models down a runway. In 2006, the Danish designer caused a stir with a Copenhagen Fashion Week presentation titled “The Big Wet Shiny Boobies,” which featured lots of the eponymous body parts—not on the models, but abstracted as stage decoration. The effect was more weird than sexy, but so audaciously goofy that it was hard not to applaud his bravado. His clothing had already caught the eye of critics; educated at Central Saint Martins in London, his brightly patterned apparel reflected the jumped-up atmosphere of millennial London. His graduation from school was documented on Danish television. Vibskov’s subsequent catwalk presentations have featured elaborate staging, such as a runway made to resemble a neon-lit sea anemone and a massive constructed thingamajig filled with bicycles being awkwardly pedaled by models. While fashion is clearly his bread and butter, Vibskov now extends himself into so many creative arenas (even touring as the drummer for the band Trentemøeller on the European festival circuit) that it seems quite fair to call him a multimedia artist. His most recent visit to New York included a live music performance at P.S.1, a DJ set in Chinatown, a gallery exhibition in the Lower East Side and a book debut in Chelsea. The guy covers a lot of territory. Vibskov’s determination to do whatever the hell he wants would be incredibly frustrating if he didn’t seem so sincere in all of his endeavors. He’s having fun, but he’s not being snide. Rather, what makes Vibskov’s work so consistently intriguing is his 12
willingness to have it both ways—he wants to be both refined and ridiculous, and he wants to create fashion that embraces both sides of his personality. The result is often confusing, like watching Grace Kelly make out with Jerry Lewis. In retrospect, perhaps his determination to mix elements should not be so surprising. Early in his career, Vibskov exhibited with Banksy and Faile, and like those street artists, he is refusing to acknowledge the boundaries between different cultural venues. Give him a canvas and he’ll doodle on it. But his vagrant creative output would remain nothing more than amusing doodles if he didn’t have the skill and technical rigor to pull them off. At the very bottom of Vibskov’s bio, you can find a telling detail: when he was 12, he won a local breakdancing competition. Sure, the countryside of Jutland, Denmark is not exactly the Boogie Down Bronx, but in a weird way, his whirlwind creative approach mirrors the skills of a great breakdancer. First you need a solid foundation, an innate understanding of the drummer’s beat. Then you need some flashy moves—some bright patterning and unique flare to catch the eye of the audience. And right when everyone thinks they have you figured out, stand on your head.
“His most recent visit to New York included a live music performance at P.S.1, a DJ set in Chinatown, a gallery exhibition in the Lower East Side and a book debut in Chelsea. The guy covers a lot of territory.”