With Loverboy, it’s a general rule that the more colours we wear, the happier we are. We can still remember the day our first pair of Bernhard Willhelm sneaks turned up in the post. It was love at first sight. Made out of 90s Acid House faces, velcro & holograms of the US flag, we hadn’t been that happy since we got our first pair of jelly shoes as a kid.
So we were thrilled when one of our favourite photographers, Lukas Beyeler, shot Bernhard in LA EXCLUSIVELY for us and we got to talk to him about his new collection, working with McQueen and dressing Bjork.

Was fashion always on the cards for you?
I always liked the idea of becoming a botanist. Check my Instagram and these tags #bernhardsrosegarden
#bernhardscactuscollection, it’s now my hobby – growing plants. Some of them are twenty years old now.

Studying fashion in Antwerp must have been surreal. What are your memories of that time working with Walter, Alexander & Vivienne?
I was growing up under their surveillance. Now I have to let go and become a master to other people’s education. All three had very different characters and visions. Is there a happy ending? I hope so!

You began with womenswear, right? Did you always want to do both?
Now it’s more about unisexy – you wear what you like. In the great tradition of experiment, streetwear is constantly growing. BW fashion has always been less status oriented but at the same time a great source of information. There’s a great amount of research and pattern-making in each collection and this appeals to both sexes, all ages. It’s democratic in design but expensive because our garments are made in Japan and Belgium while the sunglasses are made in Germany and the shoes in Italy. Quality is more important than ever. There’s so much stuff around.

In 2011 you moved your team to Mexico. Did it influence your collection?
A friend of mine, Thibault Pradet, introduced us to Ulysses who owns a mansion in Puerto Vallarta. I like this part of Mexico as it’s based on a humid coastline and it has a jungle. So we designed a collection, we collected orchids and went on little boat trips to Gualapa.

You created tour costumes for Bjork’s Volta tour. What was working with her like?
She needed a style nanny and I took the job. I have watched her growing and developing different styles. It was literally about thoughts of evolution, philosophical/spiritual ideas and Earth intruders.

In 2007 you worked with our cover star Francois Sagat. He has modelled high fashion since, but I think your campaign was his first, right? What was it about him that made you want to work with him?
His interesting look. It’s hard to take a bad picture of him as he is very photogenic. Now he is an icon, he has his own sexy underwear line and is acting in both porn & mainstream films. So it all inspired and has made him SUPERMODELWORK.

What are your favourite shots from that campaign?
Flowers up the alley which goes back to the Middle Ages.

How concerned are you with commercial viability?
Get many horses to ride and find peace. Enjoy cooking and improvisation. Not everything can be planned. I always liked a change in time and space and the unpredictable.

I see sex as a fun thing and not something to be threatened by. I think you do too, right?
When you are not fully intellectually satisfied you can always get inspiration from emptiness. This goes back to the great tradition of ZENSEXY.

I know you’ve said in the past people become more conservative with age. Do you still believe that?
No. Vielen dank für eure seele. Ich werde euch immer lieben. (Many thanks for your soul. I will always love you.)

You’re based in the US now. How might Trump winning the Presidency affect you?
I’m not allowed to vote. These kind of showbusiness elections are not easy to take. No one can take them. That’s why so few people vote, they switch to a better entertainment program on TV. All trouble in America mostly comes from boredom. Guantanamo still exists. This is a problem. People cannot forgive each other because not forgiving and blackmailing is part of the election program. It’s a big problem.

What are you working on next?
It’s a new project made in California and there’s the new collection too. Since I’ve been here in Hollywood I’ve been working on a great casting of characters. We need a front and a backlight & a bit of gold dust. Marlene Dietrich would be so happy. Angel eyes.

Lastly we named ourselves after the iconic song/video Loverboy by Mariah Carey. What is your favourite Mariah song or video or moment?
I like her Mariah moments on YouTube. Here the repetition works. It’s very automated. Almost like a remote controlled-being living on a shopping channel and a walk in closet.

Follow Bernhard at www.bernhardwillhelm.com or Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
Follow Lukas at www.lukasbeyeler.com or Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.