85% matchdoublet
Gag-driven deconstruction, experimental textile craft
What changes: Tokyo streetwear silhouettes rather than folk-craft references
Brand profile
BERNHARD WILLHELM
Namesake Los Angeles-based label of German designer Bernhard Willhelm, known for ironic, craft-heavy avant-garde clothing in oversized, cartoonish silhouettes.
Los AngelesOrigin
UnisexFocus
Avant-gardeStyle
$$$$Price
4 brands like BERNHARD WILLHELM like doublet, Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY, VAQUERA →
What to know about BERNHARD WILLHELM
Antwerp training, deliberately awkward output
Willhelm trained at the Antwerp Royal Academy and assisted Walter Van Beirendonck, Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood before starting the label in 1999.
Folk craft crossed with sportswear
Collections mix handcraft and folk references with sportswear shapes, cartoonish prints and oversized silhouettes that are meant to look off-kilter rather than flattering.
Graphic tees at designer prices
The label sits in the high tier but is best known for its printed t-shirts, so entry is usually through graphics rather than tailoring.
If you like BERNHARD WILLHELM
85% match
82% matchCharles Jeffrey LOVERBOY
Hand-knit, folk-craft queer maximalism
What changes: Rooted in British tailoring and tartan, more club-kid
76% matchVAQUERA
Dadaist jokes made from wardrobe basics
What changes: American staples parody, less handcraft and print work
72% matchJean Paul Gaultier
Gender-play and print camp with couture pedigree
What changes: Big house polish and archive codes, far broader range
Brand facts
Bernhard Willhelm is the namesake label of German designer Bernhard Willhelm, an Antwerp Royal Academy graduate who assisted Walter Van Beirendonck, Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood before founding the house with Jutta Kraus, debuting womenswear in 1999 and menswear in 2000. The studio moved from Antwerp to Paris in 2002, spent time in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and has been based in Los Angeles since 2013. Collections pair handcraft and folk references with sportswear, cartoonish prints and deliberately awkward, oversized silhouettes. Willhelm also served as creative director of Capucci from 2002 to 2004.
- Founded
- 1999
- Origin
- Los Angeles, United States
- Made in
- Europe
- Price
- $$$$
- Focus
- Unisex
- Facts checked
- August 2026
- Styles
- Avant-garde, Streetwear, Punk / Grunge / Goth