Brand Profile: Viktor and Rolf

“We love fashion, we are a part of it, but we also think fashion can be much more than we all imagine. By questioning it from within, we try to search for its boundaries, and stretch them, as well as our own”

What happens when you combine art, surrealism, and fashion into one? You get Viktor and Rolf. Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren are the creative directors of the fashion house based in Paris. The two were born in the Netherlands in 1969 and met in school at The Arnhem Academy of Art and Design. They are a relatively new house, with their first collection, 'Hyères' launched in 1993. They concentrated on speciality Couture collections until about 2000, when they returned to ready-to-wear and menswear in 2003. They became incorporated in 2003 and have since had collaborations with H&M, Shu Uemura, and Samsonite. Currently, their clientele is luxury level (including Gwen Stefani and Mischa Barton), but, with these collaborations, the have reached out to more types of customers. 

Their silhouettes range from a tight, pencil skirted figure to over exaggerated headpieces and voluminous skirts. The design house has been acknowledged for their incorporation of structure, architecture, and fine art in their designs. Also they are also known for their use of political commentary (channeling their F/W 2008 collection) and great use of fabric and texture. Their collections offer a dream-like feel to them, as you are usually taken out of your everyday mind and transported to Viktor and Rolf land.

Not only do they design women's RTW accessories, apparel and shoes, but they have created several books and fantastic fragrances. Their perfumes are Flowerbomb and the newer, Eau Mega. Both have their own distinct personality, with Flowerbomb being floral yet sultry, and Eau Mega being ultra feminine and floral. I am a big fan of both scents and wear them almost every day. In addition, they have created several other inspiring side projects, including their dolls and retail store. Their retail store opened in April 2005 on Milan's Via Sant'Andrea and is designed to look upside down. It looks like an illusion, but is really a step over, climb through, crown molding-on-the-floor design plan. It is refreshing and an important piece for Visual Merchandisers to admire today.

Fun fact: For their fifteen year anniversary in 2008, Viktor and Rolf had an exhibit at the Barbican museum in London dedicated to their 55 most memorable pieces. The ensembles were recreated and adorned by porcelain dolls. The exhibit was designed and built to look like a dollhouse, and stood at three stories high.


They aren't my favorite design house of all time, but I definitely respect their variety of innovative ideas and silhouettes. On that note, here are some of my favorite Viktor and Rolf pieces and collections:

Links & sources for more information:

http://www.viktor-rolf.com/index.htm

http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=46997028

http://cyanatrendland.com/2009/02/07/viktor-rolfs-barbican-exhibit/