A Paris show you can actually go to
Viktor & Rolf on their most inclusive fashion show yet
INTERVIEW. This season, the design duo Viktor & Rolf scored cool points with fashion addicts when they decided to show their spring collection as a come-one-come-all Internet extravaganza on their Web site (which you can still check out at
www.viktor-rolf.com), rather than an exclusive gathering for a crowd of industry insiders. It’s the latest in a long line of memorable shows for Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren, who first met as fashion students at the Arnhern art academy in the Netherlands, where they’re still based.
Why show on the Internet?
Horsting: Our Web site is the 21st century version of a couture house. That’s why we thought of showing in our virtual salon, in the tradition of the great fashion houses during the golden years of Couture. Taking the cue from “Funny Face,” [starring Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire], we wanted to feature only one model, the wonderful Shalom Harlow.
What about Harlow attracted you to her?
Snoeren: Shalom has been our favorite for a long time; she is in a league of her own. She is smart, elegant, witty and sexy. We cannot get enough of her. So we invited her to be the only star of our show.
What are your earliest memories of fashion?
Horsting: We always loved to draw and paint. We would constantly draw women and dresses, even as children. For us it was a way to escape the dull reality of growing up in Dutch suburbs. The fairytale-like aspect of fashion is something that still inspires us.
You’ve maintained a home in Amsterdam. Has living outside of fashion’s capital cities enhanced your work at all? If so, how?
Snoeren: After living and working in Paris for two years (from 1993 to 1995) we found ourselves on the outside looking in: commenting on what we wanted so desperately to be a part of. This position quickly became a leitmotiv in our work, and we realized that being in Paris wasn’t a necessity to express what we wanted to say with our collections. Amsterdam proved an environment where we could work on our collections without any distraction. We have come to love the mix. But for us, Paris is still the capital of fashion and it will remain so for a long time to come.
What do you think is the biggest misconception people have of you?
Horsting: That I am Rolf.
Snoeren: That I am Viktor.
Earlier this year, Renzo Rosso acquired a stake in your company. Now that you’ve entered a new chapter in your business, what areas do you plan to grow in?
Horsting: We have always dreamt of a becoming a global brand, a 21st century fashion house with all the elements that make up such an institution. We have noticed that our dreams are growing bigger and bigger, and to make them come true we need a strong partner. Practically speaking, we want to expand existing lines, develop our eyewear, which is currently only available in Asia, start an accessory line, a men’s shoe line, and open more Viktor & Rolf boutiques. The sky’s the limit.
