VIKTOR & ROLF

Interview by Filep Motwary

In the world of fashion, there are designers who push the boundaries of imagination, and then there are Viktor & Rolf—visionaries whose creations are not just meant for the runway, but for the walls of a museum. Their work whispers the silent story of two individuals who have truly transformed fashion into art.

Since the early 1990s, Dutch designers Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren—better known as Viktor & Rolf—have been crafting disruptive, surreal, and boundary-defying designs that express every facet of luxury. They captivate buyers, journalists, and lovers of beauty, all of whom admire, study, and collect their work. Rooted in the belief that fashion and art can coexist, their design journey has been a treasure trove of visual explorations, offering diverse stories about the body. Their designs continually reimagine the human form, whether by draping fabric or exaggerating volumes. For them, the body is a canvas—an artwork that evolves with each new collection.

Their work could be likened to cult icons or relics from an unknown world, and each show they present is an enthralling experience. In an era when most designers are expanding their influence beyond clothing to meet the growing demands of their clientele, Viktor & Rolf stand as the exception to the rule. True to their original vision, they continue to create only fashion, elevating the craft with an unparalleled sense of purpose and artistry.

Behind the Scenes

Twenty-four hours before their Haute Couture presentation in Paris during mid-January, I find myself on my way to Le Bristol Hotel, where I’ll meet the designers. The morning is crisp and cold, and as I’m led to the specially designed interview room, I wonder how it feels to discuss a collection I’ve yet to see. As the tea is poured, I ask them to help me envision what’s about to unfold on the runway the next day.

“The atmosphere of our new collection is romantic, poetic, with a touch of youthful innocence,” Rolf says, showing me images of fittings on his phone. “We drew inspiration from our childhood memories—Laura Ingalls, the young heroine of Little House on the Prairie, and the cartoon character Holly Hobbie. The collection includes 24 dresses, almost all made using patchwork. For a few seasons now, we’ve been designing with sustainability in mind, using whatever we have in our atelier—from fabric scraps to leftover samples made especially for us when we started a new collection.”

“Conscious design,” as Viktor calls it, is their contribution to environmental protection. “We want to design with meaning, not just produce products,” he explains. “We’re trying to do more with fewer materials. We ‘censor’ ourselves because we know we can achieve a lot with what we already have.”

Their process starts early, for creating a collection is a time-consuming endeavor, with a rigorous focus on craftsmanship. With the help of their small team in Amsterdam, they work intensely for around five months. “There are many ideas that remain in the drawer until we feel it’s the right time to develop them,” says Viktor. “For us, haute couture emerges through experimentation. Each piece has a conceptual dimension beyond its practical use. However, what we propose isn’t everyday wear for women—it reveals our perception of them. The experience of a show is the culmination of our way of thinking. It’s a state of being that, once experienced, allows people to grasp what we’re trying to say.”

It also feels like an escape from reality, and most importantly, from anything mundane. They nod in agreement.

An Artistic Identity

It’s easy to see that from the very beginning, Viktor & Rolf had a distinct vision. The Paris Fashion Syndicate accepted them without them even meeting the membership criteria. To stay, they had to prove their worth in a very short time—something they did effortlessly. “The first five years in Paris were tough, but necessary,” Rolf reflects. “They were essential to finding our voice. We experimented a lot with art before deciding to focus solely on fashion. That was when we took off. Approaching haute couture, we began this journey as ‘passengers’, with minimal knowledge and humility. Starting like that, it’s easy to land if needed. It would have been much harder otherwise.”

At the 10th anniversary of their house, the Musée de la Mode et du Textile honored them with a retrospective exhibition at the Louvre—an unprecedented accolade for young designers. “Although we felt immense satisfaction and joy, the exhibition wasn’t our end goal. However, we saw it as a logical outcome,” recalls Rolf. Unlike an exhibition, which lasts longer and caters to a larger audience, a fashion show is a fleeting spectacle, lasting only minutes. In a museum, however, a collection can be presented in an entirely different way—one that sparks a new social conversation, independent of the period in which the garments were created.

“Our work, which has a sculptural quality, seems to be in its natural environment in a museum. It becomes accessible to the public, who can take as much time as needed to appreciate it,” they both affirm.

Timeless Beauty

When I visited their 25th anniversary exhibition at the Kunsthalle in Rotterdam, I felt that the museum space transformed their clothes into modern art objects, transcending their original purpose and imbuing them with timelessness. They agree that their aesthetic has specific traits, citing their preference for solid fabrics. “You won’t find airy silhouettes in our collections,” Viktor laughs. “When we’re asked to describe our approach, we say it’s graphic-baroque. On one hand, there’s a visual stimulus that refers to minimalism, and on the other, intensity. I’d say we like controlled euphoria. A significant reference for us is the experience we had as teenage fashion lovers. We were captivated by the fragrance ads of that era, the sense of mystery, or perhaps mysticism, that the images conveyed. We still draw on these elements when designing today.”

Although they strive to present something new each time, they are realistic enough to know that this isn’t always entirely possible, given their distinctive style. “We’ve often had ideas we were almost afraid to execute,” admits Viktor. “We’d wonder if we should proceed with them. It’s never an easy decision.”

Many of their collections have made a lasting impact, answering their own creative questions and fully capturing the essence of their time. Every piece is a touchstone for future generations, such as the Russian Doll collection for Winter 1999, which featured Maggie Rizer and offered a witty commentary on the massification of fashion. A decade later, in the Winter of 2008, Viktor & Rolf shocked the audience with their No. collection. The word, though small, carries an immense weight, often unbearable. “Elegance is hidden in refusal,” Diana Vreeland once said, and Viktor & Rolf used it to convey, with stark simplicity, the key points of the era.

Over their three-decade-long career, Viktor & Rolf have proven themselves as “fashion artists,” producing conceptual works that defy tradition. Though their dynamic was briefly diluted in the 2000s, when they shifted focus to prêt-à-porter collections, they returned to their core in 2011, reaffirming their commitment to haute couture. Now, each new collection is a ritual, demanding attention and evoking admiration, while preserving the savoir-faire of fashion.

In an era where fashion is more accessible than ever thanks to the internet, it’s easy to assume that the ‘winners’ in this expanded spotlight are the ones bringing something truly new to the table. But there’s a noticeable imbalance across the industry when it comes to terms like “originality,” “authenticity,” and “quality”—the very terms that can be the biggest traps. Amid this sea of parameters of “credibility,” one can’t help but wonder: what is the identity of the woman for whom Viktor & Rolf create?

“There’s no ‘ideal’ woman for us,” Rolf responds. “The ‘departure’ from our initial goal was an attempt to redefine our philosophy. We thought that in order to succeed, we had to belong to the whole, but that turned out to be a mistake. Prêt-à-porter was a puzzle that remains unsolved, though we tried. We hit a deadlock because it distracted us. That’s when we returned to haute couture, to create without compromise.”

But it wasn’t just about that. The need for constant productivity eventually wore them down, and they realized they no longer had time to step back and properly evaluate their work. “We took a step back, to protect both our relationship and our work,” Viktor admits. “It wasn’t an easy decision, as work had been the center of our lives for so long.”

They changed their diet, took up meditation, and started exercising—paying more attention to their bodies. This, in turn, helped them reconnect with their surroundings and, as the conversation continues, they become warmer and more relaxed.

Later that evening, the runway show is nothing short of magical. As the lights dim, the models, adorned in Viktor & Rolf’s latest creations, glide onto the runway—each dress more breathtaking than the last. A true spectacle, where fashion once again becomes art.

*Special thanks to Le Bristol Paris for their kind hospitality.