With exquisite craftsmanship and dreamy silhouettes, sometimes made from tinkling bells or red carpet, the fashion artists Viktor & Rolf--a real Dutch national treasure--have been creating wearable art for the past 25 years in the most unique and singular style.-Thierry-Maxime Loriot, curator of the exhibition Viktor & Rolf: Fashion Artists 25 Years
Since forming their creative partnership in 1992, Dutch fashion designers Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren--working together as Viktor&Rolf--have gained critical acclaim for their cerebral, witty and rebellious approach to design, their technical virtuosity and deep knowledge of fashion history. Their spectacular avant-garde creations are showcased in this richly illustrated publication.
Throughout their 25-year career, Viktor&Rolf have carved a contradictory identity that pushes the boundaries between art and fashion. Exploring their concept of wearable art, Viktor&Rolf: Fashion Artists 25 Years features some of the Dutch design duo's most show-stopping works, drawn from the Viktor&Rolf archive as well as museum collections and private collections around the world. It includes an exclusive recent interview by the curator with the designers, a fascinating glossary of Viktor & Rolf and a rich iconography with iconic images by leading artists and photographers such as Cindy Sherman, Andreas Gursky, Herb Ritts, Anton Corbijn, Mert & Marcus, Annie Leibovitz, David LaChapelle, Tim Walker, Nick Knight and Inez & Vinoodh, among others.
Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren (both born 1969) graduated in 1992 from ArtEz Institute in Arnhem (The Netherlands) and won the Hyères Festival contest a year later. From 1994, they started to present their haute couture collections as installations, mainly in art galleries. In 2000, they launched their ready-to-wear line for women, and in 2005 they developed their first perfume, Flowerbomb; the following year their first men's perfume, Antidote, was introduced. Presentations of their collections have featured performers such as Tilda Swinton, Tori Amos and Rufus Wainwright. In 2016-17, the exhibition Viktor&Rolf. Fashion Artists was presented at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, followed in 2018 by its adaptation to celebrate the duo's 25th anniversary exhibition at Kunsthal in Rotterdam.
About the Author: Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren (both born 1969) started making ready-to-wear clothes in 2000. In 2005 they were contracted by L'Or'al to develop their first perfume, called Flowerbomb; the following year their first men's perfume, Antidote, was introduced in the United States, and they presented a clothing line for H&M. Their collections have featured performers such as Tilda Swinton, Tori Amos, Rufus Wainwright and Brigitte and Joan Wasser. In 2008 an exhibition titled The House of Viktor&Rolf was presented at the Barbican in London.
