Never mind John Malkovich—imagine life inside the heads of Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren. Their career path has been a crazy paving of concepts, most involving elements of illusion and/or performance art, which is why Las Vegas made perfect sense as the backdrop for their charming, witty spring collection.
The duo says this season s inspiration is Dutch naval history. Fans of the subject might feel the tang of the sea in the foggy colors, or the fishermen s sweaters with military detailing, or the crisscrossing cadet stripes on knitwear. But there s no escaping the fact that it just doesn t have the wow factor of Vegas. There s a new emphasis on commerce, rather than magic, which is no surprise: Viktor Rolf is about to open its first store (this spring in Milan), and high concept hardly fills the tills.
Nonetheless, lovers of the label s irony and idiosyncrasy will be happy to find the kind of finish that reflects their double take on fashion: subtle ruching or a turned-up cuff on a jacket sleeve, a double cuff on a shirt. And Dutch royalists may also be pleased to claim Horsting and Snoeren as fellow travelers. Viktor Rolf s signature red wax seal is now gold, and they have created a family crest for themselves, which is writ large (on shirts) and small (as an emblem to replace the old magician motifs). There is also a sweater patterned after royal table linens.
