Viktor & Rolf Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2023 presented a parade of dreamy, romantic tulle ball gowns, alluding to the grand tradition and golden days of mid-20th century Haute Couture. Think constructed bodies, bare shoulders and revealing décolletés. Waistlines were accentuated and juxtaposed with voluminous mille-feuille skirts in endless layers of tulle. Bodices were embellished with sparkling embroidery and bows and the pastel color scheme was reminiscent of a painting by Boucher or Watteau. With its delicate atmosphere, the collection appeared to set the tone for an almost stereotypical vision of Haute Couture as an anachronistic dream of soft femininity.

But dreams are deceptive. The familiar became strange, as the mundane transformed into the absurd and vice versa. This collection visualized the sense of alienation the collection title refers to. A singular and narrowly defined ‘fashion ideal’ was presented and artistically manipulated to put itself into question. The body, while retaining the ‘dessous’ that sculpts its silhouette (traditionally an integrated part of the structure of a Couture dress), moved away from the garment. And the dress, while retaining its idealized shape, antagonized, alienated and freed itself from the body in a surreal way.

In collaboration with Hans Boodt Mannequins, 3D-printed structures were crafted to realize the gravity-defying optical illusions. Gowns embellished with crystals from Swarovski® were evocative of the grandiose atmosphere of the mid-20th century. Models took to the runway in Christian Louboutin encrusted mesh and satin stilettos, complementing the pastel-coloured constructions of this season.

@viktorandrolf