Viktor & Rolf Exhibition Debuts on the Excessive Museum of Artwork

Viktor & Rolf’s designers Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren helped have fun Wednesday night time’s opening of a retrospective of their work on the Excessive Museum of Artwork in Atlanta.

Greater than 100 examples of their designs are on view in “Viktor & Rolf. Vogue Statements,” which highlights the Dutch designers’ capacity over 30-plus years to create haute couture that challenges what constitutes artwork. The exhibition is about up in 9 chapters — “Vogue Artists,” “Russian Dolls,” “Vogue Statements,” “The Dolls,” “Zen Backyard,” “Performing Vogue,” “Viktor & Rolf on Stage” and “Upcycling Couture.” Happy with the symmetry of “Viktor & Rolf. Vogue Statements” and the welcome response they’re receiving, the pair spoke with WWD Thursday afternoon.

As for what jumps out on the pair seeing the retrospective, Snoeren stated, “How laborious we labored — how a lot we did. Additionally, there’s a sense of gratitude that we’re nonetheless right here and that we’re nonetheless greatest pals.”

Horsting added, “That we’re right here in america with our very first huge exhibition may be very particular. It makes you humble.”

Whereas the exhibition is about Viktor & Rolf’s model and their work, it isn’t a brand-sponsored present.

Snoeren added, “Strolling by means of the exhibition, you see that typically the collections are just a little extra romantic. Someway the temper adjustments, however you see the weather that we work with are at all times the identical. It’s good to see that continuation.”

Having simply proven the Viktor & Rolf ready-to-wear assortment in Paris final week, the pair stated their group, in addition to the Excessive Museum and the exhibition’s curator Thierry-Maxime Loriot labored on the exhibition “very intensely.” The truth that the designers and curator had coordinated on the exhibition earlier than, because it was beforehand staged in Munich, helped to lighten the load.

With fashion-themed exhibitions more and more gaining curiosity at museums and cultural establishments in world capitals, the Excessive Museum’s opening in Atlanta is important, since secondary cities are attempting to observe that lead. Snoeren stated, “It comes right down to what museums have the budgets to do it. The Excessive Museum had an enormous sponsor, Lauren Amos, so they can do this stuff. Vogue exhibitions are fairly pricey. It’s additionally very rewarding, when a present like this travels.”

Earlier this yr, Amos, a longtime board member and proprietor of the speciality retailer Antidote, made a multimillion-dollar donation to fund vogue exhibitions. Holding the exhibition in Georgia additionally affords “a pull issue on a nationwide stage,” Horsting stated. “With social media, the data will get dispersed.”

Visiting Atlanta for the primary time, the duo famous how scorching, humid and pleasant town is. On the heels of getting acquired “fairly optimistic” evaluations for his or her rtw return, the designers will maintain a trunk present at Antidote on Friday. The designers’ reentry has concerned reorganizing how their collections are made with way more of an in-house strategy, which retains all the things nearer to them.

All in all although, the style world is inspiring them at present, they stated. “We discover fascinating — the principles, the hierarchy, the reveals. It’s one thing that evokes us to design,” Snoeren stated.

As for the altering of the guard at among the main luxurious homes, “That’s fascinating as properly — how that works, the eye it will get and desirous about our personal place within the system. We see ourselves as individuals who have one foot within the vogue system and one foot out of it,” he stated.

Horsting added, “We’re beginning to really feel just like the final of the Mohicans. We’re one of many few founders of a model which might be additionally nonetheless linked to our model.”

Whereas what makes customers spend is an everlasting query, he advised originality, authenticity and the need to have one thing that you’re the one one, or among the many few, that has it. There additionally must be a private connection to no matter you purchase — one thing that triggers a need. “There’s a lot that doesn’t occur simply.”

Requested if there was something they wished individuals understood extra about their work, the designers laughed. All in all, their technique is to be advanced to reveal how issues may be a number of issues directly. Snoeren stated, “Typically that complexity can stand in the best way of…”

“Appreciation,” provided Horsting.

Snoeren continued, “You realize an viewers faucets right into a sure layer in your humor or…in the long run, the complexity is usually laborious to grasp.”

Agreeing that the “magnificence is within the depth,” he added, “Sure, and the thriller.”

The ever-shrinking consideration span of the world at massive is extensively recognized. “All of us have shorter consideration spans, together with myself,” Snoeren stated.

Horsting added, “Sure, however all of us need to be stimulated and challenged to search out one thing new and genuine. I are likely to suppose that it’s our job to be clear. It’s our job to speak and to succeed in that viewers. I’d sooner blame myself than the viewers.”

Wanting forward, the pair can be judging a contest in Hyères, after which they are going to be off to Doha in Qatar for a Vogue Belief Arabia occasion. There’s additionally the following Viktor & Rolf couture present to organize for in January.