The Dutch design duo Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren, better known as Viktor & Rolf, continue to blur the line between fashion and conceptual art. Their 2025 has already been marked by dramatic runway moments, a much-anticipated return to ready-to-wear, and renewed strategic support from fashion conglomerate OTB Group. As many legacy fashion houses shift creative direction, Viktor & Rolf stand out not for following trends, but for subverting them with intelligent design and theatrical flair.
Haute Couture FW 2025–2026: Structure, Duality, and Symbolism
Presented during Paris Haute Couture Week in July 2025, Viktor & Rolf’s Fall/Winter couture show was a masterclass in contrast and symbolism. The collection featured pairs of nearly identical garments—one exaggerated in volume with oversized, handmade “feathers” and the other stripped back to a more minimal, pared-down form.
Each feather was crafted from silk gauze, shaped and stitched by hand in the brand’s Amsterdam atelier. The dramatic silhouettes conveyed emotion and movement, while the more restrained counterparts offered a meditation on restraint and deconstruction. In total, over 11,000 of these feather components were used across the collection, highlighting the duo’s commitment to craft without relying on animal products.
The concept drew subtle inspiration from popular culture, with the designers likening their expressive feather forms to “angry birds”—a humorous nod to both the digital age and modern emotional volatility. But behind the theatrics lay a deeper message: the tension between external identity and internal essence, excess and simplicity, spectacle and subtlety.
The Return to Ready-to-Wear
After nearly a decade away from the category, Viktor & Rolf returned to ready-to-wear in 2025 with a collection that reimagined couture aesthetics for everyday dressing. Drawing from their previous haute couture themes, the ready-to-wear line included sculptural trousers, relaxed suiting, and tailored outerwear in a palette dominated by neutrals and earth tones.
Fabrics were a central focus—think Japanese wool, mohair, Italian silk, and structured denim. Notably, the designers partnered with Mackintosh, a heritage British outerwear brand, to create a cropped belted coat that seamlessly marries functionality with architectural tailoring. The collection offered a way for loyal followers to integrate Viktor & Rolf’s distinctive aesthetic into their daily wardrobe, without compromising on drama or detail. This return to the ready-to-wear market signals a more grounded phase in the label’s evolution, one that allows its avant-garde ideas to enter broader commercial territory without diluting its artistic core.
Experimentation and Technology in SS 2025 Couture
Earlier in the year, the brand’s Spring/Summer 2025 haute couture show introduced a collection built around repetition, modular design, and artificial intelligence. A single outfit—a minimalist trench coat and trouser ensemble—was reinterpreted across two dozen looks using subtle variations in cut, volume, and material. The voice of a robot introduced each look, creating a futuristic, almost uncanny tone.
What made this show even more remarkable was the fabric itself: all garments were constructed from leftover textiles from their 1999 archives. By reviving past materials and applying modern design logic, Viktor & Rolf engaged in a form of couture recycling—both creatively and environmentally.
Business Stability and the Road Ahead
In early 2025, Viktor & Rolf extended their partnership with the OTB Group for another five years. This long-term agreement guarantees stability and investment, allowing the brand to continue experimenting with less commercial pressure. OTB’s continued support reflects the value of Viktor & Rolf’s niche: high-concept fashion that retains a cult following while pushing creative boundaries.
Why It Matters
In an era when many fashion houses are chasing virality or adjusting to new creative directors, Viktor & Rolf remain refreshingly consistent in their mission: to treat fashion as a form of intellectual and emotional storytelling. Whether inflating couture with surreal silhouettes or distilling it into wearable pieces, their 2025 collections demonstrate that innovation doesn’t require sacrificing identity.
For the duo, the future seems to lie not in choosing between art and commerce, but in finding a new way to do both—on their terms.
Written by: Christine Daoud
Published on: 4th August 2025