July 9, 2026 |
Viktor & Rolf has never been one to skimp on the drama when it comes to couture, and the AW26 show proved it. A giant revolving bedroom peppered with towering wardrobes, oversized beds and cavernous chests of drawers became the stage for just two models – one older, one younger – who spent the show dressing and undressing, using the furniture itself as their wardrobe. But not in some esoteric, avant garde kind of way. Duvets were whipped off beds and wrapped into couture gowns, candy-wrapper hats emerged from drawers and lavish gold coats appeared as though they’d been hanging in those wardrobes all along. It felt like peeking inside an impossibly glamorous doll’s house.
Called Gilded Age 2.0, the collection played with the extremes of opulence and restraint. Every lavish gold look had a matching twin in coarse burlap, reducing the silhouette to its bones without losing an ounce of impact. As the pair mirrored one another in an endless loop of getting dressed, getting changed and starting again, Viktor & Rolf turned the simple ritual of choosing an outfit into full-blown theatre. Equal parts dress-up game and couture masterclass, it was delightfully surreal without ever losing sight of the clothes themselves.
Photography courtesy of Viktor & Rolf.
