July 7, 2016 |
It was a case of haute recycling at Viktor & Rolf, being, as the collection was, made up of bits and pieces from a multitude of past ones. “Recycling as a means of expression,” apparently. And on the evidence presented, this was a very good idea. It made the collection feel at once looking backwards, built on mementos of the past, on the other, distinctly forward facing. A lesson in what can be done with your leftovers. Stick your hands in the discarded pile, boys and girls. Anyway, the look? Well, I couldn’t help but think it was a bit pearly queen. Eliza Doolitle before she got made posh. Those top hats, the stitched on embellishment that reminded of buttons, the full Victorian silhouette. But it was electrified with the pairs energy – giant explosions of tulle, fabrics weaves together by hand, the flash of a Coca Cola sweater. It was called Vagabonds, in reference to Dickens. “They belong nowhere, wandering from place to place, roaming the city,” says the release. At the end, the wanderers filled the stage. It was a breathtaking moment of craftsmanship. Magical, to say the least – a highlight of couture week so far.
Photographs by Jason Lloyd-Evans
