10°c A few clouds
19°c Variable cloudiness
The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION
Viktor & Rolf go black and white at no-risk Paris fashion show
Models wear creations by fashion designers Viktor and Rolf for their Fall/Winter 2013-2014 ready to wear collection, in Paris, Saturday, March 2, 2013. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
PARIS - Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren are taking no risks this fall-winter season.
Following the trend to de-clutter the catwalk, the Dutch duo known as Viktor & Rolf replaced their normally inventive art-infused style in Saturday's show in Paris with simpler silhouettes and a muted palette of black and white.
"It's a feeling of wanting to be real, a wardrobe for women to wear," said Horsting backstage. "And slightly rebellious."
"Slightly" was the key word here. There were some subtle nods to rebellion, like dropped waist lines and short flared minis (a clever play on peplums.)
But at times it felt like the boundary-pushing excitement that made them famous in the '90s was in hibernation this winter. Perhaps they are tapping into their commercial potential?
A shorter silhouette with short heels on boots, which Horsting said put women "closer to earth," worked nicely alongside the menswear tuxedoes. But dropped waists and skirts ended up elongating the torso and sometimes shortened the leg, unflatteringly.
Elsewhere, beautiful three-dimensional effects in fabric were sometimes hard to make out because of the flat black and white. They might have been better brought out with a splash of colour.
As ever, though, there were some great abstractions, like their signature bows blown up in leather smothering the torso. Embroideries nicely evoked "rips" on jeans, and featured on menswear tuxedos that made for some welcome androgyny.
___
Thomas Adamson can be followed at http://Twitter.com/ThomasAdamsonAP
More Home and Family
- Back to Top
- Return to Home and Family
More Home and Family
(1 of 30 articles for this week)
Some statin drugs do seem to raise users' risk of diabetes, study suggests
05/23/2013 7:11 PM 0
Poll
Most Popular Home and Family
- THE HEALTHY PLATE: Recipe for fresh summer rolls with spicy peanut dipping sauce
- Ask a Designer: A small backyard, deck or patio can still be packed with style
- Rio fashion shows deliver bikinis in everything from see-through mesh to rigid metal
- To bra strap or not: 'Girls' costume designer says you should take a stand on underpinnings
- Selling morning-after pill by the condoms a big shift but neither side's happy with age limits
- Avoid allergen triggers to keep guests safe when barbecuing this summer
- Can't find that perfect fabric or wallpaper? You can create it online
- Architects optimize every nook and cranny when designing micro houses
- Dolce&Gabbana's latest looks take inspiration from Byzantine religious art and classic couture
- Peruvian designers show collections inspired by Inca, regional motifs at Lima Fashion Week
- Active transportation declines: Fewer kids commuting by foot, bike, report finds
- THE HEALTHY PLATE: Recipe for fresh summer rolls with spicy peanut dipping sauce
- Bernard Waber, author and creator of beloved Lyle the crocodile, dies at age 91
- Rio fashion shows deliver bikinis in everything from see-through mesh to rigid metal
- To bra strap or not: 'Girls' costume designer says you should take a stand on underpinnings
- Don't take the cinnamon challenge: Doctors warn teens after surge in calls to poison centres
- Decades later, some unhappy campers recall tears, hives, bad food: "I hated sleepaway camp!"
- Risk of 'suicide contagion' for teens after schoolmate's dies by own hand: study
- Ask a Designer: A small backyard, deck or patio can still be packed with style
- Correction: New Virus story
- Canada has second-highest rate of first-day infant deaths in industrialized world: report
- Saudi coronavirus cases grow by 3; 13 cases, 7 deaths in health-care cluster
- Dogs can experience separation anxiety and depression just like humans
- Joe Fresh items made in Bangladesh factory that collapsed, killing at least 290
- Obstetricians and gynecologists group calls for HPV vaccine for boys
- The future: For 3 rescued Cleveland women, a confusing ordeal of recovery begins now
- Don't take the cinnamon challenge: Doctors warn teens after surge in calls to poison centres
- Jacob, Sophia top the list for baby names; King and Messiah are gaining in popularity for boys
- Loblaw sending reps to Bangladesh; Canadian retailers to hold urgent meeting
- Canada's national lab has new sample of coronavirus, planning studies
- Dogs can experience separation anxiety and depression just like humans
- Loblaw sending reps to Bangladesh; Canadian retailers to hold urgent meeting
- Don't take the cinnamon challenge: Doctors warn teens after surge in calls to poison centres
- Obstetricians and gynecologists group calls for HPV vaccine for boys
- THE HEALTHY PLATE: Recipe for fresh summer rolls with spicy peanut dipping sauce
- THE AMERICAN TABLE: Recipe for English muffin cheese and tomato sandwich
- Joe Fresh items made in Bangladesh factory that collapsed, killing at least 290
- Cancer drug Avastin linked to 2 cases of flesh-eating disease: Health Canada
- THE HEALTHY PLATE: Recipe for easy baked barbecue chicken breasts
- Canada has second-highest rate of first-day infant deaths in industrialized world: report
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.