PARIS — Viktor & Rolf, who made budget brides part of their popular 2006 collaboration with H&M, are now making a serious commitment to the category.
The Dutch couturiers have said “I do” to wedding specialist Justin Alexander and are to launch a full collection in October and show it during New York Bridal Week.
Unveiling the project exclusively to WWD, Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren said they have long been fascinated with wedding dresses, the narrative surrounding them and the preciousness of the nuptial moment. They famously dressed Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau for her 2004 nuptials to a member of the Dutch royal family.
Horsting and Snoeren are inviting retailers to preview their debut fall collection by appointment during couture week in Paris. It is to carry the label Viktor & Rolf Mariage, employing the French spelling.
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“Each dress in this collection has an individual, autonomous character,” they said.
The collection is to accentuate sculptural shapes, including voluminous tulle creations, along with demonstrative bows and opulent embroideries.
The avant-garde designers are renowned for extreme silhouettes and daring experiments, once parading tulle dresses that looked as if they had been carved with a chainsaw.
The duo noted they would adhere to their brand’s key characteristics, which they list as unexpected elegance, conceptual glamour and provocative couture.
The tie-up with Justin Alexander is characterized as a partnership, leveraging the firm’s manufacturing know-how for mid- to high-end wedding dresses. The American firm markets bridal collections under various labels, including Justin Alexander, Justin Alexander Signature, Lillian West, Sincerity Bridal and Sweetheart Gowns. The company sells its designs to about 1,000 doors worldwide.
Viktor & Rolf are to show their fall 2016 couture collection in Paris on July 6.
Last year, the designer’s halted their signature women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, leaving them to concentrate on couture, fragrances and special projects.
Italian industrialist Renzo Rosso’s group OTB SpA holds a majority stake in Viktor & Rolf, who are sometimes described as the Gilbert and George of fashion.