This weekend, AnOther spoke to the Dutch duo at the annual ITS#TEN awards where they were part of the jury looking for emerging talent. We invited them to reflect on their own careers and find out makes standout new fashion talent...
"We are always looking for authenticity and originality in the work of young designers. Perhaps an idea that we haven’t seen before or that has been reworked in a way that it becomes new. This is our second time on the jury at ITS and we enjoy it very much. It is a great opportunity for people who are starting their careers to show their work to a professional audience. Now there is much more attention to fashion because of the internet and there is so much information. On the one hand it is a good thing because you can create your own platform, but on the other, part of the mystery gets lost and we find that a bit of a pity. It also becomes more disposable because everything is very instant.
For us, the pace of the industry has changed so much and now we do so much more. There was a moment when we found the pace very difficult but we are catching up. The demands will not change so you just have to go with the flow. There are several moments of our career that we have cherished – launching the perfumes and working with a great artist that you admire who wants to collaborate on a show are just a few. The shows are another highlight – not every season, but there are defiantly moments that make it all worthwhile."
Since launching their label over a decade ago, Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren have become designers celebrated for their standout collection concepts, virtuoso techniques, elaborate show presentations and a continued fascination with dolls. The pair first met whilst studying at the Arnhem Academy of Art in The Netherlands, and later moved to Paris where they founded the house ofViktor & Rolf in 1993. They claim the best career advice ever given to them was “to show in Paris for Haute Couture” and in 1998, they did. For one of their shows in the winter of 1999, which was suitably entitled Russian Dolls, the designers dressed model Maggie Rizer in nine layers of jewel encrusted dresses in the centre of the catwalk, whilst she spun around on a podium. Returning to ready-to-wear in 2000, Viktor & Rolf’s runway collections have rarely disappointed. This weekend, AnOther spoke to the duo at the annual ITS#TEN awards where they were part of the jury looking for emerging talent. We took the opportunity to reflect on their own careers and their advice for new fashion talent.
Special thanks to Diesel
Read AnOther's interview with standout photography finalist Yijun Liao here.
Text by Isabella Burley
