Paris haute couture spring/summer 2024: Viktor & Rolf’s daring deconstruction

Dutch designers Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren again defied convention, presenting a concoction that blended the historic with a deconstructed edge. They literally cut up couture garments.

A standout piece was a large black coat, anachronistically merging elements of the 1600s and 1900s. Its prominent Elizabethan-like collar brought an almost theatrical quality.

The collection ventured further into the realm of abstract deconstruction. The same black coat reappeared but this time transformed — sections snipped away, edges clawed off as if by a wild animal with a distaste for luxury. The aggressive alteration was symbolic, representing a rebellion against tradition and perhaps a commentary on the fleeting nature of fashion itself.

There were moments where the collection evoked the fearsome elegance of Maleficent with its dark, powerful aesthetic. Other pieces hinted at the tragedy of Miss Havisham from Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, particularly the gowns with panels burnt away to reveal gleaming black jewelled underlays. The garments, reminiscent of Havisham’s burnt wedding dress, seemed to speak of beauty marred by time and neglect, yet still enduring.

By slashing and deconstructing traditional designs, Viktor & Rolf infused them with a new vibrancy, challenging viewers to see clothes from a different perspective.