Fashion
TikTok Is Having A Field Day With Viktor & Rolf’s Outlandish Couture Collection
Vitamin D-starved vampires with back issues are in fashion.
When it comes to Viktor & Rolf, there’s rarely a dull moment. With a reputation for weird and wonderful creations, the Dutch fashion house has previously brought us genius creations like the slogan “I’m not shy, I just don’t like you,” ball gown and a socially-distanced coat, complete with inflatable spikes. And the avant-garde duo’s new Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2022 collection is no exception, featuring the kind of necklines fit to send a chiropractor into crisis.
As well as leaving viewers scrambling to book in a back massage, Viktor & Rolf’s new collection has taken heavy inspiration from cult vampire movies, borrowing its silhouette — dramatically raised shoulders — from campy horror icons like The Addams Family’s Uncle Fester and Hollywood adaptations of Bram Stoker’s classic novel Dracula.
Talking to Vogue about his inspiration, Rolf Snoeren, of Viktor & Rolf, said: “Dracula is such a powerful symbol of the fear of change in society. In Old Hollywood movies you have the archetypal scary image of the person in the doorway. This made us think of a shoulder line that we developed almost 30 years ago, in our very, very first collection for the contest in Hyères in 1993.”
The designers revealed the new looks in Paris last week, to mixed reactions. Commenting on the daring fashion, The Apprentice aide Karren Brady said: “I’m no fashion expert, and I’m not one to follow trends, either. But even I can recognise that the models on the catwalk in hunched-back outfits last week at the Viktor & Rolf fashion show at Paris Fashion Week will never, ever be a trend. In her column for The Sun, she continued: “It’s so ridiculous, I’m surprised the models weren’t laughing.”
Although the models managed to keep a straight-face, online spectators have been enjoying a good chuckle over the exaggerated clothing. In fact, a good portion of the internet is relating to Viktor & Rolf’s collection on a deeply spiritual level.
For some, it has served as a stark reminder to book in a sports massage after two years of working from home. We all need to work on our postures at this point, right? Meanwhile, artist and illustrator Angelica Hicks has been kind enough to share a cheap fashion hack for Viktor & Rolf fans eager to emulate cutting-edge haute couture trends on a shoestring budget.
The dramatic silhouette has become an amusing go-to meme, aptly representing the plight of trying to hustle through 2022 with a pinched nerve in your neck. Korean-American fashion stylist and blogger @chrisellelim is putting in the hard graft on TikTok, pairing up the collection with imaginary scenarios.
Finally, Vitamin D-starved vampires with back issues are in fashion. A stunning development for WFH’ers everywhere.
