Viktor & Rolf Makes a Statement During Couture Week

If you thought slogan t-shirts were great, just wait until you see Viktor & Rolf’s Victorian-inspired slogan gowns. Known for its avant-garde aesthetic, the fashion house made the headlines after debuting its Spring Summer 2019 collection during Paris Haute Couture week, where statement pieces were sent down the runway.

“I’m not shy, I just don’t like you,” “Less is more,” “Sorry I’m late, I didn’t want to come,” “No photos please,” and “I am my own muse” were just some of the oversized slogans that Dutch designers Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren chose to include in their collection. Laser cut before being appliquéd on over-the-top tulle gowns, the designs were inspired by social media and came from a place of “Fascination without condemning; it’s just the world we live in,” explained Horsting.

“It’s the kind of message you find on social media, with the same instant feeling,” said Snoeren, who added that the duo wanted to create a “strange contradiction.” “All these statements that are so obvious or easy — there’s a lot of banality on Instagram and social media in general — are counterbalanced with this over-the-top, shimmery, romantic feeling.”

Of course, social media users were quick to react. In just a couple of hours, social mentions for Viktor & Rolf and its “meme couture gowns” — which follow into the footsteps of one of 2018’s biggest trends — grew by over 249%. The question is, will these gowns make an appearance on the red carpet this award season? We certainly hope so.