viktor & rolf ANTIDOTE, FLOWERBOMB, MONSIEUR, RUFUS

ANTIDOTE ... Open a door in your mind ....

Open a door in your mind and invite you to enjoy infinity by clic here 

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW FROM MENSTYLE.COM

A Q&A with V&R

June 15, 2006

Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren have been busy of late: working on a men's collection for H&M, launching a new fragrance, and—last but not least—designing the costumes for Rufus Wainwright's two-night Judy Garland extravaganza, which ends this evening at Carnegie Hall. Here, they talk about the inspirations behind the projects.

What drew you to Rufus?

Viktor: He's a genius. His lyrics are beautiful. He's a true artist. We're just great admirers of his, and we felt really stupid because we only discovered his music last year and we were like, "Oh, God. How did we miss this?"

What makes him a good match for your clothes?

Viktor: Well, to start with, the way he approaches his music. His music is rooted in tradition. He's classically trained, which speaks to us, and he uses this tradition and these traditional musical references and he completely makes it into his own thing. So that is inspiring.

Rolf: And his way of dressing is really unique. He mixes and matches everything, but everything is okay somehow, which is quite unique.

Do you have a favorite Rufus song?

Rolf: Right now it's the song he wrote for the perfume. We told him the whole story about the perfume and what it meant to us, and he just did his own thing with it.

Other than Rufus, who is the target consumer for your new fragrance?

Rolf: We don't really address a certain style of men or women. We always say we address a certain "mindstyle."

Viktor: It's not meant to be about age or a certain aesthetic or body type.

Rolf: It's really just for people with a positive outlook on life, a positive viewpoint. That type of person. We really like people like Tilda Swinton or Rufus Wainwright. It's people who really set their own rules—independent, creative spirits.

Your designs are normally ironic and playful—not exactly mass-market.
How do you translate that for the H&M audience?

Viktor: Well, it's going to be a project done specially for H&M, bearing in mind that it's very fashionable in that it's very short. It's sort of a celebration of that.... We see ourselves as storytellers, and it's great to do that with a larger audience.

This is the first full designer men's collection for H&M. Do you think men will embrace it as strongly as women did the Lagerfeld and Stella McCartney collections?

Viktor: Oh, yeah. I think so, because, especially nowadays, there is such a big demand for good men's fashion. Guys are as fashion-oriented as women nowadays.

What's your next collaboration? Would you like to work in film?

Viktor: Sure.

In what capacity?

Rolf: As actors [laughs].

— Staff

Viktor & Rolf and H&M their collaboration for the autumn 2006 season

The design duo Viktor & Rolf and H&M are pleased to announce their collaboration for the autumn 2006 season.

Viktor & Rolf, known for their high concept fashion shows and modern twist on classically tailored clothes, will design a collection of women’s and men’s wear to be produced and distributed by H&M. The one-time collection will be available at selected H&M stores on all H&M markets across Europe, North America and the Middle East. To be launched in November 2006.

Viktor & Rolf started their career in 1993 when they won the Hyères Fashion Festival. Through exhibitions, installations, haute couture shows, and since 2000, women’s ready-to-wear, they have received international acclaim as one of fashion’s most innovative labels. Their brand now includes a men’s line, scarves, underwear, glasses and shoes as well as a perfume range. The duo’s renowned collections comprising sharp tailoring and clever artistry sell in over 20 countries worldwide. Their first signature store, which is entirely upside down, has won many design awards and was opened in Milan last year.

«If Haute couture is the most sublime form of fashion, H&M is fashion at its most democratic. Our roots are based in couture. It’s the heart and soul of our work. But we also love to play with opposites: transformation is a key element of our signature style. For us, fashion is an antidote to reality. It’s a great opportunity to communicate our vision with such a large audience of H&M devotee,» say the designers Viktor & Rolf.

«We really admire Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren and are fascinated by their unique way of working with design, combining their artistic talent with great craftsmanship. We look forward to offering our customers a collection by these extraordinary designers,» says H&M’s head of design Margareta van den Bosch.

Founded in Sweden in 1947, H&M is synonymous around the world with affordable as well as up-to-date and high quality fashion. H&M has a wide product range that is divided into a number of different concepts for women, men, teenagers, children and cosmetics. The company’s clothing collections are created by its own designers, pattern makers and buyers. H&M has more than 50,000 employees and around 1,200 stores in 22 countries.

H&M website

VIKTOR & ROLF "MONSIEUR" spring-summer 2007

In July, during the Men's Fashion week in Paris, Viktor & Rolf present their new Collection " Monsieur " for the Spring -Summer 2007 in a show room  .... 

copyright : Peter stigter 2006

ODE TO ANTIDOTE' RUFUS WAINWRIGHT

B Movie queens
And Minor aristocrats
Charm warfare ain't where it’s at.
The only antidote alone
Is you alone
Just wear lipstick on your wedding day
Can’t tap dance to taps anyway
The only antidote alone
Is you alone
Where did you go?
Even though you never were mine to start with
Where did you fly?
Even though you never were mine at all to fly with.
Maybe one day golden age will come
But till then this bottle of perfume will have to do
Cause the only antidote is you
B Movie queens
And Minor aristocrats
Charm warfare ain't where it’s at.
The only antidote alone
Is you alone
Just wear lipstick on your wedding day
Can’t tap dance to taps anyway
The only antidote alone
Is you alone
Where did you go?
Even though you never were mine to start with
Where did you fly?
Even though you never were mine at all to fly with.
Maybe one day golden age will come
But till then this bottle of perfume will have to do
Cause the only antidote is you

Lyrics: Rufus Wainwright 2006

ODE TO ANTIDOTE' RUFUS WAINWRIGHT - VIKTOR & ROLF ANTIDOTE

VIKTOR & ROLF FLOWERBOMB CELEBRATION - LONDON MAY 31th 2006 Harper's Bazaar

VIKTOR & ROLF FLOWERBOMB CELEBRATION - LONDON MAY 31th 2006 Harper's Bazaar

" On an evening heady with perfume, paint and metaphysics, at a mediaeval banquet in an high-vaulted warehouse, we sat at a table strewn with rose petals spilling from pain pots, and accepted our first glass of Veuve Clicquot Pink champagne. "

It was a dinner  hosted by Harper's Bazaar  editor Lucy Yeomans  to honour VIKTOR & ROLF  and to celebrate the succes of their perfume  FLOWERBOMB.

The guests :  ( an intriging mix of artists, writers, directors, models, singers, ... )
Gillian Anderson, Alison Mosshart, Pam Hogg, Finn Vine, Mike Figgis, Kim Hersov, Jamie Hince of The Kills, Mary McCartney, Erin O’Connor , Grayson Perry, Saffron Burrow, Marc Quinn, Bryan Adams, Virginia Bates, Nathalie Press, Matthew Gardiner, Meredith Ostrom,Valentine Fillol-Cordier, Lucy Punch, Princess Mabel of Orange, Sue Webster .......

A SPECIAL EVENING WITH RUFUS WAINWRIGHT

A unique artistic performance and sound experience

A unique artistic performance and sound experience with an intimist and excusive concert, full of emotion,the perfect artistic symbiosis between fashion and music style: Rufus Wainwright, has been entirely dressed in V&R Monsieur for the concert. The legendary Judy Garland 1961’s concert revisited by a gay icon : Garland and Wainwright family joined Rufus on stage, Rufus was accompanied by a 36-pieces orchestra conducted by Stephen Oremus playing the original 1961 arrangements.

A memorable moment of emotion for the audience

Directly after the concert, the guests went to the Shorin Club (2nd floor of the Carnegie
Hall) to discover the fragrance .....