Viktor & Rolf

It is fairly common for people who study in the same school and who graduate at the same time to develop life-long partnerships or friendships. This is how the popular and unique fashion house of Viktor&Rolf began.

It was when Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren graduated from the Arnhem Academy of Art and Design that their brand emerged. The two established their private fashion firm a year after completing studies and within that same span they took their first prize in the international talent contest known as the Festival Intl de Mode et de Photographie hosted in Hyeres each year. Entered in the Salon, the two took two different prizes and immediately drew attention to their innovative look.

After that, they were invited to participate in a group show at the Musee d"Art in Paris, and then the invitations just continued to pour in. In 1998 they had their first haute couture show at Galerie Thaddeus Ropac, in Paris, and this led to their first ready to wear collection only two years later.

By the year 2000 they had become such a recognized brand that the global chain of fashion stores known as H&M hired them to create a line. Two years later, the even more famous L"Oreal brand contracted with the team to create their first fragrance. The year 2003 saw the release of their "Monsieur" line of men"s fashions (their first) in Italy.

These major accomplishments led to more, and soon Viktor&Rolf had created a line of eyewear, participated in more invitation-only art shows and displays, created its first pre-collection, more fragrances, further collections for H&M, and displayed a 15th anniversary exhibition in London.

The design team has also partnered with OTB, done lines for Shemura, written a book of fairy tales, and created a new platform for HTML called the World Round Web. In 2013, they opened their flagship store in Paris.

The Viktor&Rolf Products

The design team of Viktor&Rolf does offer a ready-to-wear line through its stores. It also consistently designs couture lines and pre-collections for annual runway events. They offer men"s and women"s lines, and also continue to create fragrances that include:

Flowerbomb - Described as a floral explosion by its creators, this scent is sold in a beautifully designed bottle and is centered around a base of patchouli, jasmine, freesia and rose. It is available in 30, 50, and 100ml bottles and is available as an eau de parfum, eau de toilette, elixir,lotion, creme, body gel, and purse spray.

Spicebomb - The men"s answer to Flowerbomb, this popular scent uses bergamot, spice, and citrus to create a masculine and yet not overpowering scent. Available in 50 and 90ml eau de toilette, as well as a shower gel, shaving balm, and deodorant.

Bonbon - In a whimsical bottle and full of the scent of caramel and fruit, this is available as an eau du parfum in 30, 50, and 90ml bottles.

They also continue participating an array of exhibitions, publishing books of fairytales, and more.

What this adds up to is more than just a fashion house, perfume maker, or creative team. Viktor&Rolf can easily be described as a lifestyle brand, performance art team, and couture house. Their style is experimental but also accessible. For example, the pair won kudos for dressing a then pregnant Natalie Portman elegantly and stylishly for the Golden Globes, and yet took a bit of a hit from the critics for using bright red face paint on their runway models only a few months later.

Their ready-to-wear clothing is always a hit when it appears in stores and specialty outlets, and yet their runway shows never fail to raise eyebrows for their audacious and often dramatic looks.

As a perfume brand, they are most definitely a success. All of their scents are popular and remain so. Top name brands such as Sephora have continually distributed the Viktor&Rolf since their releases, and new generations of customers discover them all of the time.

When you are looking for a signature scent, a fashionable look, or even a unique publication to add to your shelves, you can turn to the Viktor&Rolf brand. They have been a huge hit in the world of art, fashion, and perfume since the 1990s, and their success story just continues going on as they explore new ventures and keep creating.

Works Cited

Viktor-Rolf. Heritage. Viktor-Rolf.com. 2014. http://www.viktor- rolf.com/heritage/?m=1