Beginning in the shadows of two elusive doorways, a parade of dramatic feathered forms commands one door, while its plucked sister takes the other. 

Each piece is presented with its alter ego, two versions of the same black garment—one voluminous, feathered, or stuffed, contrasted by its other half, depleted, unadorned, with a softened silhouette. In the case of the terrible twos, we are shown a transformation when extravagance becomes the quiet shadow. 

Courtesy of Viktor&Rolf

Historically, elaborate decorations and frivolous dressing expressed wealth, status, and refined taste. In the spirit of Haute Couture, Viktor&Rolf transforms the feather to represent something far more spiritual, something beyond: “freedom, transcendence, and spiritual elevation.” The once decorative feather becomes the very architecture of the collection itself. Feathers peek from seams, perch on headpieces, cascade in ombre, and stuff voluminous layers, displaying as flocks of tulle, organza, marabou, and soft tufts—all cruelty-free.

Once defined by legendary Parisian plumassier, Monsieur Lemarié, the beauty of feathers comes from “the air between them.” As air and space become the keystone of the collection, the pairings are not just designs but performances. Air and space deflate in the second look, revealing the softer form beneath the spectacle. 

Courtesy of Viktor&Rolf

The collection recalls the silhouettes of Viktor&Rolf’s first Haute Couture FW98/99 collection, in which the voluminous look deflates in its other half. This season’s Angry Birds shape-shift into an introverted form. Something so dramatic and menacing quickly becomes wearable and approachable. 

Courtesy of Viktor&Rolf