Viktor & Rolf Couture Takes a Page from the Gwyneth Paltrow Playbook
From the courtroom to Couture Week, Gwyneth Paltrow continues to influence. Viktor & Rolf's latest couture collection appears to borrow from the actor's highly-publicized ski accident trial, an affair that generated countless headlines for its stylishness — and its sheer ridiculousness.
The Dutch fashion house, known for its sartorial experiments with wordplay, continued to spell things out with a series of bodysuits and bikinis bearing succinct statements: "No," "Dream On," and finally, "I wish you well," Paltrow's parting words to plaintiff Terry Sanderson, who accused the Oscar winner of injuring him in a 2016 skiing accident. A jury found Paltrow not liable.
The moment, captured on camera and video, went viral as onlookers applauded her delightfully passive aggressive move. Clearly, the memes riffing on Paltrow's choice of words made their way onto the feeds of Viktor & Rolf founders Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren.
The duo's new collection contained some other statement-makers (albeit in a less literal sense). Headless mannequins dressed in suits clung to models' backs and torsos, making for an eerie effect. Other ensembles seemed to float, hovering around models' bodies instead of laying on top of them.
It was another mind-bending outing from Horsting and Snoeren, who have a knack for stopping the internet dead in its tracks. Last season, the pair constructed upside-down gowns and in 2019, they showed frilly frocks printed with snarky messages including "SORRY I'M LATE I DIDN'T WANT TO COME" and "NO PHOTOS PLEASE."
Nothing hits quite as hard, though, as a goodbye from Hollywood's ice queen. I wish you well, indeed!