The Viktor & Rolf show began with the photographers in the camera pit howling at an enormous moon at the back of the runway. That set the stage for what was to follow. Decorous draped silk pajama sets were printed with animal motifs, and understated, almost middle-of-the-road black and white tailoring was trimmed along the seams with strips of mink, echoing the models' fur pompom pumps.
On other pieces, the danger was a little bit closer to the surface. Voluminous fur coats, for instance, were shaved in wide curving lines, as if their owners had been swiped by giant claws and lived to tell about it. And a long dress in sheer black tulle (which made it abundantly clear that the model wasn't wearing panties) abided by its own kill-first, ask-questions-later policy.
Hunters or prey? Heavenly creatures or sexy beasts? Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren's ideas about womanhood are overly simplistic, and that can prove frustrating at their runway shows, where they emphasize their art over wearability. Their pre-fall collection tred similar babes-in-the-woods ground with all-around more successful results.
