With destination weddings on the rise, the concept of designing for “seasons” in bridal feels even less relevant than ready-to-wear. Plenty of women getting married this fall and winter are doing so in a tropical destination, where a heavy satin gown would feel all wrong. But Viktor & Rolf’s new Fall 2020 collection will tempt even the beach-loving bride to consider a New York or Aspen wedding. Inspired by snow and ice, Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren tweaked familiar textures and details in “crystalized” form. Instead of tweed, for instance, a short-sleeve jacket was covered in strips of crystals and three-dimensional, icicle-shaped white beads. It had a tactile, frosted quality, but also registered simply as a fun and festive embellishment. The beading appeared elsewhere as dense trims, which the V&R team referred to as “crystal fur.” Another mini with intricate beading and large pearls looked like an actual snowflake; it would make the ideal reception dress for a winter bash.
Brides come to Viktor & Rolf for those kinds of inventive embellishments, but there’s also demand for its simple and sculptural dresses. You can’t discount the timeless appeal of the draped satin ballgowns, which came with giant bows and folded rosettes. The duo’s sleek, vaguely retro looks are popular too: Here, there was a nod to the ’60s in the mock-neck minidress as well as the high-low shirtdress, styled with a mod—and of-the-moment—satin headband.
