Viktor & Rolf Plays With Knit for Fall 2014 (Runway Review)

The Scene: The set, designed by Studio Job, featured trompe l’oeil highways complete with three-dimensional street lamps.

The Inspiration: The designers used the iconic grey melange knit V-neck sweater as inspiration. “The collection plays with this archetype to create surreal effects. Traditionally a more masculine piece, the musings on the grey sweater are feminine, comfortable and urban. Proportions are exaggerated and there is a play on two- and three-dimensional interpretations of knit stitches,” the designers said on Facebook.

The Look: The opening series of unstructured voluminous knits was a bit underwhelming, but the show gained traction when more detailed elements created more visual interest. With a variety of textures and prints, designers Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren defined the collection with elements of knit, Swarovski crystals and trompe l’oeil in greys, blues and pink. While there were some tougher and rougher textures, loose silhouettes gave the collection a feeling of softness that is always cozy for fall despite more architectural design elements. The pieces that took the melange sweater inspiration more literally were most successful in my book.

Somewhat oddly, the collection was full of cropped pants and shorts, but I suppose fashion knows no wind chill. Peplums flared out from just below the bust, continuing fashion’s obsession with updating the trend for Fall 2014. There was also a bit of the pajama dressing trend, with baby blue silk pants and tops paired with pieces that read more traditionally as “day” looks.

The Accessories: Some awesome buckle-y platform Oxfords, very 90s revival. Shiny black structural bags for a tough, cool girl. They also introduced the ASxVR velvet rock collection with Swarovski, with fun sparkly velvet cuffs.

The Casting: Sigrid Agren, Liu Wen, Julia Frauche, Esther Heesch, Binx, Shu-Pei Qin, Xiao Wen Ju, Malaika Firth, all the usual V & R girls.

The Takeaway: There was a mix of the wearable and the best left on the runway in this collection, but it was always visually engaging and beautiful. There are definitely some cult-favorite sweaters in the making.

images: IMAXtree