Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren always know how to put on a show. Their runway presentations always have a big dose of performance spectacle (think projected moving images onto garments), to help bring their vision to life. One of the Amsterdam-based duo’s most memorable collections was their Fall/Winter 1999 show titled Russian Doll, in which the designers positioned Maggie Rizer on a revolving platform, and then proceeded to dress her in nine looks — one on top of the other – in the same vein as a Russian Doll.
For their 2010 Fall/Winter collection the designers picked up where the Russian Doll presentation left off. Called Glamour Factory, the show began with model Kristen McMenamy walking out in multiple layers of clothing. Once McMenamy was in place, the design duo began removing one piece of her clothing at a time, and dressing other models in the very clothes they were removing. In the end, McMenamy was left wearing nothing put a nude bodysuit, and the whole process resumed in reverse.
But Horsting and Snoeren must be applauded for delivering designs which, although they are perhaps not groundbreaking when taken out of context of the show, do stay true to the designers’ over-the-top aesthetic. This collection was more wearable than many of the designers’ past ones, and even though many women wouldn’t wear most of the looks as styled on the runway, the styling was spot-on in the context in which the show was presented.
Images courtesy of the Fashion Spot forums.
