Dress
Viktor & Rolf's collection Fashion Statements presented an ironic, theatrical and sophisticated take on the contemporary online dialogue, which is often governed by loud statements on social media as well as meme culture, which combines bold typography with contradictory images. The dissonance between the ample volumes of gathered tulle and the minimalist statement "Less is More" is not the only irony at play in this camp fashion statement. The tiered, cake-like dress is indubitably three-dimensional, yet the flatness of the central lettering is visually arresting, as it is most fit for the swipes and likes of the touchscreen. Borrowing from the bold visual fonts often found on graphic t-shirts sold online, the type font is a sample of technical prowess: gathered and sewn tulle makes up what looks like a printed slogan. Pink and purple, the candy colours of the childlike dress, are belied by the acidic green and yellow hues of the ironic slogan, while its historicist silhouette echoes not just Marie-Antoinette's wide panniers but also her camp statement "Let them eat cake."
Artwork Details
- Title: Dress
- Couture Line: Viktor & Rolf (Dutch, founded 1993)
- Designer: Viktor Horsting (Dutch, born 1969)
- Designer: Rolf Snoeren (Dutch, born 1969)
- Date: spring/summer 2019
- Culture: Dutch
- Medium: polyester, nylon, fiberglass, cotton
- Credit Line: Purchase, Friends of The Costume Institute Gifts, 2019
- Object Number: 2019.124
- Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute
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