Dutch design duo drop a bomb

NEW YORK -- Viktor and Rolf, fashion's dynamic Dutch duo, pride themselves on doing the unexpected.

They describe their designs as "surreal twists on convention." Last spring's collection, for example, featured goddess-style evening gowns morphed into tailored trousers.

And when they presented their current spring line in Paris, the look was a sleek all-black wardrobe with models in motorcycle helmets -- until halfway through the show when what turned out to be a revolving runway spun to reveal a colorful garden full of gowns.

Knowing their penchant for drama, even the designers' own appearance is surprising. During a recent interview in Manhattan, they could've passed for tourists in their casual clothes while drinking coffee in their hotel lounge.

But their most unforeseen move yet might be the launch of their first fragrance, Flowerbomb.

Eschewing the haute couture or avant garde routes that would seem natural for them, Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren teamed with cosmetics giant L'Oreal.

"It was unexpected but very exciting," says Rolf about the partnership. The designers say they share L'Oreal's goal of introducing Viktor & Rolf to many more consumers than the fashion insiders who make up most of their current client base.

"There always was a clear understanding that we didn't want a niche fragrance. We wanted quality and beauty, with a story to tell, and we wanted it to be big," Viktor says.

Finishing the thought, Rolf adds, "You can have quality and still be big."

They think a broader audience will understand their message of dissecting cliches they have so far conveyed by putting models in chic eveningwear while wearing antlers on their heads. "The story we have to tell is universal," according to Viktor. "The essence of our work is complexity. There's humor, there's seriousness. ... We mix the explosive with the romantic, the unexpected with the classical."

They note that despite the theatrics of their fashion shows, they grew up in a suburban neighborhood so they can speak the language of the masses. (The 35-year-old designers acknowledge, however, that as teenagers they were fascinated by Hollywood glamour and that they no longer are in touch with their childhood playmates.)

The big picture of fashion has room for pieces that are wearable, others that are "art" and some that blend the two, Rolf says. The designers did indeed graduate from the Dutch Arhnem Academy of Art.

Flowerbomb was three years in the works, and Viktor and Rolf started with the name.

"We were drawn to flowers but we knew that we didn't want one flower. We wanted an explosion, and 'Flowerbomb' is a a message for the times we live in. It's positive, it's finding a positive in negative," Rolf says.

The actual scent includes top notes of tea and bergamot, a heart of jasmine with a hint of orange tree, orchid, freesia and rose, while the base is patchouli, which has been made more woody than earthy by redistillation of the essence. The bottle mimics a diamond.

Viktor and Rolf were very involved in each stage of Flowerbomb's development, saying they're not the type of people who would simply put their name on something. "The fragrance is part of the DNA of Viktor & Rolf," Viktor says.

In fact, Rolf says, Flowerbomb was treated as if they were creating one of their collections. "We always start with a story. We treat our show as a performance, and the clothes are actors in the show conveying our message. The collections are reflections on each other and they are very personal."

"It's all about us and where we are and where we're headed toward the future," Viktor explains.

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On the Net:

http://www.viktor-rolf.com