Viktor & Rolf Haute Couture AW25/26: Angry Birds Take Flight

This is what comes to mind when you think of couture: bold silhouettes, exaggerated volumes, and a vision that may not reveal itself at first glance, but one that draws you in and leaves you wanting more.

Modern Culture of Tomorrow takes a closer look at Viktor & Rolf’s Haute Couture AW25/26 collection…

“Angry Birds” is the title the Dutch design duo gave their latest collection, and the theme is more than evident upon first glance. Make-up reminiscent of Black Swan, layers upon layers of feathers, and design cues drawn from a wide array of exotic birds. Known for their voluminous tulle creations, Viktor & Rolf once again crafted ginormous silhouettes with varied construction – from cascading lace to dramatically puffed-up shoulders.

In Your Own Shadow?

What made this collection particularly enthralling was its conceptual approach: Viktor & Rolf presented 15 pairs of identical garments, resulting in 30 looks in total. The designs explored the expressive potential of presence and absence, spectacle and subtlety. Each pair offered two versions of the same black outfit – one voluminous, vibrant, and feather-adorned with shapes evoking the image of a bird proudly puffing up its chest, complete with custom hats by milliner Stephen Jones; the other, its minimalist alter ego – unadorned, fluid, and almost like the first garment’s quiet shadow. It seems a beautifully displayed critique of being in someone’s shadow – or rather your own.

Birds Of A Feather

Feathers have, for centuries, adorned garments and accessories as symbols of wealth, status, and refined taste. But they also represent freedom, transcendence, and spiritual elevation. They evoke luxury and fantasy, two of the spiritual core pillars of Haute Couture. All of the 11,500 feathers in this collection are cruelty-free and have been individually hand-crafted from fabric.

This season has seen many retrospective collections, especially in light of the ongoing shuffle of creative directors across fashion houses. Viktor & Rolf also decided to look back, specifically at their very first Haute Couture collection from Autumn/Winter 1998/99, which explored a similar duality by showcasing the same shapes twice: once with exaggerated volume, and once in a more understated form.

Bird’s Eye View

The contrast between the subtle and the spectacular is reminiscent of a bird’s mating dance – where the male bird displays all his colours in dazzling detail to captivate a mate. Simultaneously, it brings to mind the metaphor of someone emerging from their shell. In the context of the collection’s title, Angry Birds, perhaps it also serves as a reminder to no longer remain quiet, but instead to reveal every facet of oneself – regardless of the context.

These puffed “Angry Birds” are not just playing around—they are poised to break free.

Image credits: Viktor & Rolf