In their first Haute Couture presentation since closing the chapter on ready-to-wear, the Dutch designers present a collection that returns to their innovative and surrealist roots

Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoersen, better known as Viktor & Rolf, presented their debut Haute Couture collection seventeen years ago. In their most recent presentation for Autumn Winter 2015, the Amsterdam based designer duo returned to their artisanal roots with a collection in tribute to the late Richard Martin, curator of the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art who labelled the designer’s collections as forms of “wearable art.”

Using fashion and art as means of expression, Viktor & Rolf’s latest collection presents dresses as forms of artwork with design details including a smashed canvas, a cracked textile frame unleash the silhouette creating a voluminous number that allows a seemingly Baroque art form come to life. With dresses featuring splattered paint, the painterly gesture is achieved through trompe l'oeil techniques: each artwork is executed in a complex layering of laser-cut jacquards, embroideries and appliqués.

The artistry behind the collection is indicative from the renowned art collector Han Nefkens move to acquire a piece from the Haute Couture collection after it was shown earlier this month at their Paris show. Nefken’s acquisition will be donated to the Museums Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam.