New Publication “Viktor&Rolf: Cover Cover”

Fri, Jun 22 - Sat, Jun 22  2019

The conceptual creations of Viktor&Rolf are celebrated in a new Phaidon publication: “Viktor&Rolf: Cover Cover,” conceived and designed by acclaimed graphic designer Irma Boom. Available for pre-order now ($200 USD/$250 CAN; special format).

Viktor&Rolf: Cover Cover

Like Viktor&Rolf, Irma Boom is renowned for her bold, experimental, conceptual-led approach to design and Cover Cover is no different—it truly elevates bookmaking to a whole new level. Entirely made up of eight-page gatefolds, Cover Cover is hand-sewn and comprised of various paperweights, starting with super-fine, becoming thicker as the reader turns the pages and discovers each collection. Each gatefold showcases a specific runway show or special event, providing a complete overview of the Viktor&Rolf label and allowing the designers’ work to be viewed in multiple ways.

Fully illustrated with 400 images by celebrated photographers such as Tim Walker and Inez and Vinoodh, as well as sketches and catwalk shots, Cover Cover details Viktor&Rolf’s beautifully made haute couture and ready-to-wear collections, worn and loved by contemporary cultural figures such as Tilda Swinton, Lady Gaga, and Zendaya. All the photographs in the book have also been inverted, giving the designers’ collections another dimension, heightening their already theatrical and conceptual nature. Text contributions by Suzy Menkes, Andrew Bolton, and Princess Mabel van Oranje are also scattered throughout the book.

Admired for challenging the convention of traditional books, Boom has created an extraordinary object that mirrors Viktor&Rolf’s signature style and serves as an homage to the spectacle of fashion. This wildly fantastical book doesn’t simply document their incredible career; it takes Viktor&Rolf’s creations and turns them upside down and inside out. From the dynamic interior spreads to the hot pink acetate jacket complete with the V&R seal, Cover Cover is an object of beauty to be explored and treasured.

About the Authors

Viktor Horsting (b. 1969) and Rolf Snoeren (b. 1969) met when they were both fashion students at the Academy of Art and Design in Arnhem, The Netherlands. After graduating, they moved to Paris and began working together in 1993, officially launching their label Viktor&Rolf in 1998. Initially focusing on haute couture, they launched their first ready-to-wear collection in 2000, their first menswear collection in 2003, and continue to design couture today.

Irma Boom is an award-winning Dutch book designer and educator, based in Amsterdam. She has designed a large number of books for clients as diverse as OMA/Rem Koolhaas, Chanel, and Ferrari. Her books are united by a shared sense of unconventional beauty.