HAUTE COUTURE WEEK SPRING/SUMMER 2026: DAY 3

VIKTOR & ROLF
review by VERONICA TLAPANCO SZABÓ

all images courtesy of VIKTOR & ROLF

Viktor & Rolf have always been enchanters of volume, directing and tilting clothing in ways that feel unimaginable and undaunted like during their haute couture 23 show. Models' faces were held taut by braids, while their shoulders housed honeycomb like spheres, spilling symmetrically outwards in an ombré that contrasted sharply against severe black silhouettes.

“We go back to black so often because it’s the best colour for silhouettes,” the designers explain, and here, their choice serves as a dramatic backdrop for the collection’s strongest accent: pink! A favourite hue of the duo for years (mine too). The collection as a whole reads as both bug-like and full of childlike wonder, with colour deployed in an almost aposematic fashion. The kite shape dominates each look, stacked sticks and colourful accoutrements evoke a playful Mikado spirit, with extra bows or trimmings accumulating from look to look, building anticipation for the grand finale.

A grand “kite” that housed one model elevated, a tribute to Kate Bush’s iconic The Kick Inside album cover. Bush’s music has inspired Viktor & Rolf from the very beginning, shaping them into architectural magicians and sending their creations soaring to wuthering heights!

ROBERT WUN
review by MAREK BARTEK

all images courtesy of ROBERT WUN

Robert Wun’s latest couture collection, titled Valor, approached fashion as an act of endurance. Presented at the Lido in Paris, the show was structured in three chapters tracing the emotional phases of creation — from early imagination to confrontation with reality, and finally resolve.

The opening section focused on origin. Working in strict black and white, Wun delivered sculptural silhouettes built from memory and reminiscent of his previous work: fitted bodices, rounded shoulder constructions, and flared skirts translated sketchbook thinking into a couture vision. The emphasis was on contour and balance with embroidery and beadwork used to reinforce structure.

The middle passage shifted toward tension and exposure. Jewellery-inspired bodices, crystal-covered masks, and sharply engineered corsetry examined how value and image are constructed around the body. Colour appeared more forcefully here, cutting through otherwise restrained bases and heightening contrast.

The closing sequence leaned into protection and perseverance. Metallic surfaces, armour references, and anatomical illusions reframed couture as emotional defence as much as decoration. Storm imagery in the background underscored the mood, but the focus remained on workmanship — dense embellishment, engineered shapes, and material weight.

Wun offers a testimony: to create couture is to labour, embrace pressure, and remain determined to keep creating at the highest level.