Sometimes in fashion the most singular ideas stem from two minds. Think Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana; Mark Badgley and James Mischka; Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen. But when it comes to theatricality, whimsy and grand showmanship, the go-to twosome is unquestionably Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren.
Here, the Paris-based Viktor & Rolf designers famous for their over-the-top looks for men and women as well as fragrance, tell SaksPOV about one of their favorite subjects, New York City. Fittingly, the responses arrived signed by both men, who in addition to being photographed wearing the same ensemble and even spectacles, also cared to be quoted in unison.
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“New York City as a whole is always inspiring and energizing,” they say. “We love a nice stroll among the art galleries in Chelsea. Recently, we were very honored to see a large scale print by Andreas Gursky of our Spring/Summer 2010 show on exhibition at the Gagosian Gallery. It was beautiful.”
What else is on the agenda when they come to New York? “We usually do a tour of the big museums as well as the gallery district. We like vintage and antique furniture shopping on the Upper East Side. We love Japanese food so we often go to Omen in SoHo.”
The pair’s base in New York City, where they visit several times each year, is the Mandarin Oriental hotel. “The view of Central Park from the Mandarin is amazing,” they rave. “And the service is excellent. Plus, the spa is bliss.”
A trip to Manhattan — and, specifically, the Saks Fifth Avenue flagship — inspired their newly launched men’s fragrance, Spicebomb. “A few years ago were in Saks to visit our Flowerbomb team and we were suddenly so jealous that all the women could buy Flowerbomb,” they recall. “We wanted to have our own bomb. We then created Spicebomb.”
True to its name, the new fragrance has a deeply spicy character — with hints of cinnamon, saffron, and chili — but it’s also got an almost tangible brush of citrus as well. It’s the perfect springtime scent, come to think of it — with a balanced combination of the potent spices and lighter notes — and it’s just the sort of fragrance that, although it was created for men, smells just divine on confident women as well. Spicebomb will hit Saks Fifth Avenue stores in the fall.
But although the city inspires them, Viktor and Rolf always enjoy an indulgence when they’re in New York that’s not exactly city specific: “Room service,” they exclaim. “We love the luxury of staying in and having privacy.”
Check out the Viktor & Rolf men’s collection on saks.com:
