ROTTERDAM.- On Wednesday afternoon Viktor & Rolf presented their latest haute couture collection to the international fashion world during Paris Fashion Week. Immediately after the show, collector, patron and art activist Han Nefkens bought three creations from the well-received collection and yesterday announced that they will be gifted to Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen. The three looks, among them the spectacular piece that closed the show, will be on display in the museum later this year.

The latest collection, inspired by the raw energy of Vincent Van Gogh’s exuberant depiction of the countryside, was favourably received yesterday afternoon in a packed Palais de Tokyo in Paris. Han Nefkens was there and said of the collection, ‘Yet again I was impressed by the amazing way Viktor & Rolf expressed their ideas and fantasies.’ ARTtube.nl – Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen and twelve other museums’ online video channel – was there, too, and broadcast the show live. Thousands of people watching at home enjoyed the show on this exclusive live stream, made possible by Han Nefkens Fashion on the Edge in collaboration with Viktor & Rolf.

Flower prints come to life
The 2015 Spring/Summer Haute Couture collection presented Wednesday is a riot of A-line baby doll dresses with flower prints, combined with free-form straw hats and flip-flops. As the show progresses, the colour and volume of the looks build, the petals on the prints seem to unfurl more and more, escaping from the outlines of the clothes. The 2D flower prints transform into sculptural 3D shapes. The straw hats are a surrealist nod to country life and ultimately fuse with the forms of the garment so that the hat and the dress become one. All the materials were produced by VLISCO with paint and printing techniques inspired by authentic batik.

Accessible
Since 1999 Han Nefkens (Rotterdam, 1954) has been buying international contemporary art and immediately giving it to museums on long-term loan. In the past few years these gifts have included fashion creations by young designers worldwide who work at the cutting edge of fashion and art. Han Nefkens explained: ‘It gives me enormous satisfaction to know that these creations by the Netherlands’ most prominent international couturiers will be seen in the museum by the general public. For me it is much, much more than just acquiring the work. I want to share a vision with other people.’

Han Nefkens Fashion on the Edge
Han Nefkens has been working with Viktor & Rolf for years. Work by Viktor & Rolf was also showcased in ‘The Future of Fashion is Now’ in Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, which was an initiative of Han Nefkens Fashion on the Edge. Until the exhibition ended on 18 January 2015, more than 83,000 visitors enjoyed the ‘Zen Garden’ and ‘Red Carpet’ collections. Han Nefkens Fashion on the Edge is joint venture between Han Nefkens, fashion expert José Teunissen and Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen that focuses on encouraging experimental developments in the fashion world.