Trompe-l’oeil Latex at Viktor and Rolf

Trompe-l’oeil Latex at Viktor and Rolf

Trompe-l

Viktor and Rolf, Couture, SS14, Paris.

Lightweight latex tattooed with trompe-l’œil ruffles, bows and swallows was the feature of the recent Viktor and Rolf couture collection, which was modelled by members of the Dutch National Ballet. The latex in tones of nudes, beiges, browns and pinks worked perfectly to blend with the skin tones of the dancers, blurring the line between latex skin and actual body.

A sense of illusion was central to the Spring-Summer 2014 couture collection, where the flatness of the materials contrasted with the 3D illustrations. The flatness of the garments and the 3D drawings were also contrasted with the fit and flare pattern cutting, which carefully directed fullness into specific areas of the garments. These areas of pattern fullness were carefully engineered to work with the illustrations so that bows and swallows appeared to be holding up the fabric and controlling the drape of the fine latex.

Another detail worth noting was the use of underarm gussets on some of the garments which allowed the latex to be cut close to the body. Using gussets as opposed to seams or darts worked perfectly with the latex, as this allowed for larger areas of flat latex rather than breaking these areas up with panel lines. The use of gussets on such a tight fitting garment can also allow for more movement than other seam configurations and is useful when the body and sleeve pieces need to be cut in fewer pattern pieces.

Trompe-l

Trompe-l

Trompe-l

Trompe-l

Trompe-l

Trompe-l

Trompe-l

Trompe-l

Trompe-l

Trompe-l

Trompe-l

Trompe-l

Trompe-l

Images via Vogue.co.uk»

Recent Articles

Reverse Textiles at Guo Pei Haute Couture | The Cutting Class. Panelled dress with oversized sleeves from the SS20 Haute Couture collection.
26 Mar 2020
Reverse Textiles at Guo Pei Haute Couture
Guo Pei, SS20, Haute Couture, Paris. There are times where we want fashion to be a slightly elevated version of the everyday, and then there are times where you just...
Gathering and Ceramic Plates at Loewe | The Cutting Class. Detail of gathered fabric and ceramic plate by artist Takuro Kuwata from the AW20 collection.
13 Mar 2020
Gathering and Ceramic Plates at Loewe
Loewe, AW20, Paris. The Autumn-Winter 2020 collection by Jonathan Anderson for Loewe, featured fabric that had been draped and gathered around central ceramic disks or bold matte black central panels....
Connected Knits and Layering at Issey Miyake | The Cutting Class. AW20 Multi-coloured connected knits.
08 Mar 2020
Connected Knits and Layering at Issey Miyake
Issey Miyake, AW20, Paris. The Issey Miyake Autumn-Winter 2020 collection led by designer Satoshi Kondo, was made up of a series of smaller stories. These stories explored the "words and...