«It takes time to understand who you are», an interview with Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren On the occasion of Spectrum, the 10 Corso Como exhibition dedicated to Viktor&Rolf, unveiled during this Milan Fashion Week

Spectrum, the first Italian exhibition dedicated to Dutch designers Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren, founders of Viktor&Rolf, was inaugurated at 10 Corso Como during the latest Milan Fashion Week. More than twenty Haute Couture looks created over the course of their thirty-year-plus career are on display in the Milanese store’s Gallery, in a project that gives visitors the opportunity to take a closer look at the designers’ work and fully discover their creative vision.

Curated by Alessio de’ Navasques, curator of the cultural programme at 10 Corso Como, the exhibition draws inspiration from the duality that has always been an integral part of Viktor&Rolf: contrasts, returns, and pairs. From the very beginning, the brand has combined fashion and art (the designers prefer to define themselves as «fashion artists» precisely to escape conventional definitions) in collections that use irony and surrealism to critique society and the fashion system of which they themselves are part.

On the occasion of the opening of Viktor&Rolf. Spectrum, which is free to visit until November 22, 2026, we had the opportunity to meet Tiziana Fausti, President of 10 Corso Como, as well as Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren. Here is what they told us.

What does it mean to you to work at the intersection of art and fashion, at a time when the industry seems to be leaning so much on business and commerciality?

Viktor Horsting: We've always approached our work in a way that feels like a self-portrait. We use it as a tool to say something, to express ourselves. In that sense, we're probably close to the way an artist might work. This is probably unusual in the context of fashion, but to us, it comes completely naturally.

We never really asked ourselves, «Is it fashion? Is it art?» We're just not that interested in that question, or in labeling it. We actually started calling ourselves fashion artists to avoid the question of what it is. 

What aspect of the industry are you most puzzled by at the moment? Is there something that you'd make fun of today?

Viktor Horsting: Perhaps I wouldn't use the word fun. It's true that humor and irony are play an important role in our work, but what we strive for is complexity. That's why we often work around the idea of duality. For instance, we'll show something inflated or completely stuffed with feathers, but we'll also show it with all the feathers taken out. 

Rolf Snoeren: What fascinates us is the power play at work in fashion, where lies the power, who decides what. And that for us, in the end, the power lies in the idea.  

In a way, to be able to comment on the industry from the inside is a form of power in itself. 

Viktor Horsting: We always say that we have one foot inside the system and one foot out. We're part of the system somehow, but we're also commenting on the system. So we're detached, but we're also connected. Again, a duality.

Rolf Snoeren: And there's probably power in deciding consciously or unconsciously that this is our approach. Everything can make a cultural impact with the right idea and newness to it.

Do you have any advice for a young designer or a young brand owner who looks up to you and your work at Viktor&Rolf? 

Rolf Snoeren: What we usually say to young designers is to make something that nobody has seen before, because then automatically things will happen. You also need to take your time: with social media, there's a lot of pressure to perform fast, to know who you are and to stick to that vision. It took us five years to really understand our DNA. It takes time to understand who you are.

How did the collaboration with Viktor&Rolf come about?

Tiziana Fausti: The strength of this duo is unique and unparalleled. Our ongoing search for distinctive and influential personalities led us to focus our attention on Viktor&Rolf’s duality, particularly on their relationship with the history of fashion and the world of art.

Over the years, Viktor&Rolf have developed a unique language, creating a sort of personal alphabet through which they interpret and convey their perception of the art world.

The exhibition is free for all visitors. What is the broader objective of 10 Corso Como’s cultural programme?

Tiziana Fausti: Our cultural initiative stems from the desire to bring the worlds of fashion and culture ever closer together, going beyond fashion’s commercial dimension and highlighting its cultural significance. We believe it is essential to nurture this world through interest, research, and attention, supporting a system that is currently undergoing a period of transformation. For us, 10 Corso Como represents a space where the relationship between fashion, art, and culture can take on a central role.