Viktor & Rolf and Zalando team up to launch ‘recycled’ collection

By

Chenu Alexis

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Jan 12, 2018

On February 1, fashion e-tailer Zalando will introduce a quirky capsule collection by Viktor & Rolf, labelled 'Re: Cycle' and inspired by the Dutch designer duo's latest haute couture collections. It is also the first eco-sustainable collaboration featured by the German e-tailer.

The 'Re: Cycle' collection is manufactured entirely using Zalando's unsold apparel stock, and includes among others a slip dress, a bow-trimmed top, a sheer shirt, a patchwork-style top and a printed t-shirt, with prices ranging between €50 and €250.

Ever since terminating the ready-to-wear line in 2015, Viktor & Rolf has chosen to focus on the haute couture collection, first introduced in 1998. In recent seasons, the label has also taken a keen interest in upcycling and in the power of transformation. A theme that was pursued by Zalando at the latest edition of the Bread & Butter show in 2017, when Viktor & Rolf presented a haute couture show featuring fabrics picked from the fashion label's archives.

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"In our latest collections, we explored new recycling methods, and new artistic means of reusing elements from the past in order to create something entirely new," said the designers. "For example, fragments of XXth century cocktail dresses and evening gowns have been reassembled in a surrealist fashion, generating unexpected shapes."

Thanks to the collaboration with Zalando, the two designers are happy to "make progress in the direction of eco-sustainable fashion, breathing new life into forgotten garments, in an accessible, daring way."

Jolanda Smit, Zalando's Director of Communication, praised the work of Viktor & Rolf, saying she is delighted to "be able to offer [Zalando's] consumers the opportunity to choose an environmentally friendly style."