The way Viktor & Rolf see it, Allegri should exude a fashion aura rather than just concentrate on single pieces.
“We didn’t want to only focus on the technical side of the product and on fabrics, as that is now available from the more commercial brands,” said Viktor Horsting in an exclusive interview. “We want to focus on Allegri’s style, update it and strengthen the brand’s fashion appeal.”
As they get ready to unveil their first collection on Monday, the Dutch duo explained what attracted them to Allegri, the storied Tuscan outerwear and rainwear specialist.
“This collaboration is a wonderful opportunity to work with one of the best Italian sportswear manufacturers,” said Horsting. “In our own collection, we like to focus on classic wardrobe elements, such as tuxedos, the white shirt, the little black dress and the trenchcoat. Allegri, too, is a renowned producer of trench and raincoats, which is why the collaboration feels natural.”
Allegri signed a three-year contract with Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren in November to further develop its image and raise its international profile. They replaced another pair, A.F. Vandevorst, and before that Giorgio Armani, Romeo Gigli and Martin Margiela.
For fall, raising Allegri’s fashion bar meant putting a modern twist on cinematic favorites. The bespectacled designers dipped into the brand’s archives and emerged with variations on the trench — the focal item — parkas, windbreakers and peacoats, all with a glamorous streak.
Silhouettes are lean or boxy and styles range from a silk parka with a large houndstooth print and pleated border to shearling-lined aviator jackets and thermo sealed trenchcoats in rayon and polyester gabardine. The color chart includes greens, browns, whites and black with accents of lilac, pink and ocher.
“The approach is one of reduction, where the superfluous is deleted because we wanted to clean up and modernize the Allegri look,” said Horsting.
The Allegri Group, which produces outerwear for Armani and Neil Barrett, has annual revenues of $66.5 million. The Allegri brand is carried in 700 sales points worldwide, including Bergdorf Goodman, Louis of Boston and Wilkes & Bashford in the U.S.
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“Both parties are really eager to invest in this partnership,” Horsting said, “which is the most important component of any relationship.”