paris couture week

Look at These Beautiful Memes

Viktor & Rolf Spring 2019 Couture. Photo: Isidore Montag/Imaxtree

It was only a matter of time before meme culture made its way to the highest level of fashion: Paris Haute Couture Week. If you think about it, though, every meme is a work of thoughtful craftsmanship.

The design duo behind Viktor & Rolf are known for crafting clothes that look like art, not memes. In the past, they’ve shown gowns made of actual canvases and tulle creations with holes scissored through the middle. Their spring 2019 couture collection was arguably their biggest statement yet, with the garments themselves printed with — and overshadowed by all-caps phrases like “Go F*ck Yourself.”

The Fédération de la Haute Couture might have frowned at this collection, but Instagram ate it up within minutes. Phrases like “Big Mood” and “Me” were a natural fit as captions for such flippant, bold phrases. Some might see this as an easy ploy for clicks — the opposite of haute couture, which is meant to be painstaking and handcrafted. Is this a sign that fashion is losing the last pure, sacred thing it can protect? Or is it possible that Instagram is helping to give couture a second life?

Below, some obvious standouts from the Viktor & Rolf spring 2019 Haute Couture collection.

Viktor & Rolf spring 2019 Couture. Photo: Isidore Montag/Isidore Montag
Viktor & Rolf spring 2019 Couture. Photo: Isidore Montag/Imaxtree
Viktor & Rolf spring 2019 Couture. Photo: Isidore Montag/Imaxtree
Viktor & Rolf spring 2019 Couture. Photo: Isidore Montag/Imaxtree
Viktor & Rolf spring 2019 Couture. Photo: Isidore Montag/Imaxtree
Viktor & Rolf spring 2019 Couture. Photo: Isidore Montag/Imaxtree
Viktor & Rolf spring 2019 Couture. Photo: Isidore Montag/Imaxtree
Viktor & Rolf spring 2019 Couture. Photo: Isidore Montag/Imaxtree
Viktor & Rolf spring 2019 Couture. Photo: Isidore Montag/Imaxtree
Viktor & Rolf spring 2019 Couture. Photo: Isidore Montag/Imaxtree
Look at These Beautiful Memes