The talent: Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren

Design duo Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren, of Amsterdam-based label Viktor & Rolf, have been blurring the lines between art and fashion since 1993 with conceptual designs and theatrical presentation. On their last visit to Hong Kong, they spoke to The Talent about celebrating 20 years in fashion and their return to haute couture.

Rolf Snoeren: "Fashion for us is almost like a self-portrait, which is why our shows are more like performances. Shows are a way to say something, to show something more than just the clothes of the season."

Snoeren: "We try to reinvent things women already know, but in different ways. We like to start from something classical and then twist it. Our clothes offer a few paradoxes - it's about unexpected elegance, conceptual glamour and provocative couture."

Snoeren: "Couture was giving us a lot of recognition and sold to museums, but it didn't generate business. We wanted to divide the message between ready-to-wear and couture, so we decided to stop for some time. Now that we have defined the ready-to-wear message, we decided it was the right time to come back."

Viktor Horsting: "We try to avoid thinking about what people are expecting. So our latest couture collection was the opposite of what everyone expected because it wasn't grand, although it was very dramatic and grounded."

Snoeren: "We had 20 girls in 20 outfits. We wanted to create a tableau vivant of a Zen garden. So the girls would come out, walk and then take their positions in this 'garden'. All the clothes were cut for their position so, when they would sit, the garment would fall perfectly. When they stood you'd see unexpected drapes or asymmetric hemlines. Every piece was made from one fabric; we wanted it to look very organic."