Aubade collaborates with Viktor&Rolf

French lingerie brand Aubade has collaborated with Dutch design duo Viktor&Rolf on a one-off capsule lingerie collection which aims to “seductively” merge the world of avant-garde fashion with premium lingerie.

The exclusive 9-piece collection for autumn/winter 2019/20 centres around the bow, a quintessential symbol of the brand, which Aubade states adds a “feminine and outspoken fashion edge” to the lingerie collection.

Laser cut bows and delicate garlands of dots adorn the capsule’s signature lace, while flat satin bows add an unexpected touch to both the front and the back of the pieces, in keeping with Aubade’s tradition of featuring “delicate yet provocative” detailing to its lingerie.

The lingerie line comes in two bold colourways, ‘Soir’ black and ‘bonbon’ pink, and features a half-cup underwire bra, comfort half cup bra, plunging triangle underwire bra, comfort moulded half cut bra, and a triangle bra, all styled with double shoulder straps in the back. To match, there is a tanga slip, a Brazilian brief or a statement all-over lace St. Tropez brief, as well as peek-a-bow lace top.

The signature bow motifs also star in the line of Viktor&Rolf x Aubademen boxers, available in bonbon and black, while black and white designs feature playful top hats, canes, moustaches and bow ties.

Aubade states that the collaboration is a “perfect fit” as the collection perfectly showcase how both brands are “feminine, sensual, elegant and playful”.

To celebrate the collaboration, Aubade is opening a Viktor&Rolf pop-up at Harrods in London this summer, which will also include an exclusive nightgown. The pop-up will run from July 24 until the end of August within the luxury department store’s lingerie department.

Five minutes with Viktor&Rolf on their lingerie collaboration

Ahead of the June launch, FashionUnited chatted with Viktor&Rolf over email on their collaboration with French lingerie brand Aubade, what the inspiration was behind the collection, what it was like creating lingerie, as well as their thoughts on social media, the fashion industry and whether they will relaunch their pret-a-porter line.

How did you find working with Aubade?

For us, the creative process of this capsule collection was very exciting, lingerie requires a much more stripped down and subtle approach than our more avant-garde expressions.

With this capsule collection we wanted to combine our signature DNA with Aubade’s expertise of seductively modern lingerie.

What was the main inspiration behind the collection?

Our iconic bow is the main focus of our capsule collection, as it has been the red thread throughout our 25-year body of work. We focused on expressing ourselves on a small scale - literally and figuratively: a bold motif and striking colour.

Using our signature bow as the leading motif, we crafted a 9-piece collection highlighting the feminine and outspoken nature of the bow. The capsule’s signature lace features an appliquéd bow motif and delicate garlands of dots on a mesh background, while satin bows add an unexpected touch to both the front and back of the pieces.

What do you think about designer brands doing collaborations?

We have done several collaborations within our 25 years body of work - with H&M and Bugaboo. We like to work with partners who are specialists in their field and who can make a type of product we don’t usually get to design due because they require such specific know how. Lingerie is a good example.

Are you working on any other new projects?

We are always working on exciting projects and are looking forward to the new season.

Will you relaunch your pret-a-porter line?

At the moment we are focusing on our couture, our laboratory of experimentation, and our Mariage, Soir and Tulle collections.

What would you like to change about the fashion industry today?

The tempo.

Is there anything you miss?

A sense of mystery.

How is your relationship with social media? Do you think it is an important platform for your fashion?

It feels like the wheel has been invented but we still need to discover its real purpose. Having said that, we enjoy the direct connection with our audience.

The Viktor&Rolf x Aubade Bow 9-piece lingerie collection launches in June and will be available from selected retail partners, Aubade’s boutiques and the brand’s online store.

Images: courtesy of Aubade; Viktor&Rolf by Frits Schroeder