As this month’s London Fashion Week continues to uphold its reputation for cutting-edge style, where else would you expect the surrealist Dutch designers Viktor & Rolf to showcase their first ever retrospective? Catch them while you can at the Barbican Art Gallery

THE AVANT-GARDE Dutch fashion designers Viktor & Rolf are often described as the Gilbert & George of the fashion world. Like the infamous East London conceptual art duo, the two young fashion designers dress alike (in sharp suits with a slight edge to them), both wear black, thick glasses, have neatly cropped hair, and even sometimes finish each others’ sentences, so close are they. Beyond their appearance, the comparisons are also justified in that Viktor & Rolf are as much about conceptual art as audacious frocks. But they are also commercially savvy. The Italian mogul behind Diesel, Renzo Rosso, has just bought a controlling stake to push the company even farther. But what is expected to stay the same is their unique blend of the surreal and ironic with the fashionable as seen in their pioneering catwalk shows, which use vividly theatrical flourishes to showcase exquisitely detailed clothes.

Models striding down the catwalk in black full-face motorbike helmets, a tap-dancing womenswear launch (including the designers themselves tap-dancing) and the famous ‘Russian Doll’ moment with a single model on the catwalk dressed in 10 different layers by the designers, have all given rise to their reputation for performance art being integral to their fashion.

It’s appropriate that the first UK exhibition dedicated to this highly influential pair is at the Barbican Art Gallery in the City, which has been known for championing avantgarde art. The specially commissioned installation charts the past 15 years of Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren’s fashion. The exhibition is dominated by a stunning oversized dolls’ house, three storeys high at seven metres, filled with 55 beautiful (if slightly disturbing) dolls, each one meticulously dressed in a perfect miniature version of an iconic outfit from the designers’ past shows.

“We wanted to do something different with this exhibition and it’s one of the most extreme installations we have ever done,” the two explain in their trademark, twinlike, sentence-sharing style of conversation. “It is at once inspired by the famous Dutch dolls’ houses of the golden age, as well as Victorian department store architecture.”

The installation was designed with Dutch architect Siebe Tettero, a long-time collaborator who designed their Viktor & Rolf ‘upside-down’ boutique in Milan, as well as their Amsterdam offices. “He can translate our language into something real. This time we wanted to focus on all our collections from the past. We created a gigantic dolls’ house as our starting point. The dolls are replicas of 19th century French and German ones. The eyes are mouth-blown glass and the little wigs are made of real hair. It’s said that dolls like this were once used by couture houses in the 19th century when the couturier would create miniature versions of a design and send them to clients living abroad, who could commission the looks they wanted without having to travel.”

The Barbican exhibition, conceived four years ago, includes pieces from Launch, their “dreams in miniature” October 1996 collection. “Working with dolls is a recurrent theme for us, but it comes from that installation,” they explain.

“At that time we were frustrated by not being able to find our place in the seemingly impenetrable world of fashion and we needed to be more focused about our dreams and ambitions. We created an installation with miniatures, each depicting an element of a successful designer’s life: an atelier, a fashion show, a photo shoot, a boutique and a perfume.”

Now, 15 years later, their miniature dreams have turned into a huge reality, complete with their own perfume, Flowerbomb, launched after they signed a deal with L’Oreal in 2003 – the first high-end designers to do so since Giorgio Armani. Meanwhile in the shops their confrontational autumn/winter 2008 womenswear collection continues their “fashion anarchy” crusade, using words like “no” and “dream on” cut into the fabric or even constructed in 3D. The designers have said they wanted to take a stand against the fast pace of fashion. It’s why quirky British actress Tilda Swinton has been a recurring muse for their collections. ‘Anti-fashion’ yet stylish celebrity fans include Gwen Stefani, Tori Amos and Cate Blanchett.

Even with the perfume contracts, global branding success and a collection for Swedish fashion chain H&M, Viktor & Rolf are still hungry to challenge the divide between art and fashion.

• Until 21 September
  The exhibition, The House of Viktor & Rolf, is at the Barbican Art Gallery, Silk Street, London [+44 (0)845 120 7550, www.barbican. org.uk/artgallery] Admission £8; £6 for concessions.
• 13 September
  Coinciding with London Fashion Week and to celebrate the exhibition, Viktor & Rolf will be guests of honour at an event highlighting their sources of inspiration. Check the Barbican website (above) for booking details. Also see www.viktor-rolf.com
• The Vondelpark
  “We love to walk with our dogs Vicky and Zwaantje in this park. Especially in the early morning before work, when the park is waking up and all is quiet in the midst of the city.”
• Gallery Diana Stigter,
  Elandsstraat 90 [+31(0)20 624 2361, www.dianastigter.nl] and Van Zomeren Gallery [276 Prinsengracht, + 31(0)20 420 8129, www.gmvz.com]. “They often have great exhibitions.”
• The ‘9 streets’ in the heart of Amsterdam’s canal district. “It’s one of the city’s most delightful shopping areas. Spend a fabulous day exploring the designer boutiques, art galleries, jewellers, gift shops, fashion shops (like Van Ravenstein, Keizergracht 359, +31 (0)20 639 0067, www. van-ravenstein.nl), specialist businesses and there are plenty of great bars, cafes and restaurants to refresh you.”
• Het Muziekgebouw aan het IJ, Piet Hein kade 1 [+31 (0)20 788 2010, www.muziekgebouw.nl]. “The restaurant at the Muziekgebouw is worth a visit, even if only for a coffee. Wherever you look, the view is spectacular.”
• Rijksmuseum, Jan Luijkenstraat 1 [+31 (0)20 674 7000, www. rijksmuseum.nl ], and the Van Gogh Museum, Museumplein [+3 (0)120 570 5200;www3. vangoghmuseum.nl]. “Each Friday the museums are open until 10pm and there’s always something special going on.”