So the women's spring 2001 collections have begun with the kids playing in the corner and the adults, the establishment designers, doing their best not to take any of this too seriously.
"My dream is to represent a fresh, modern group for the future — I don't look for establishment designers but someone with important creativity, and Viktor & Rolf are the expression of my luxury," Mr. Rosso said in a telephone interview on Monday.
In traditional key establishment schemes, designers delete all the unidirectional links from the network.
He suggests, the establishment brings designers in because they are officially mandated and allowed to examine the feelings of consumers and then advocate for them.
Dubbed as the "New Bohemia" by cultural critic John Gruen in a 1967 Vogue, the focus was on rejecting the Establishment, with designers selecting bold colors and patterns and unusual materials like paper.
His feet may be firmly under the desk, but rather than relaxing into a comfortable position in the Paris establishment, the Belgian designer is looking at this rarified world with the fresh eyes of an outsider.
The impact that progressive designers can have on classic lines is well documented, but the effect goes both ways, giving the designer immediate establishment status for a signature collection.
