Viktor&Rolf to mentor fashion design students at Istituto Marangoni Paris
Istituto Marangoni Paris has announced a major partnership with the Dutch house Viktor&Rolf for the 2026-2027 academic year. This immersive mentorship, structured as an Industry Project, connects emerging designers with the strategic and conceptual realities of a major global luxury brand.
At a time when the fashion industry is questioning the renewal of presentation formats and the value of pure creativity, fashion schools are accelerating their alliances with leading industry figures. Istituto Marangoni Paris has made a significant move by entrusting the mentorship of its 2026-2027 Fashion Design class to Dutch designers Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren, founders of the house Viktor&Rolf.
Announced in Paris this July 2026, this collaboration goes beyond a simple academic framework. It places students at the heart of a practical case study: to design the forward-looking vision for the brand's spring/summer 2028 women's ready-to-wear collection.
Complete brief: from prototype to presentation concept
The programme requires students to fully immerse themselves in the conceptual and theatrical world of the house, which is renowned for its landmark shows, from Russian Doll (1999) to Late Stage Capitalism Waltz (2023) and more recently Diamond Kite (Couture SS26).
To convince the Dutch duo, students will need to build a strong artistic direction for the SS28 collection and translate it into three key looks. The project also includes creating print and digital lookbooks. Additionally, it involves designing an innovative presentation format for Paris Fashion Week, intended to reinvent the traditional runway show.
The project will kick off in November on the Paris campus with an exclusive masterclass led by Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren. Throughout the course, the work will be punctuated by two online follow-up sessions with the Viktor&Rolf creative studio, before a final presentation in Paris to the house's executives and representatives.
Professional benefits and career opportunities
Beyond the educational aspect, this project is a tangible professional launchpad for the students. The house has committed to several strategic integration opportunities:
The winning student will secure an internship in the ready-to-wear and Bridal Design studio at the Viktor&Rolf headquarters in Amsterdam.
Two to three selected students will go behind the scenes at the spring/summer 2027 ready-to-wear showroom in Paris as dressers.
All participants will receive special access to the next major Couture exhibition dedicated to Viktor&Rolf at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.
“This collaboration reflects Istituto Marangoni Paris's commitment to forging strong links with major industry players. Beyond its academic dimension, the project creates a meaningful dialogue between teaching and creative practice. It offers students the opportunity to directly engage with Viktor&Rolf's vision while exploring the future of ready-to-wear,” said Valérie Berdah-Levy, general director of Istituto Marangoni France.
Business challenge: passing on a hybrid and profitable model
Founded in 1993, the house of Viktor&Rolf embodies a unique business model in the luxury landscape. As a pioneer of experimental and conceptual fashion, it has successfully converted its intellectual prestige into global commercial success. This is thanks in particular to its partnership with L'Oréal for the Flowerbomb perfume franchise (launched in 2005); its Bridal lines; and its international museum presence (Rothschild Kunsthal in Rotterdam, Kunsthalle in Munich in 2024, High Museum of Art in Atlanta in 2025-2026).
By entrusting its students to this unconventional duo, Istituto Marangoni Paris is making a very pragmatic choice. The aim is no longer just to train stylists, but to train and equip designers capable of combining uncompromising artistic audacity with a mastery of the industrialisation and image constraints imposed by the market.