The story of Viktor & Rolf
Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren met at the Arnhem Academy of Art in the Netherlands and founded their house in 1993. Their early work, close to contemporary art, played on irony, subversion and staging. They went on to present haute couture collections in Paris, where their spectacular shows made a lasting impression. In fragrance, developed with the L'Oréal group, Flowerbomb, launched in 2005, turned a grenade into a pink crystal bottle: the idea was to make flowers explode, transforming something negative into something positive. The fragrance became a major global success. Spicebomb, in 2012, adapted the concept for men with a black grenade and a spicy composition, followed in 2015 by Spicebomb Extreme, more intense and richer in vanilla. The grenade has since become one of the most recognisable bottle shapes in modern perfumery.
An olfactory signature
At Viktor & Rolf, power is put at the service of softness. Flowerbomb pairs bergamot, tea and osmanthus with a heart of jasmine, rose and orchid, then a base of patchouli, vanilla and musk: a sweet, enveloping floral explosion. Spicebomb blends grapefruit, pink pepper, cinnamon, saffron and paprika with tobacco, vetiver and leather. Spicebomb Extreme pushes the tobacco towards vanilla and amber. Each one is built to be noticed, with bold contrasts and generous projection.
Which Viktor & Rolf perfume to choose?
For a woman who loves generous, gourmand florals, Flowerbomb is the reference, ideal for evenings and cooler seasons. For men, Spicebomb suits those who want a spicy tobacco oriental that stays fairly dry. Spicebomb Extreme, richer and sweeter with vanilla, is perfect for winter nights. All three project strongly, so one or two sprays are enough.