With effortlessly luxurious and cool garments mirroring the relaxed local culture, Australian fashion label, Viktoria and Woods, has grown to become synonymous with ethical, clean fashion. At the heart of their brand is the deep commitment to using premium fabrics, including Australian Merino Wool, a core component that has remained steady throughout the brand's growth and expansion. Recently, I spoke with one of the brand’s head designers, Margie Woods, and fellow designer, Lisa Reynolds, who work as a team to curate and develop the brand’s signature effortless look. They have particularly distinct roles and different approaches to the design process. Woods is visual and conceptual in her approach and takes on the role of overall creative director, while Reynolds refines the original concept, building mood boards and managing production all the way through to delivery. They agree that they are aligned in their ideas, and even when they are not, they manage to effortlessly balance each other out.
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When asked about the core of good, everlasting design, Woods pointed out a key component of Viktoria and Woods: “Luxury fabrication, considered construction, and simplicity.”
Simplicity has remained a hallmark of the Viktoria and Woods designs over the years and underpins their most recently released collection, Assembly 16. There is a notable timelessness to the tonality of the color palette, remaining true to the classics of deep navy, boundless blue, creams, and beiges, and yet the clothes don’t slip into a catchphrase “mature” look. The Viktoria and Woods’ woman is definitely grown up, but she has not grown old. All the look books and collections are distinctly and intrinsically linked with subtle references, but they are by no means uniform. I asked Woods and Reynolds how long it took for them to form this signature style, and whether or not it was an organic or formulated process. They responded,“The Viktoria and Woods style is always evolving. It is important to us to keep our customer engaged, excited, and always anticipating our next collection. At the same time, always remaining true and committed to our core values is very important.” Effortlessness, timelessness, and modernity all ring clear in Assembly 16. There is no fuss or trouble to these clothes. They are the type of garments that slip over skin; they are tailored shirts designed with clarity and confidence, chunky knits that wrap generously around the body, luxurious caramel suede skirts, all with just a touch of denim to relate back to the no-fuss vibe woven throughout the collection. With Viktoria and Woods having truly hit the mark, I asked Woods and Reynolds if they felt the aesthetic of the brand would change direction in the future. “We see the aesthetic of the brand evolving rather than changing. We have started to introduce more dresses, or evening style designs into our collection, which have been received incredibly well.”Despite this, Viktoria and Woods maintains a strong sense of timelessness and sporty effortlessness in that area of the collection. “Each piece can be worn just as easily with a pair of sneakers as it can with killer heels, and lasts a lifetime in the wardrobe— a true reflection of our core aesthetic.”
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Indeed, in a fashion industry increasingly geared to a quicker pace, the Viktoria and Woods philosophy maintains its space as the quiet voice of authority that gently presses against the set stencil of disposable fashion.
View the lookbook for Assembly 16 here, http://viktoriaandwoods.com.au/blog/assembly-16/ and shop Viktoria and Woods online here, http://viktoriaandwoods.com.au/.
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