Six years after founding their eponymous label—and just five after giving a strong presentation in Hyères—Victoria Feldman and Tomas Berzins are ready to step into the light a bit more.
This is not a bolt out of the blue: The Paris-based duo has been smart about the slow build, and the label was one of the last to score rack space at Colette. Now Victoria/Tomas has a presence at Neiman Marcus, a growing base, and, for Spring, a sporty little collaboration with French lingerie brand Chantelle. The real-world mind-set seems to be working well for the label.
The reality of a sweltering summer in Paris also offered a springboard for the season. While the couple was hanging out on the terrace near their home in the Buttes-Chaumont neighborhood, melting into a bottle of rosé and daydreaming about taking a real vacation, they starting toying with the idea of the tropics. Back in the studio, they turned on Spotify and discovered “Paris Tropical” by a new French pop band called Minuit. Fast-forward to this week, and it all came together, with Minuit on hand for a live performance in the sunny courtyard of Paris Descartes University on the Left Bank.
Since parasol stripes and fringe are staples in the tropics, those were the collection’s baseline on cotton shirts and smart jackets with drawstring waists, with or without ruched, gathered, or telescoped sleeves. The pair has a knack for shirting, and here they offered up a few ideas that looked fresh, with mixed motifs and tiers, a gathered three-quarter sleeve, lace-up details, and lengths that inched past the hems of miniskirts. One jacket neatly spliced tailoring and denim. Victoria/Tomas is at home with leather, and its latest treatment—on a coat, a miniskirt, and an hourglass minidress—shone like oil slicks on steaming pavement. Several variations on the trench looked strong, even if the one with the “swirl”-cut tendrils appeared more Insta-ready than practical. A dozen sporty underpinnings made from Chantelle’s latest fabric development called Soft Stretch had universal appeal. They would have been just as likable sans logo. Accessories, including a lace-up, open-toe patent leather boot, a droopy leather choker pierced with colorful stones, and a tasseled bucket bag (one of 12 done in collaboration with Nico Giani), held promise.
Though one might be tempted to redact a flourish or two, in all, Victoria/Tomas seems to have a handle on the possibilities lingering in the shadows of your basic cool, Parisian silhouette.
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