OLIVIER THEYSKENS has long been an undisputed favourite among fashion die-hards – a designer’s designer if you will, his renowned couture-like sensibility and artistic aspirations responsible for both his career highs, and lows, over the past decade.
But it seems through his unlikely partnership with Theory, the contemporary American sportswear brand he has been designing for over the past year, he has at last secured his niche.
For spring/summer 2012, the young designer showcased his extraordinary talent with a collection catering to every whim imaginable. From ensembles for casual weekend getaways and chic workplace wear, to disco fun and through to stunning red carpet looks, Theyskens took us on a sartorial journey to every conceivable occasion without skipping a beat.
“I wanted the collection to have an eclectic feel, but for all the clothing to suit the Thesyskens Theory girl,” explained the charming designer post-show. “I created looks that reflect the many ways a girl can feel cool, and was more interested in separate garments than entire ensembles – I want girls to be able to style and put together the collection in their own way.”
Theyskens achieved this primarily through the wide array of separates mixed and matched with an expert attention to proportions. In one ensemble, a sassy black crochet mini-dress was paired ingeniously with a masculine olive green floor-length duster coat. Others included a cropped black leather motorbike jacket and shrunken Chanel-like tweedy cardigan paired with a knee-length dress and men’s style suit pants. Loose-fit blazers were matched with structured shorts, and drop-crotch blue boyfriend jeans sat at ease with a grungy spring knit cardigan. Much of the collection featured a purposely lived-in feel, a grungy aesthetic Theyskens put down to being a “kid of the nineties”.
And true to that spirit, there was a lot of infinitely wearable rock ‘n’ roll daywear throughout teamed with rocking black boots – which is sure to please the mainstream Theory consumer, but it was the fun disco numbers and breathtaking eveningwear that really stood out. Cute dresses with gently undulating bias-cut hems in striking metallic fabrics, and out-there trousers cut seemingly from iridescent cellophane, were hard to miss – the showstoppers though, as expected, were the final looks to hit the sparse warehouse venue: intricate web-like cocktail dresses and demi-couture floor-length gowns revealing a whole lot of skin (and nipple) were quite simply stunning, the last, a black grosgrain full-skirt gown with sultry cut-out back flawless.
SEE THE THEYSKENS THEORY SHOW ARCHIVE