SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2010
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SEASON OF CHANGE:After attracting attention (if not sales) during his tenures at Rochas and Nina Ricci, Olivier Theyskens is back in the fashion world with a spring collection for Theory, above. COURTESY OF THEYSKENS’ THEORY
A designer’s Theory of relativity: High standards at a lower price
fitting — if one does not happen to have noticeable hips — trousers, its urbane attitude and its ability to please many customers while exciting very few of them. This may be Theyskens’s wisest move
ROBIN GIVHAN On Fashion
T new york
he designer Olivier Theyskens was once a highly touted wunderkind in Paris’s high fashion circles. He
attracted Madonna with his darkly romantic — and vaguely unsettling — signature collection and then dazzled editors with his work for Rochas and Nina Ricci. Throughout his tenure at both venerable houses, he displayed little interest in the commercial side of the fashion business. He pursued beauty at its loftiest level. So what if that meant his ready-to-wear evening gowns regularly cost more than $20,000 and the customers didn’t even get to brag about their multiple fittings in a couture salon? Well, what happened is that while pieces from both labels were featured in a multitude of glossy style magazines, few women bought the exquisite clothes. And Theyskens was soon out of a job. Twice.
But for spring 2011, he has returned to the fashion world under the umbrella of Theory, the mid-priced department store line that is known for its well-
yet; it’s certainly a coup for Theory. And it makes one chuckle at the way in which the high-end fashion industry has defined itself as an art form distinguished by both creativity and quality — and thus worth its vertiginous prices. All fashion has a healthy padding of profit, but there was also the idea that tucked into that expanse was a lush creativity that simply could not blossom at lower price points. Artists needed resources and resources cost money. It seemed logical enough. Theyskens’s new gig takes the wind out of that fashion philosophy, maybe once and for all. Unlike acclaimed designers who dabbled in disposable fashion for companies such as H&M, Theyskens didn’t water down his sensibility into a capsule collection meant to give customers access to his name while still preserving the integrity of a more highfalutin brand. Theyskens’ Theory— as the collection is called — is his point of view. It retains the vaguely Gothic tone of his signature line. It has the romance of Rochas. And it has the sportswear mentality and melancholy of Nina Ricci. It also fits comfortably with the broader Theory brand. It is designed with longevity — not fads — in mind.
No, there are no glorious fantasy ball gowns but, frankly, the only time those ever saw daylight — or twilight — was when they were borrowed by a starlet or other boldface name. Theyskens, who is Belgian by birth, now divides his time between Paris and
“I don’t like things that are
cheap.” — Olivier Theyskens
New York. And he was on hand this month, on the rooftop of Theory’s Meatpacking District headquarters, to introduce his full-blown collection of about 100 pieces that includes ready-to- wear, shoes, bags and jewelry. The jackets have notches cut out of the back of the collars, as if they were too constricting and the wearer,
growing irritated with the constant struggle to be comfortable, just took a pair of scissors to them. The trousers sit on the hips and are full and fluid. Blouses have extra-wide buttonless cuffs and are constructed so that the front can be smoothly tucked into a pair of trousers while the tail hangs out. As for pricing, a purple, double-layered slip dress will cost about $690. That’s not cheap, but it’s far more commercially viable than the $4,000 dresses he was making for the French labels. After leaving Nina Ricci, Theyskens said he felt disengaged from the luxury business. He wanted to create something for all the young women “who want to buy my clothes” but could not. He also admitted that he’s not one to revel — at least not now — in disposable fashion. “I don’t like things that are cheap,” says Theyskens, whose long black hair hangs just past his shoulders and whose manner is soft- spoken but firm. Theory has allowed him to obsess
about fit — he works on the patterns himself — and he’s also been able to use some of the same fabric mills that he’d grown accustomed to. (With a large company like Theory behind him, he has the cost benefits of volume, even as he crafts a relatively niche product.) The result are clothes that seem
perfectly well-made but do not cost a fortune.
Which leaves one to wonder: In fashion, why does cost seem to be only tangentially related to quality — both in
execution and imagination? It may be that the industry has reached a leveling- off point at which improvements in garments are so incremental that they’re not worth the added cost, unless one is willing to drift into the realm of couture or the world of Chado Ralph Rucci where even a cotton poplin dress can set one back several thousand dollars — but looks like it’s worth a million bucks.
One of the problems that plagued
New York’s Fashion Week was that so many of the garments on the runway could easily be knocked off, save for a few labels such as Proenza Schouler and Rodarte, where fabrics were exquisitely crafted; Michael Kors, where fabrics were beautifully manipulated; and Calvin Klein, where silhouettes were balanced down to the millimeter. Most everything else could be re-created for much less than designer prices. Theyskens doesn’t just prove that a lovely sweater can be had for $300 instead of $800. The savvy shopper already knows that. He proves that his estimable creativity doesn’t suffer when a dress can cost $600 instead of $6,000. There’s nothing grasping, insecure or painfully derivative in the clothes. They are interesting — and that’s saying a lot this season. Theyskens shows that creativity can blossom at every level of fashion. And when it doesn’t, that’s not a failure of a company’s financial investment, it’s a failure of a designer’s imagination.
givhanr@washpost.com Engagements | Weddings | Anniversaries ——Engagements——
Cereta Gibbons& Michael Means —Fall 2010—
To place an announcement: email:
weddings@washpost.com phone: 202-334-5736 fax: 202-334-7188 ——Anniversaries——
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HollandWallace 1st Anniversary —September 25, 2009—
Cereta Gibbons and Michael Means
The engagement of Cereta Gibbons, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Rupert Gib- bons of Hyattsville, Maryland, to Michael Means, son of Duff and Polly Means of Herndon, Virginia, is announced. A fall 2010 wedding is planned.
The bride-to-be is the granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Sigismund Gibbons of Saint Thomas, Jamaica, and of Mrs. Gwendolyn Johnson and the late Mr. Danny Mcken of Saint Andrew, Jamaica. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland and is a grant writer as well as a Project Coordinator for SAIC.
The groom-to-be is the grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Gillett, formerly of McLean, Virginia, and of Mr. and Mrs. Duff Means of Torrance, California. He is a graduate of the Ohio State University, and is currently in training with the U.S. Army in the GIS Engineering field.
Connie Holland and HalWallace photo credit: Paul Harrison Photography
Connie Holland and HalWallace of Pomfret, Maryland were married on September 25, 2009. They pledged their love for each other and indulged their love of history in a cer- emony conducted in the Wil- liamsburg Inn at Colonial Wil- liamsburg, Virginia. The event was one their guests will not forget. The groom and best man, Dave Wallace, entered to “Fanfare for the Common Man,” by Aaron Copeland. The matron of honor, Heather Dryer, followed to the tune of Heart’s “Silver Wheels.” Then the bride be-bopped down the aisle to “Here ComesThe Broad” by the Brian Setzer Orchestra, to the delight of family and friends. The couple’s grand entrance to the reception was accompa- nied by “Return My Love,” as sung by Arthur Q. Bryan and Mel Blanc. They celebrated part two of their honeymoon, in Colonial Williamsburg.
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Smith Golden Anniversary
—September 24, 2010— ——Anniversaries——
Thomas 60th Anniversary
—September 16, 1950—
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Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Smith
Alfred and Pat Smith of Temple Hills, Maryland were married September 24, 1960 at the Church of Atonement in Washington, D.C. They celebrated on a cruise to the Bahamas and in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina with family and friends. The Smiths have a son, Gregory (Judy), and a daughter Stephanie (Roger) Gore and three wonderful grandchildren, Roger II, Alex Marie and Ruben. Their union epitomizes the ideals of everlasting love, joy, peace and devotion which only can be experienced through the love of God and each other.
Mr. and Mrs. Martin Thomas
Alice and Marty were married Sep- tember 16, 1950 in Terre Haute, Indi- ana. For sixty years their love has only grown. Marty is still practising radiology with Kaiser. Alice stays busy as a domestic engineer. Congrat- ulations passing this milestone and thank you for what you have done and continue to contribute to a great family. Debbie, Krista, Warren, Jes- sica, Erik, Brian,Agnes, and Martin.
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