Theyskens

Olivier (1977). Belgian fashion designer, considered one of the rising new talents of recent years. He was born in Brussels. His romantic avant-garde style consists of constructed crinolines, bodices, strips of veil overlapping in a careful study of the body. He makes no secret of his aspiration to imitate the fashion of Christian Dior and Cristobal Balenciaga. He studied, from 1995 to 1997, at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Visuels in Le Cambre. Although he never graduated, Theyskens already presented his first Collections at the end of 1997 in Amsterdam and Ostend (August 1997). He debuted in Paris in March 1998 with his own prêt-à-porter line, with a Fall-Winter Collection that was both spiritual Gothic: black leather corsets, purple T-“shirts and long skirts with trains. He was 21. He refused to sell anything, saying: “I believe that these clothes are hard to reproduce without losing in quality. I really prefer to start next season.” Madonna wore his outfits during the Festival of San Remo in 1998 and in two of her videos Ray of Light and Frozen. His creations appear regularly in The Face, Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue Italia. Beginning in January 2003, he became the creative director of Rochas. His debut Collection for this maison was presented in Paris, during the week of Fall-Winter prêt-à-porter, and won critical acclaim. Theyskens did a runway presentation of an elegant and very well constructed Collection with clear 1950s inspiration. He paid homage, with respect and savoir-faire, to the fashion of Marcel Rochas, re-interpreting it with modern girdles, crinolines, capes, and taffeta sheaths with large flounces.