In Conversation With Belgian Fashion Designer Olivier Theyskens
“I'm a perfectionist” says Olivier Theyskens. The mastermind behind his namesake label, after working for Rochas, Nina Ricci and Theory, the Belgian designer was appointed in February as creative director of Azzaro Couture. His first debut collection consisted of a digital presentation of his Spring Summer 2021 collection, supported by the performance of “Seedy Tricks by Sylvie Kreush. Still fresh from the digital presentation with the L'Horloge collection, the recent Paris Fashion Week in September called for a perceptible change in the air for the fashion system. "I think the world is going in a new direction, we can't cancel this year's events," he says. This is the vision of the Belgian designer born in 1977, with austere dresses with a gothic style and suits a la garçons, his unmistakable design is characterized by shapes and silhouettes that coexist perfectly with the female body and reflect the artistic sensibility of the couturier.
When you were a child you always dreamed of becoming a fashion designer, now that your dream has come true, which aspect of fashion do you like the most?
I love my job very much, it is difficult to choose which aspect fascinates me the most. I have always been very focused on what I wanted and where I wanted to go, I had it clear in front of me and I never stopped in front of any obstacle. I am a perfectionist, I like to keep improving myself, I would like to get to perfection, every detail is important to me.
Before becoming the creative director of Azzaro, you worked for Nina Ricci and Rochas. What have you learned from these experiences?
I learned a lot from every single experience. When I started my brand I saw it as a huge step forward, I had just finished school and was new to the world of work. We have to face many difficult situations that seem insurmountable at the beginning; for example, being a creative director made me discover all the business side of the indsutry that I did not know about at first, but it was necessary to recreate the image of the brand, give it new life. Then I moved to New York for five years and worked there for a globally renowned brand, that experience opened new doors for me and showed me a different part of the industry. In general, I think we never stop learning, every experience we live is a teaching, everything we need in the end, everything adds to our cultural awareness.
What are your main inspirations? How does your creative process work?
Each of us is attracted to different things, emotions, nature, feelings according to their taste then we decide whether to follow one path or another. Personally, I always look for shapes, I draw a lot until I find the right inspiration; I usually always have an idea in mind, but I don't always manage to make it come true on the first try. Once it takes shape then, from paper it becomes reality, I see the fabrics, its structure, and slowly it becomes concrete. Drawing is first and foremost the basis of my creative process, always. No dress exists before a sketch.
How important is the fit of a suit to you?
Talk about fit is always relative, as each of us has a different body type. Depending on this, and depending on the fabrics used, the fit of the dress can change. Surely over time you will also learn a lot in this field, find out which fabrics work best, which forms of dress are more beautiful, embrace different physicalities, or less. It is an ever-changing process and it never stops. Don't be scared if it is something that seems to have already been done and studied, each of us has an idea, a personal touch that makes creation unique.
Past icons seem to fascinate you. Do you have a muse? I know that for Olivier Theyskens Spring Summer 2021, French pop singer Mylène Farmer has played a fundamental role in your collection ..
What a good question! Farmer has a special meaning to me. This is my first collection that I've made pay ing homage to someone. During the quarantine we all had a lot of time to ourselves, and I found myself remembering the past. I went back to when I was 10 and I listened to Mylène's voice in awe: I saw myself singing her songs out loud. The years '87 and '91 were her golden years, she was a very strong icon and artist, and an absolute icon. I started from there and started drawing.
What are the distinctive traits of Olivier Theyskens?
I am always in trouble when asked what makes me unique. Surely my personal point of view and what inspires me would suffice. But certainly also my creative process: I know what I want and how I want it, from the silhouettes to the fabrics. I always have my final result in my mind.
Let's talk about the L'Horloge Spring Summer 2021 collection.
It's a funny story indeed. I spent months and months listening to rap music, watching myself and studying music videos, making playlists of the songs that most inspired me but nothing, I couldn't find the correct inspiration. Then one day, as soon as the quarantine was over, I was out with some friends, we were sipping a glass of wine, and there it was: in two hours I designed the entire collection. All the rest of the time I spent trying to figure out how to make it real. I have worked a lot in the ateliers in Paris and it is a truly unique collection, I can say that it has been influenced by all the events that have happened during this year.
Have you been in Paris the entire time? Was your team there with you or did you work remotely?
Yes, I was in Paris all the time. I usually travel a lot, I often come to Italy to personally observe the fabrics, but this time it was practically impossible to travel. I can't complain anyway: with my collaborators we worked together here, and this created an indescribable energy, everyone impacted the creative process and it was very nice.
What is your relationship with past collections? Do you feel a strong connection with them or do you follow the rule that the best must always come?
Good question, I must say that for this year I have an answer that I never imagined giving. Personally I turned my back on the previous collections, yes, mentally I drew a line. I think the world is moving in a new direction, the events of this year cannot be canceled, they are indelible in human history. At this point I think it is right to start from scratch, absorb what is happening to us and start from here.
