Olivier Theyskens RTW Spring 2022

Courtesy of Olivier Theyskens

Olivier Theyskens took an alternative route this season, creating a collection made from a selection of old fabric swatches, and showing the 22 one-off designs in the outdoor colonnade of the Palais Galliera, the museum of fashion and fashion history.

Theyskens made it all in his Paris studio over the course of a year, treating knits, silk and tulle fabric with heat and pressure to give them a crinkled, stretchy effect. He looked to the Spanish designer Fortuny’s pleating and draping techniques to create bias-cut dresses and other spare silhouettes that sculpted and stretched themselves around the body.

Quote of note: “I spent a lot of time thinking about this collection, which was made with love, passion — and under a lot of pressure. It was important to me to nurture this handmade process.”

Key looks: Long and skinny patchwork dresses; a gossamer black knit suit with a peplum top, and a sleeveless dress as sheer as a pair of stockings.

Takeway: So many designers are working with deadstock to great effect, but Theyskens has taken the process a step further by transforming the texture and properties of original fabrics. He’s planning to create more of these fragile, lovely pieces: Once this collection of 22 sells, he’ll do special commissions. “I think stores nowadays are looking for something unique,” Theyskens said.