Ensemble

The early works of Olivier Theyskens, whose ready-to-wear designs are imbued with “the couture spirit” already contain the elements of his signature, which would propel him to become the artistic director of French heritage houses like Rochas, Nina Ricci and Azzarro. These elements include the hooks and eyes closure, a rigorous research and reinterpretation of historic corsetry, a predilection for the color black and a Gothic, northern European sensibility. Enveloping the body and head in a single protective and rigid black linen sheath, this garment echoes the iconography of the Southern Netherlandish paintings of the 16th and 17th centuries. Black became a fashionable color for the nobility and the bourgeoisie following the Spanish court fashions of Philip II of Spain, whose stern rule was personified by his black attire.