Lucas Ossendrijver - Designer

[Marc10]

Sacrilegious that he wasn't given another big brand after Lanvin, specially with Paris being plagued by bad menswear designers...

Regardless, excited to see what he does at Theory!

 

[Phuel]

^^^ The industry is becoming more and more political when it comes to whom gets what position by association. And it’s nowhere more so blatantly evident than LVMH literally shoving the at-best-mediocrity that is Kim Jones down the consumers' collective throat. Very unfortunate Lucas’ ended up on the wrong side of these conglomerates. And unfortunately, Berluti, Hugo Boss nor Jil will be within reach for him.

I’ve no impression nor image of Theory men. Unfortunately, that’ll likely be what the label will continue to be, even with Lucas’ talent. He seemed to have fizzled out during his last days at Lanvin— to the the point where I didn’t know he had left. Alber also fizzled out during his last days at Lanvin, then his re-emergence for own his label sadly didn’t do anything and felt and fell flat. I hope that’s not going to be the same outcome with Lucas at Theory, of course— but even Theyskens didn’t do much for the brand: It’s just sort of a neither here nor there sort of label. And unfortunately at this point, Lucas' been gone too long for me to hope for anything exciting and fresh, especially with such a non-entity of a label as Theory.

 

[eugenius]

Dang, Lola. You really had your heart set on that "Lucas at Lanvin Ladies" fantasy, but only to see him land at Theory.

I don't know about this. Theory has always been glorified office-wear for the US market, but it seems like no matter which hot & hip designer from Europe they hire, they'll always be just that.

I used to wear some Theory, and it wasn't bad really, but these days, I have no clue what I want from this line. And I don't think they know either.

 

[Lola701]

Dang, Lola. You really had your heart set on that "Lucas at Lanvin Ladies" fantasy, but only to see him land at Theory.

I don't know about this. Theory has always been glorified office-wear for the US market, but it seems like no matter which hot & hip designer from Europe they hire, they'll always be just that.

I used to wear some Theory, and it wasn't bad really, but these days, I have no clue what I want from this line. And I don't think they know either.

See! I’m always loosing with my fashion theories…Just like that idea I had since forever to have Philipp Lim at Kenzo.

During his peak at Lanvin, I had a boyfriend who only wore Lanvin (and Dior Homme). It was so elegant (and wonderful because a lot of pieces were sophisticated enough for women).
Maybe it was my nostalgia that influenced my support for him.

But tbh, Lucas wasn’t really an « around » person. Part of people taking jobs at houses is also being very present in the « life of Paris ». He is talented tho.

But you made a great point about Theory hiring those European talents. I think Europeans in the US can only work in the music industry or Hollywood.
It seems like it’s never IT…Even more when they decides to show in the US.

 

[bc collector]

But tbh, Lucas wasn’t really an « around » person. Part of people taking jobs at houses is also being very present in the « life of Paris ».

Isn't that at the core of the drama we are living through these days?
IMHO, real talent is always a bit shy and morose, and not just in fashion.
Your average suit/honcho would rather cut his balls off on the spot rather than assigning a designer post to someone like Lucas. Cynically, they might be right: fashion has become so much a branch of the entertainment industry that they can't be bothered to invest in people like him, preferring instead your usual PR wh*re or marketing wizard of sorts. Talent, whatever that might be, is the least of their worries, really (and this, mind you, provided they have the intelligence/culture/sensibility to spot a talent when there is one - let me be a tad pessimistic on this).

This is why people like Lucas (or Paulo Melim Andersson, another random name that comes to my mind) are left behind.

 

[Lola701]

Isn't that at the core of the drama we are living through these days?
IMHO, real talent is always a bit shy and morose, and not just in fashion.
Your average suit/honcho would rather cut his balls off on the spot rather than assigning a designer post to someone like Lucas. Cynically, they might be right: fashion has become so much a branch of the entertainment industry that they can't be bothered to invest in people like him, preferring instead your usual PR wh*re or marketing wizard of sorts. Talent, whatever that might be, is the least of their worries, really (and this, mind you, provided they have the intelligence/culture/sensibility to spot a talent when there is one - let me be a tad pessimistic on this).

This is why people like Lucas (or Paulo Melim Andersson, another random name that comes to my mind) are left behind.

That has always been the case. The difference is that the fashion industry is a lot more open now. Back then, fashion people were around fashion people…
Today, everybody wants to be around and to be part of the fashion industry. And the paradigm has changed. Do people care about design anymore? Really? Or is it about social currency or relevancy.

And tbh, because fashion wasn’t so vulgar, there was some kind of respect for « designers ».

From Alaia to Montana, from Mugler to Mcqueen and from Lagerfeld to Margiela, all those people got their breakthrough moments or were desired at fashion houses because they were « around ».

The core of the Drama today is that fashion, despite being a very serious industry, is not taken seriously. And while we want to blame the suits for it, it’s all because of the designers…Who suddenly wanted the validation of celebrities.

I love Marc Jacobs but he started it. Making musicians believe that fashion was as simple as having a moodboard, doing a half way job and getting a big success through a fabulous marketing operation.

 

[bc collector]

From Alaia to Montana, from Mugler to Mcqueen and from Lagerfeld to Margiela, all those people got their breakthrough moments or were desired at fashion houses because they were « around ».

But being validated and respected or, as you say, "around" fashion people was the natural and inevitable consequence of having something to say and know how to say it. Whereas I think today it is the other way round, more like people look for social validation to smuggle their lack of skills.
In any case, when I said that real talents tend to be shy, I did not mean they are trappist monks.

It does sound quite rich, though, that the likes of Alaia or Margiela got into the spotlight because of their social connections...

 

[Phuel]

You know, I can’t help but feel that Lanvin is cursed and Lucas is just freed of it now.

There’s this sinister pattern of whomever helms it does get a period of adoration and success— then this almost Faustian pact vibe to the designers that are associated with the label that has them discarded (…what had Lucas been doing all this time after leaving Lanvin??? From Claude Montana, Alber, Lucas, Bouchra and Bruno. I’m glad Lucas is employed by a brand again. Just… It’s Theory ...LOL... (And I’m hoping there’s not a sign of grosgrain-trimmed suits/cardigans, metallic hi-tops etc. They were wonderful for 2007, but that look has already saturated the trendy masses in 2021, wearing it with that insidious pompadour-fade and beard combo that has my skin crawling with concentrated cringe.)

 

[style_expert]

So the images of his first collection are out, Theory Project by Lucas Ossendrijver
Theory Project | Lucas Ossendrijver

I'm not completely blown away to be honest but in the menswear I do see some pieces which I wouldn't mind adding to my closet.

 

[tricotineacetat]

I would have much prefered if this collection would have been for Uniqlo, as this provides a neat continuation of what Jil Sander started with +J, but is marketed at a higher price than her collection - In terms of the price, this is maybe a little too high considering that the +J's quality set a new standard for prices and quality for sophisticated, yet accessible clothes you can wear to work and beyond.

 

[Lola701]

The menswear is stronger indeed even if the womenswear is quite clever.
The frustration with someone like Lucas is that we know what he is capable of. He is a real talent and even the magic wasn’t really there at Lanvin anymore, I kind of feel like there’s a lot potential with him working with Theory.

Some of my friends who bought his stuff from Lanvin years ago still wears it. This while very designed, feels less special in a way. The Jil Sander X Uniqlo felt more special in a way…

Him and Natacha Ramsey Levi are people I would love to see at a brand like Acne Studios. The real creative RTW approach is something I really enjoy with Acne Studios and it’s really a lane I can see for them. HF on a luxury scale is maybe done and too crowded for them…

 

[Fulton St Critique]

I found it quite preppy actually. It is very modest and clearly designed by a seasoned menswear designer. The lines are very straightforward, and I think the use of asymmetry was done in a very smart way. He could have made the womenswear slightly more feminine in my opinion. For example, the black georgette dress feels a little stiff, and georgette should NEVER look stale. Overall it fits with Theory’s brand, he accomplished a solid debut showing for a label in desperate need of some newness.

I would love for this work to trickle down through the commercial collections as opposed to it being a one-off type of thing. There is definitely something appealing, I'm here for it.

 

[Mutterlein]

I can't remember my from my time at FR if they regarded Theyskens with any particular fondness or regret. He was an Andrew Rosen hire who is now mostly out of the picture. I think it ultimately did what they wanted it to do: get a fresh eye to reinterpret the brand's codes and create some chatter around it. But it wasn't so successful that he's still there. The general feedback I hear about Theyskens is that he starts off strong but then gets bored and loses interest. The fact that his time there was never ever spoken of or referenced (particularly when I was tasked with researching and compiling the brand's history!) makes me think that Koizumi Yanai was not especially impressed or happy with it.

Theory and Helmut Lang operate separately from the rest of FR. It's Koizumi's responsibility so any decisions like bringing on Lucas go through him. In contrast, Lemaire and Jil Sander came from Yuki Tatsuta (UNIQlO's head of Product) and then later Mr. Yanai made the call to extend their involvement.

I was there for Francesco Fucci's stint at Theory which was a huge disaster. A shame as I loved his clothes.

No idea how exactly Lucas got into the picture but I know the Alber/Lucas team has long been on FR's radar. It wouldn't surprise me if they were initially talking to him to do Helmut.

This capsule is surely a test. If it works, I would expect Koizumi to hire him permanently.

Let's see if it works. I do not like what I've seen so far.

 

[Mutterlein]

This capsule is surely a test. If it works, I would expect Koizumi to hire him permanently.

Let's see if it works. I do not like what I've seen so far.

I did a few seconds of research and found that Jeffrey Kalinsky was actually hired back in March to oversee design and merchandising. He was consulting for them since November.

It seems the deal with Lucas was signed well before then.

Not really sure what the strategy is here. Could be that the deal with Lucas was a mandate from heaven (an order from Koizumi or even Mr. Yanai) and we're actually seeing two opposing objectives at play. Or they are deliberately double teaming things and are waiting to see which of the two is more successful. They did this with Rebekka Bay and Lemaire at UNIQLO (Lemaire won).

Unfortunately, it seems like Lucas's involvement will be limited to only to this capsule collection unless he works under Kalinksy's direction.

That could work, especially given that Kalisnsky is not a designer, but it seems like a lot of cooks in the kitchen.

 

[Olaffo]

Can we maybe hire that gentleman back somewhere meaningful in fashion ? Dior ? DRIES?? I was watching his old Lanvin shows and it’s incomparable to this Kim Jones crap.

 

[Scotty]

Givenchy please.

 

[youthinasia]

Lanvin menswear by Lucas was incredible.

 

[LadyJunon]

While he's a wonderful talent, I don't think he's very interested in the high-fashion system anymore. His interview for Vogue concerning his Theory capsule heavily suggests that he's more satisfied designing for the everyman than for the rarefied luxury customer.

“I’ve always liked Theory as a brand and what it stands for,” Ossendrijver told me from an August vacation in Bali. “There’s something very pragmatic about it, and that I felt kind of close to as a design philosophy. Also, because Theory is a big company, the decisions you make have an impact. We work a lot with sustainable fabrics—recycled wools, recycled nylons—and the impact is real. It’s not a niche brand, it’s not just marketing, and it’s not a runway show where you have to seduce with extreme propositions. It’s on a very human scale in that sense. It felt more relevant to do that than to try to do another luxury or another show collection. That, and the opportunity to do women’s wear next to menswear is what drew me in.”

[...]

By his last show for Lanvin for fall 2018, Ossendrijver was already questioning the usefulness of the show system and designer-priced clothes. “In fashion I think luxury is a strange word nowadays,” he said at the time. “It doesn’t mean anything anymore. We have to elevate how we make clothes and discover how by changing that you can change fashion.” Installed at Theory, he’s on his way.

Source: Vogue

 

[GoldenTribe]

Lanvin is the only brand I own pieces from in practically every single category (shirts, blazers, coats, trousers, knits, ties, sneakers, sandals, dress shoes, and a wallet and card holder for good measure), and it's all thanks to Ossendrijver, so I was sad to see him go.

That said, I started to lose interest in his last few seasons there when he started putting a little 'L.' logo on pieces and dabbling in weird graphics on jackets, but it was still better than the new guy.

Now the only Lanvin that ever catches my eye is the stuff by Lucas that shows up on eBay or TheRealReal.

 

[tricotineacetat]

Can we maybe hire that gentleman back somewhere meaningful in fashion ? Dior ? DRIES?? I was watching his old Lanvin shows and it’s incomparable to this Kim Jones crap.

Now that I think about it, he would be an absolutely wonderful choice for Dries! 😍