Fans of the designer Olivier Theyskens will forever associate his aesthetic with raw, gothic glamour. But no such show embodies that more than Olivier Theyskens Fall 1998.
As the designer’s first ever show in Paris, Olivier Theyskens Fall 1998 was an intimate demonstration of craft, skill and vision. For the occasion, the designer came onto the scene with a bang, showcasing his deft attention to detail and precision tailoring with a dark and glamorous edge. Theyskens worked with antique laces, family linens and other vintage textiles, combining them with embroidered hearts for even more dramatic contrast.
It was the mix of sheer PVC, sometimes literally streaked with red veins of blood (embroidery) and the daring crop tops that literally only covered the shoulders that immediately lent themselves to Theyskens’ now iconic gothic aesthetic reputation. Not only that, but the Victorian corset details and lace face masks (strikingly modern in 2021), as well as the incredible use of hook and eye closures seen throughout the Olivier Theyskens Fall 1998 collection. Those very same motifs would later become signatures of the house.
To top it all off, the makeup at Olivier Theyskens Fall 1998 was just as extreme. Created by fellow Belgian creative Peter Phillips, models wore pale, ghostly faces. Others had black liner streaked in straight lines from the outer corner to the hairline, while others wore bold and extremely bright matte lips against the background of the black, white and red clothing color palette. Some models’ heads were topped off with mannequin hands in abstract angles.
Of the Fall 1998 show, Theyskens himself said: “With my Belgian roots, I think I have a little bit of a surrealistic touch sometimes, and it’s this little added accessory that gave the feel of awkward, slightly disturbing element.”
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