New York Fashion Week: Olivier Theyskens does it again

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Olivier Theyskens, the designer who last year garnered near unanimous accolades from the fashion crowd for his first collection for contemporary label Theory, did it again for fall.

Again, the colors were mostly dark and moody, and the silhouettes long and loose. We’re talking slim, floor-skimming skirts that flared at the bottom. Jeans were pleated at the top, tapered and acid-washed. There were also full-legged trousers and rust-colored flared cords.

The jackets he introduced for spring (with a triangle cut out of the back of the collar, to allow the shoulders to slope forward slacker-style) were back. But they had more special details than before, such as notched lapels and creased full sleeves.

Theyskens’ key new piece for fall is the maxi-length coat, which came in all sorts of fabrications, one with a pretty silvery sheen and flyaway pleats in back. That piece was a segue into the more formal evening looks, such as a black lace shirtdress and a dramatic black finale gown with a double layer skirt.

The fancy materials (Theyskens showed at least one fur) come at a cost. And though this collection isn’t yet approaching the five-figure price tags his gowns for Rochas and Nina Ricci commanded, it’s inching up. The most expensive piece, a goatskin coat, will cost about $3,500.

But the bulk of the collection is still about $120-$1,495. And it’s a lot of design for your buck.

-- Booth Moore in New York