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Photography by David Sims
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Informed by his Dutch upbringing and a deep appreciation of architecture, Paris-based fashion designer Lucas Ossendrijver has worked with some of the most influential European fashion houses. He brings his innovative sense of product design and construction-focused techniques to Theory Project—a special collection that broadens the spectrum of Theory styles, fits, and fabrics.
Everything is connected to my interest in construction—you can change a garment by changing the construction, by changing fabrics, or what you can do with a fabric. It's very tactile.
-- Lucas Ossendrijver
Informed by his Dutch upbringing and a deep appreciation of architecture, Paris-based fashion designer Lucas Ossendrijver has a minimal, construction-focused design language. For his debut Theory capsule, he proposes a fluid take on workwear inspired by the dynamic New York City lifestyle. Get to know the visionary designer and the inspiration behind his debut Theory Project collection.
How did you fall in love with tailoring? I'm a very hands-on designer. When I was young, I went to a flea market in Amsterdam and found a tailored jacket from the beginning of the century. Out of curiosity, I opened it to see how it was made and discovered all this workmanship you don't see from the outside. This was the beginning of my love of tailoring. Everything is connected to my interest in construction—you can change a garment by changing the construction, by changing fabrics or what you can do with a fabric. It's very tactile.
What drew you to Theory? We both believe in empowering people and making their life nicer, easier, and making them feel good about themselves. And because of the scale of the company and the purposefulness of the products, the clothes have a real impact. It's not about creating editorial looks just for an image or the catwalk —it's about products that live on the street.
You're from Holland but based in Paris, how does New York inspire you? In New York, I always feel a sense of purpose. People are always going places, and their attitude and the way they dress reflects this. The styling is a mix that feels accidental and blurs categories. It’s the unexpected element that inspires me.
Blurred categories are a theme in your work… I've always been inspired by things that are not 100% clear—things that exist in the space in between formal and casual, for example. The way people live now, clothes have to be functional and adapt to your lifestyle—Theory understands this, and so do I.
Tell us about your Theory Project collection. I conceived the whole collection as a wardrobe—for people to combine the pieces the way they want. It's very versatile. For me, it's about finding the right balance between things that are functional, that look good, and that actually make you feel composed when you wear them. These are clothes that live and move on the street.