“What I look forward to the most is to enjoy life, alongside fashion.” Lucas Ossendrijver on breaking ground at Theory, and his fashion life lessons.

Lucas Ossendrijver is helping us by doing what he does best - reimagining the high art of minimalist fashion. With much conversation about how representative clothes are in the social context of reflecting the times, the Dutch designer left a memorable mark in his work across the French Maison Lanvin, where for 14 years he acted as Menswear Design Director, and his work ushered in a sense of highly-elegant minimalism, weaved in with an element of activewear, and a sense of the outdoors that broke the stiff mould of French fashion towards a design direction that is approachable and relatable - but also effortlessly chic.

Exiting Lanvin in 2018, Ossendrijver wanted something unexpected and new. Driving a new design approach on a much larger scale, he debuted his very first collection in collaboration with American minimalist label Theory, under the name of Theory Project, focusing on presenting solutions towards modern dressing that feels creative and accessible, whilst also staying true to the designer’s creativity. “My work now informs me of understanding a completely different process, I work two seasons ahead and I am able to consider a lot more people when designing.” he explained during our conversation about the debut of the second collection for Theory under his belt.

In conversation with Perfect, Lucas Ossendrijver discusses the lessons of his first collection, what his time at Lanvin taught him about the unique and ever-changing nature of menswear, how exactly he wants to reflect upon the wider global customer and tailor minimalism to them.

Angel: Lucas, what were your starting points in the second installment of your collection for Theory? How did this collection come to fruition? 

Lucas Ossendrijver: Actually, it was very intimidating. When I was working on the first installment, I started from my apartment in Paris during lockdown. I was all by myself, so I was able to be in my own bubble, until months later when I was finally able to travel again, meeting the team that I worked with in New York - all pattern cutters, seamsters and creatives that I had only spoken to on Zoom. It felt like a discovery, and then all of a sudden, the products began being manufactured, and you start to see the numbers of orders, the amount of stores and it starts to feel intimidating, because it is such a different process and scale to what I am used to previously.

I also was able to begin considering the impact of my design on a much more global scale. It no longer was about the show, about seducing journalists, or seduction in general. I also absolutely loved coming back to my own process and the way I worked previously, which is fitting designs piece by piece, like an architect. I love working with clothes, and I love seeing clothes in front of me on a model - how they move, how the fabric interacts and how to make it functional.

Angel: Your work with Lanvin has redefined menswear codes and introduced a feeling of dynamic dressing, how would you describe your main inspirations when designing now?

Lucas Ossendrijver: I have a studio in Paris, where I work from, with a super small team. I enjoy being separated into my own space, with a few people I can trust. Typically, I would do a lot of fittings of boys and girls, working togerher with a pattern cutter, looking at fabrics, details and construction. From there on, I start to think about movement, and how the clothes are going to take on a dynamic quality. I really want styles to be versatile, so I think about movement a lot - how you move throughout the day, how you wear something in the morning, how it becomes from day to night. Above all, everything has to have intention.

Angel: There is a big conversation surrounding the rapid transformation of menswear and the mass cultural introduction of "quiet luxury", where do you see menswear heading from here?

Lucas Ossendrijver: I think there's so much more openness and curiosity about personal style. Previously, people would react "Oh, this is too feminine, this isn't for me" creating boundaries betweeen themselves and the possibilities of fashion. Men nowadays are so much more open and aware. Sometimes, I think the designers are the ones that can end up holding back, and bring conservatism to it clients, and men are actually a lot more open to exploration than we all assume. I constatly see men actually buying women's pieces. How I see the future is the removal of those boundaries between what is considered feminine or masculine, and the removal of restrictions - what you can wear to the office, what is considered "appropriate" and what societal expectation you have to uphold. Menswear is in a really exciting place right now, because it is really beginning to shift and become more open-ended.

Angel: What do you look forward to for the rest of the year, both personally and professionally? 

Lucas Ossendrijver: I am very bad at planning, I love what I am currently working on, and being able to work from Paris and travel to New York every month. I am also enjoying travelling around a lot more, and spending my time off exploring. What I learned after so many seasons is how to have a life outside of fashion, and my career. I remember the time when I was always working on shows, going from one collection to the next. I think I did 28 shows almost back to back. It was so much fun, and it brought me so much, but now I also enjoy knowing that there's life next to fashion. It also allows me to connect in different ways, and have a different perspective on the business, as everything nowadays is changing so fast. What I look forward to the most is to enjoy life, alongside fashion.