‘It’s almost like a new beginning,’ Dutch designer Lucas Ossendrijver told Wallpaper* in 2023 on the release of his first collaborative collection with New York-based label Theory. Titled 'Theory Project’, it marked a return to fashion after four years out of the spotlight, having exited his role as head of menswear at Lanvin in 2018 after a 14-year tenure at the Parisian house. ‘To do a capsule, and to not do everything, means I don’t have any constraints or even pressure. I feel completely free.’
Today (31 March 2023), the next chapter of the ongoing ‘Theory Project’ is revealed with a spring 2023 collection of men’s and womenswear pieces that once again look towards the brand’s home city for inspiration (Ossendrijver splits his own time between New York and Paris). ‘New York – it’s something about the way people dress,’ he said last year. ‘It’s casual, but at the same time quite sophisticated. It’s this mix of things; I find it interesting looking at the way they style themselves. The boys, in particular, are very aware of how they look, without ever looking too much.’
