The Tamesis
Life imitates art this season at Theory. Designer Dushane Noble found himself poring over the work of Peter Lindbergh, particularly drawn to his 2016 short film Walking, a collaboration with Thomas Lachambre. “The women were dressed very nonchalantly,” he said at Theory’s Meatpacking District showroom. “I feel very attached to this woman, she feels like a native New Yorker, super confident. She’s not trying to impress anyone, she’s just dressing for herself.”
Theory has broad appeal and a loyal customer base: Noble is also responsible for ensuring those customers keep coming back. One way is to expand the color palette. While Noble borrowed silhouettes and attitudes from Lindbergh, this season’s colors came from painter Peggy Kuiper—”colors that felt like they were dipped in black,” he said. Soft tones – rusty orange, light gray blue and olive – are the main color palette, while brighter magenta (exclusive to the 2 Gansevoort capsule collection) provides lively pops of colour.
“What we do is very classic and there’s always a balance between taking something familiar and adding something a little unusual to create a more desirable element,” Noble said. Pointing to a customer favorite, a blazer, he added, “Last season, for spring, we launched a vetiver blend. This season, we launched a spice blend—a dark mustard color.”
The silhouette switch is another solid draw. In response to more oversized outerwear and knitwear, Noble has given the brand’s tapered pants a slim fit. “We definitely feel the effect of slimming down our legs, especially wearing a lot of baggy sweaters,” he says.
A theory is most exciting when it pushes its boundaries. The collection’s most interesting pieces—a pair of suede chinos and a down-filled satin nylon trench coat—bring unexpected touches of elegance to the wardrobe heroes. The satin nylon fabric has been in development for over a year. “This is the first time it’s been on the market,” Noble said. “We’re very excited.” With a brand as stable and reliable as Theory, we’re excited to see Noble take bigger steps.
