Sophie Theallet Spring 2012 Review
Photos: Imaxtree
Looks from the Sophie Theallet Spring 2012 collection
Show: Sophie Theallet
Theme: Beautiful clothes to make women feel good
Accessories: Pointy-toed t-straps and bright, colorful sandals
Hair: Didier Malige for Aveda
Makeup: Tom Pecheux for MAC
Overall takeaway: It wouldn’t be accurate to assign a theme to Sophie Theallet’s collections; the simple fact is, she’s really, really great with a dress.
You might not realize after a Sophie Theallet show that the designer worked as Azzedine Alaïa’s right hand for a decade: Where Alaïa’s signature dresses are constructed and body-con, Theallet’s are easier, more casual, and a bit more effortless. A woman wears Alaïa when she wants to knock a man’s socks off. A woman wears Sophie Theallet when she wants to knock her own socks off—and be comfortable doing it.
For spring, she branched out from her usual offering of dresses by adding some separates, like black trousers and a blazer—great basics, but it’s those dresses that will keep selling.
They’re hardly wildly original or over-the-top, but there’s a perfect one for every occasion: a great printed sundress in crisp cotton (expect Michelle Obama to place a few orders for those), a bright orange silk shirtdress, a sexy satin one-shouldered gown that practically dripped off the body.
And, as is true with all of her looks, the magic is in the little details. One white cotton dress had a layer of bright printed fabric underneath a white band at the waist for the subtlest contrast—you wouldn’t notice it until you got up close. And the lineup of louche satin dresses (the kind favored by her bold-named fans) that closed the show came in vivid shades like teal or fuschia, with the fabric fully backed in another shade. It’s just one more example of how the person who’ll get the most pleasure out of a Sophie Theallet dress is the person wearing it.
Isn’t that what women want most?
SEE THE SPRING 2012 RUNWAY COLLECTIONS
