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 BY KATRINA SZISH
| | | The House That Thuy Built | |  | | | | | Thuy Diep knows exactly what she wants, and she’s not afraid to go after it -- earnestly, willfully. She is curious, eager and hungry. Though her high-end label is but a few seasons young (albeit lauded by industry elite), she is already talking diffusion lines and reality shows and (half-jokingly) plotting tennis matches with Vogue editor Anna Wintour. But it is precisely this independent spirit and unapologetic confidence - just barely masked behind a sweet smile, girlish giggle and Kate Moss-like frame swathed in a Carine Roitfeld-esque wardrobe -- that gives this young designer the “It” factor.
As far as people go, it’s usually the independent, style-defining or quirky personalities that stand out to me - such as Charlotte Gainsbourg.
While she may be working overtime developing and marketing a persona, her talent as a designer is undeniable. Thuy’s edgy yet wearable architectural creations are constructed from the finest European textiles (“fabrics that you want to feel against your skin”) and offer a fresh perspective on what young, stylish women actually want to wear. She describes the Thuy woman as “urban” and “artistic,” as someone who “has an evolving life.” That said, you won’t find any of the tired Boho silhouettes or frou-frou feminine details that pervade much of the retail market, rendering many current designer labels nearly indistinguishable and more than slightly clichéd. Thuy is singular in her vision and her execution. | | | | | | | | | | I’m inspired by objects, buildings and forms that I may see anywhere. It’s not always a specific detail. Sometimes it’s a line or shape. My aesthetic sensibility is based on a Casual Chic core, which has no single definition - but "you know it when you see it."
Born into a family of tailors in Vietnam - her parents ran a tailoring school and custom clothing shop -- Thuy was imbued with an instinctual understanding of the garment industry and the art of the perfect fit. However, upon moving to the United States, her ambition to do something different from her immigrant parents pulled her away from fashion: After graduating from Brown University she began a career in finance as a Pricewaterhouse consultant. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | I’ve always had a love for fashion - as long as I remember. My parents instilled that in me, though ironically encouraged a more practical career path that would take advantage of the incredible opportunity I had at Brown. The professional career path was just not for me, though I am able to utilize many of the business skills now as I grow my design business. Ultimately, it was a simple leap of faith and courage to go back to school for fashion design and start all over!
Thuy followed her heart and returned to school, this time enrolling at Parsons School of Design. Her first gig after graduation included draping and patternmaking for designers such as Zac Posen, Carolina Herrera and Peter Som, but in no time she struck out on her own and launched her eponymous line. After a few short seasons, she made her debut on the runways in Bryant Park at New York Fashion Week with her Spring 2009 collection. | | | | | | | | | The challenge is to differentiate my collection from a very large field of designers and collections. There is no silver bullet for doing this; it’s just a combination of a lot of combined efforts and a little bit of luck.
Thuy currently lives and works out of her expansive, almost movie-set-like loft design studio in Soho, where her two Jack Russell’s yap and play amongst clothing racks and shelves piled high with bolts of fabric. Despite the economic challenges facing small businesses and designers, Thuy’s short-term goal is to open her own store in Manhattan while continuing to grow her label, which is currently sold in several boutiques throughout the country.
The worst part (lately) has been the terrible financial state of the industry, especially luxury consumer goods. I have seen so many good businesses and people suffer losses, including closing shop. I look forward to 2010 and beyond!
Thuy’s optimism isn’t unexpected, but the little known fact that she is terrified of rollercoasters does come as a surprise, considering that the industry she has chosen is, well, a rollercoaster -- full of twists and turns and gut-wrenching free-falls. But, as with most artists, Thuy is driven by creativity first and foremost, no matter how steep the climb, or how risky the potential fall.
Creating something beautiful takes sweat and tears and is not always glamorous…the process of creating itself is inspirational.
Visit: www.thuynewyork.com | | | | | | | | |
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