She Went From an Internship with Thierry Mugler to Dressing Michelle Obama
Sophie Theallet's new line, Room 502, is all about chic daywear at an affordable price
She’s dressed everyone from Lady Gaga to Kim Kardashian to Michelle Obama.
Photo courtesy: Sophie Theallet
She’s worked with some of the greats – Thierry Mugler, Jean Paul Gaultier and her closest collaborator, Azzedine Alaïa.
Sophie Theallet is a longtime friend.
Photo courtesy: Sophie Theallet
Someone who’s dressed me for years in dresses I can’t live without.
Alina Cho with Rula Jebreal at a dinner honoring Sophie Theallet, January 2012, Photo credit: BFA
After shutting down her original luxury label, Sophie Theallet, the French fashion designer launched a new, more affordable line called Room 502 – why the funny name? There’s a romantic story behind it.
In addition to her own line, she recently collaborated with the iconic French knitwear brand, Saint James.
Photo courtesy: Sophie Theallet
We all want things that are stylish, comfortable, and easy on the wallet, right?
Sophie Theallet’s clothes checks all the boxes.
Because when it comes to clothing, the fit – Sophie’s specialty – is what sets her apart.
WORKING WITH THIERRY MUGLER, JEAN PAUL GAULTIER AND HER BIGGEST MENTOR: AZZEDINE ALAÏA
ALINA CHO: What was your first job in fashion?
SOPHIE THEALLET: First job was an internship with Thierry Mugler.
ALINA CHO: Oh, wow. What do you remember about him?
SOPHIE THEALLET: He was a really handsome guy. And very, very nice. Elegant. What a talent.
ALINA CHO: I was going to say, what a talent. What a loss.
SOPHIE THEALLET: It’s something that you cannot find anymore. That kind of personality and talent because — back then — there was a lot of freedom in fashion.
ALINA CHO: He was such an original.
SOPHIE THEALLET: Totally. [Azzedine] Alaïa was working at Thierry Mugler.
ALINA CHO: I did not know that.
SOPHIE THEALLET: Alaïa was the first pattern maker at Thierry Mugler. Thierry would say to him, "You should do your own brand, and I'm going to help you to do that.
ALINA CHO: That is crazy. I didn’t know that. So, it was Thierry Mugler who helped Azzedine Alaïa start his brand.
SOPHIE THEALLET: Yes.
ALINA CHO: You also worked for Jean Paul Gaultier.
Photo courtesy: Sophie Theallet
What did you learn from him?
SOPHIE THEALLET: How to work with color. How to mix colors. Don't be scared. Go with what you think. If you believe the colors mixed together are nice with your eyes, go for it.
ALINA CHO: And then, of course, we must talk about your time with Azzedine Alaïa.
Sophie Theallet and Azzedine Alaïa, Photo courtesy: Sophie Theallet
How many years did you work with him?
SOPHIE THEALLET: 10 years.
ALINA CHO: Talk about your relationship because you really were like family.
Photo courtesy: Sophie Theallet
SOPHIE THEALLET: 100%, sure. At one point, I left Gaultier and Azzedine called me, and he said, "Sophie, can you come help me for a season? My assistant is going to have a baby." And I said, “Okay.” It was supposed to be for three months, and I stayed for 10 years.
Photo courtesy: Sophie Theallet
ALINA CHO: Sometimes things happen like that, right?
SOPHIE THEALLET: Yeah. When you work with somebody like Azzedine, you cannot leave. He teaches you everything. And he doesn't like the bullshit of fashion. Sorry for saying that.
ALINA CHO: Yeah, I know.
SOPHIE THEALLET: It’s about the gut. It's about the woman. It’s not about fashion. And it’s not about trends. He hated trends.
ALINA CHO: Well, this is the thing. Classic Alaïa clothing is timeless.
SOPHIE THEALLET: Exactly. When he did a jacket, he could work on that jacket for three years. He always wanted to make it perfect.
FROM STARTING HER FIRST LINE TO DRESSING THE FIRST LADY
ALINA CHO: Tell me about the genesis of your original brand, Sophie Theallet.
Photo courtesy: Sophie Theallet
SOPHIE THEALLET: Well, I fell in love with Steve [Francoeur, my husband].
Photo courtesy: Sophie Theallet
I moved to New York, voilà. And I left everything behind. I called Azzedine and I said, "Azzedine, I'm not going to come back."
ALINA CHO: Oh my God. What did he say?
SOPHIE THEALLET: He said, "Are you crazy?" Because I was in another relationship.
ALINA CHO: Oh, Sophie, that's so French.
SOPHIE THEALLET: Yeah, exactly. That's very French.
ALINA CHO: So, tell me, when you started the brand, Sophie Theallet, what was your idea for it?
SOPHIE THEALLET: To be honest, I was in New York. I went to try to find work. And I went to see different designers. Donna Karen told me, “You should do your own line. You have too much talent." And I was thinking, "Okay, but I need to work." So, I went to work for Tahari.
ALINA CHO: Ah, I see.
SOPHIE THEALLET: I designed a little bit there and I kept thinking, "I need to do my own line." And that was it. 2005 was the beginning of Sophie Theallet.
Photo courtesy: Sophie Theallet
ALINA CHO: You had so many incredible moments. You won the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. You won the [International] Woolmark Prize.
Photo courtesy: Sophie Theallet
For people who don't follow fashion, those are two of the most prestigious awards any designer can win.
SOPHIE THEALLET: Yes, for sure.
ALINA CHO: But beyond that, you dressed the most extraordinary women. Michelle Obama was quite a fan of your clothes.
Photo courtesy: Sophie Theallet
That must have felt amazing.
SOPHIE THEALLET: Definitely. When Michelle Obama wore one of my dresses, suddenly I became accepted by the fashion industry.
ALINA CHO: Is that how you felt?
SOPHIE THEALLET: Absolutely. And Azzedine called me and said, "Oh, I'm so proud that you dressed Michelle Obama. Well, don't you deserve it."
STARTING A NEW LINE AND DOING IT HER OWN WAY
SOPHIE THEALLET: I didn't recognize myself anymore in the world of fashion.
ALINA CHO: What do you mean?
SOPHIE THEALLET: Designers have no time to design a collection. It's all about business, all about connections, and this is okay. But when it becomes only that, you lose what fashion is about.
ALINA CHO: Yeah, I agree.
SOPHIE THEALLET: As a fashion designer, you need to know how to make beautiful clothes to make a woman to look good.
ALINA CHO: So, what was your idea behind Room 502, named for the room at the Chelsea Hotel where you and Steve lived when you first moved to New York? It has similar DNA to your original line and yet it is entirely different.
SOPHIE THEALLET: When I started Room 502, I said, "Okay, I want to focus on daywear."
Photo courtesy: Sophie Theallet
I wanted to give women something extremely well done. Well produced.
ALINA CHO: It's the beautiful white shirt dress.
Tilda Swinton wearing Room 502, Photo courtesy: Sophie Theallet
But it’s all about the details and the cut. Which is what you do so extraordinarily well.
SOPHIE THEALLET: Exactly. And it's a fair price. At Sophie Theallet, [my original label], I sold dresses for $1200. Now, I sell dresses for $500.
ALINA CHO: Wow.
SOPHIE THEALLET: I can do that, not because I compromise on fabrication, but because I am direct to the consumer. I don’t have to [share the profits with a retail store and] double the price.
ALINA CHO: So smart.
SOPHIE THEALLET: What I try to do is give that sense of effortless, chic dresses.
Room 502 Anna Dress, Photo courtesy: Sophie Theallet
ALINA CHO: Who doesn’t want that?
SOPHIE THEALLET: The only thing that I can say, and I really believe this, foundation is important in fashion. At the end, there is a woman who wants to be dressed, and that woman, she wants to feel good in the clothes. And to feel good in the clothes, you need a good fit.
ALINA CHO: That's right.
SOPHIE THEALLET: And it's not about fashion. It's something else.
ALINA CHO: 100 percent. It really is about the transformative power of fashion. About how you feel in that garment. And you only feel good if the fit is right.
SOPHIE THEALLET: Absolutely. I always say, it's easy to put a lot of details in clothes to hide the imperfections. It's not easy to do a simple dress. This is actually the most difficult thing to do.