Thien Le
Spring/Summer 2003

There are many reasons why Thien Le's rise to the forefront of Canadian couture and ready-to-wear has been nothing short of meteoric.

Thien Le makes a powerful statement, taking no hesitating steps from the very onset of his chilly outdoor show on the banks of Lake Ontario.

The snappy silk-lined salt and pepper tweed mini-suit flaunts a blatant asymmetry, and was the most rigid silhouette to be seen all night. Yet even in these kinds of outfits, the jackets fit snugly over waist and skirt, constituting one voluptuous curve from top to bottom. The ventilated white dinner jacket with Nehru collar and satin filet front is dashing and imperial, all the while making use of subtleties like the single loop closure. Thien makes another bold move in white with the hemless white satin pants, pleated razor-sharp.

Enough of that and onto those dresses. It is possible that Thien Le, Yso, and a select few other designers in Canada are making the bias cut the nation's most visible fashion signature. And they're doing it with class. A gossamer tangerine lace dress delicately drapes over the shoulder. The black halter-top silk satin dress with embroidered front possesses an airborne mobility that astounds, perhaps even deceives the eye. Thien Le' sense of colour is breathtaking. The unforgettable colour of one sumptuous dress blowing in the frigid wind can only be described as 'fresh bronze'. "When I want a colour I use it. That's why I spend money on good fabrics."

Thien's flowing satin silk is the perfect fabric for his caramel designs, and the designer tells Minimidimaxi how his Premiere Vision choices hold him to a high standard. "Each dress has either one seam or no seams at all, as my goal was to let the fabric fall as naturally as possible. I work with the fabrics and try not to destroy them. Silk gives me the satisfaction I'm looking for."

For more information contact: Thien LE

Daniel Cox
Fashion Editor
Marek Wlazlo
Photographer

RELATED ARTICLES: TORONTO FASHION WEEK SPRING/SUMMER 2003

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