Boloria, the butterfly with centenary ambitions, takes flight after a two-year wait

For two years, the fashion world has awaited his return. On July 5, Olivier Theyskens returned to centre stage with his first collection for the luxury ready-to-wear label Boloria, designed for men and women alike. Founded by the group behind the Tomorrowland music festival, the Belgian brand adopts a long-term perspective, both in its management and in its creative philosophy.

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It was at the Lycée Carnot that Boloria- which takes its name from a butterfly- made its debut. Before an intimate audience, the brand projected the aura of an established house under the guidance of Olivier Theyskens, evoking the wardrobe of a Belgian petite bourgeoisie from a deliberately elusive era. “I immediately thought: if I commit to this project, I’ll approach it as if I were in a fashion house that had existed for over 100 years,” the designer told FashionNetwork.com.

“An idea of Belgian luxury”

Boloria not only borrows the butterfly’s name, but also threads its brown and orange wings through the colour palette of its first collection, with black- a hue dear to the designer- predominating. Boloria’s Spring/Summer 2027 collection thus features voluptuous black dresses with lapels, slit at the front and paired with long trains; long black trench coats and frock coats; dresses with black bustiers offering a glimpse of the décolletage and voluminous skirts covered with silver fish motifs; as well as pleated trousers hitched to the shins, worn with a shirt under a V-neck jumper from which the ends of a loosened tie protrude.

Shades of black, grey, white, cream, and apricot flow one into another, sketching the contours of a wardrobe that is at once simple, versatile and elegant. “I don’t know Belgian luxury; I’m forming my own idea of Belgian luxury,” notes Olivier Theyskens, who wishes to distance himself from the French or Italian expressions of luxury. To embody this idea, fabrics are sourced from textile fairs such as Milano Unica- a crucial concern for the creative director, who believes consumers’ knowledge of fibres is waning.

A wardrobe that fluctuates between bodies

The collection’s temporal blur also spans generations, featuring a “generational telescoping,” and crosses genders. “The lines, the cut, the design of the garment… it’s very similar. [The garment] is designed to make an impact when worn by a man, then its shape is completely reworked to achieve the same look when worn by a woman. There’s a whole approach that shifts significantly between bodies. For me, it’s something of a revelation because I think it’s important for the brand; it contributes to how its world is perceived,” emphasises the Belgian designer, who is particularly delighted by this aspect.

This pattern-making work is carried out in-house- by Olivier Theyskens himself, who practises this craft empirically, and by independent pattern makers, some of whom have been working with the creative director since the 1990s. On this subject, he takes the opportunity to express his gratitude to two pattern makers who are due to retire at the end of the year, particularly for their work on the Boloria project. As for the manufacture of the garments, the Boloria team has turned to Italian workshops, which better meet its needs than their French or Belgian counterparts. The logistics system now in place enables the brand to anticipate the traceability requirements soon to be introduced at European level, an obvious step which, according to Olivier Theyskens, helps channel creativity within ecological parameters.

The imaginary archives of houses that have none

The very construction of the garments has been carefully conceived to create a world unique to the brand, right down to the finest details. Olivier Theyskens explains: “If I take the tailored jacket, for example, the internal construction isn’t the same as usual. All the finishes are absolutely signature. This, for example… doesn’t exist in standard jackets…,” he explains, handling the garment. “These are additional satin strips applied to the inside, even on the sleeves.”

It’s a whole world imagined by the creative director to build the Boloria legacy. It’s a task he’s no stranger to: having worked at Rochas (2002–2006) and then Nina Ricci (2006–2009), the designer had to draw on the archives of his own imagination to give these houses a strong identity. For this first Boloria collection, the Brussels-born designer has also connected fashion with architecture, a field he is particularly fond of. “Can you see the panels behind me? You can’t quite tell whether they’re wood panelling or tiles… This season, I tended to think that these models would be dressed as if they were about to step out of their homes. So, I envisaged them in this slightly opulent, slightly austere setting, reminiscent of that somewhat Belgian atmosphere, those houses you see in films…”

Organic and measured growth

With this critically acclaimed comeback, Olivier Theyskens has enabled WeAreOne.world, the parent company of the Tomorrowland festival, to take its first steps into the world of luxury fashion. This venture is being driven by Michiel Beers, co-founder of the group alongside his brother Manu. Martijn Swolfs, director of Boloria and head of fashion, lifestyle and home at Tomorrowland, explains: “For nearly a year, we met with numerous industry players to understand their vision and present ours.” It was following these discussions that the name Olivier Theyskens emerged as the obvious choice. “He is an iconic figure in fashion. From our very first meeting, Michiel and I realised that his values and vision were perfectly aligned with our own,” continues the director.

As a new addition to the We Are One universe, Boloria draws on an existing customer base, particularly linked to Tomorrowland. To ensure customers have access to the brand’s products, Martijn Swolfs and his teams are working on a distribution strategy centred on luxury boutiques and multi-brand stores located in the fashion world’s “usual suspects”- namely Paris, London, Milan, New York, and Tokyo. As soon as the first stock is delivered to partner shops, an e-commerce site will also be launched. Having its own retail outlets remains a key part of Boloria’s strategy, but, here too, there is no rush.

“It’s about taking our time to do things properly, and taking our time to think through a strategy that is sustainable, in the sense that we want to build something that will last. We don’t want to create a hype that peaks too early and then stops. We need to think carefully about our intentions.” In the future, Boloria could also collaborate with artists associated with the Tomorrowland festival if the opportunity arises, provided it remains “authentic.”