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• March 10, 2008
• Profiles

The Rising

For designer Thuy Diep, the third time is a charm. By Dena Smolek

The passing of a calendar year can mean either being buried beneath the look-books of even newer newbies, or, more hopefully, piquing a bit of interest due to not just one great collection, but another…and another. Such is the case with Thuy, designed and launched just last year by Vietnam-born designer Thuy Diep, who recently debuted a fall 2008 collection with a notable sense of purpose.

"Developing fall '08 was a special experience for me," the NYC-based designer says. "Rather than focus on a specific or literal element for inspiration, I started by returning to what I personally love to wear, and what I want in my own closet." Diep, who was temporarily sidetracked from her design destiny by a brief gig as a consultant for Price Waterhouse, studied at Parsons and hails from a long line of family tailors. Not surprisingly, her fall collection exhibits various twists with the craft (ie: long sharp lapels and modern neatly cut pants), but it's the careful juxtaposition of colors, textures, and interesting new shapes that give Thuy's pieces a marked liveliness.