Francesco Fucci, the new creative director at Theory, sits down with Prestige during a recent visit to Hong Kong.

You’ve worked at Calvin Klein, Diane von Furstenberg and The Row. What excited you about joining Theory?

I think there’s a common philosophy running through all the brands, which is about creating a wardrobe for the modern woman, staying with purity and maintaining a minimalism about the clothes. Theory is a strong brand, it’s bold. It’s a modern company making quality clothes with good fabric for real women, When I moved to New York 11 years ago, I was selling prints and my first sale was to Theory, so it’s very interesting that, 11 years later, I’m the creative director of the women’s collection.

Theory is known for classic, minimal pieces. How do you plan to update or refresh this aesthetic?

I started with resort and reworked [Theory founder Andrew] Rosen’s idea of wardrobe staples like a jacket, pant and shirt. I took the menswear glossary of basics and translated it to the woman’s body, exploring the quality of fabrics and how to make those relevant.

What inspired spring/summer 2019, your second collection for the brand?

My memories of a southern Italian summer. It’s a celebration of summer, be it the flirtation, the love or just the laziness of the season. It was too hot to do anything, so we just waited for the evening to dress up. The colour palette draws from the fields of burnt soil, to the oranges, reds and yellows of the sunset.

What look encapsulates your vision for the season?

The first look, the pinstripes. Because it’s part of Theory, it’s a jacket and pants, which speaks to the brand. Also, the way I like to show it is with just the bra underneath, showing skin, so there’s a feminine, sexier side to the suit. As if the woman is wearing her husband’s suit. I like that.