Theory Launches Luxe Lounge For On- and Off- duty Hours
● Entirely in silk jersey, the loungewear features soft tops, hoodies, jumpsuits, elastic hem pull-on pants, and wide-leg pants.
With so many people working from home, Theory doesn’t want to miss out on dressing them.
The brand has developed a holiday capsule called Luxe Lounge that features silk jersey separates such as wide leg and elastic hem pull-on pants, hoodies, soft tops, and jumpsuits.
Starting today, the women’s collection will be carried exclusively in Theory stores and on theory.com, retailing from $ 125 for a sleeveless mock neck top to $ 275 for a jumpsuit. The colors are black, navy, thyme green, sand, blue frost, and gray oat. There are seven styles in total.
“It’s an assortment that’s really about responding to the time. It’s a luxurious take on loungewear,” said Siddhartha Shukla, chief brand officer of Theory. “It’s not your standard issue of sweats and hoodies. This is all in a silk jersey that’s machine washable, and it has an incredible hand to it.
“It’s cozy, but it’s chic cozy,” he added.
“These are pieces that you’re wearing on the weekends and at home and your offduty hours, but nowadays, your off-duty hours are your on-duty hours. It’s Theory’s take on loungewear.”
According to Shukla, the pieces are meant for layering. They can be worn as a lounge set or the top can be thrown under a jacket for a different look.
“It’s our testament to our ability to react. This is product we were able to discern that the marketplace needed, and we were able to design and manufacture it at a very quick turn,” he explained. He said the company has the ability to respond to the business climate and to mobilize the supply chain to get relevant product into the market quickly. “If it works, we’ll keep going. We’re pretty confident it’s going to work. We bought it to sell out, and we think it’s going to sell out,” he said.
The capsule under the Theory label was designed by an in-house team.
Meantime, the company has been seeing some resilience in the market and has been selling its more structured and polished jackets, dresses, knitwear and combo dresses (knit and woven dresses). “Offices are reopening and the Theory customer is a tried-and-true urban professional who has been counting on us for a long time,” said Shukla.
Theory will also launch its holiday campaign this week titled “Together in Theory.” Shukla said the idea behind the campaign was “embracing a message of togetherness...this notion of unity and people coming together is important, and in a time, when physical proximity to one’s loved ones might not be possible.”
The campaign consists of four short films featuring diverse individuals, who are interviewed on the subject of what it means to be together. They are Se Oh, a Korean theatrical set designer and model; Ari Wengroff, a film producer; Deborah Shaw, an African-American model, and Dominic Long, a Chinese-American architect. The 30- to 45-second films launch this week.
It’s not about product, although they are wearing Theory, but is more biographical in nature, said Shukla. The videos will run on the brand’s social media, YouTube, web site, and as digital advertising. The casting was about finding people who could tell varied stories. They were filmed during quarantine in New York.
Another aspect of the company’s holiday campaign is a gift guide with products across the spectrum ranging from winter outerwear, such as shearlings and double-faced cashmere, to the more technical outerwear pieces, along with cashmere and knitwear. An entire section in the gift guide will be dedicated to Luxe Lounge.
“It’s an opportunity to show people that Theory is not just about a trouser and a jacket, but you can actually find a softer, easier, more casual, comfortable silhouette,” said Shukla.