Siki Im, who based his Fall collection on his undying love of vampire films, has done an about-face for Spring. “It’s not about smoke and mirrors this time,” he said as he observed his showroom presentation from the periphery. “There’s been too much concept. This is just about the clothes in an intimate and honest way.”
Lending credence to his newfound clarity and passivity, Im said he found a certain sartorial enlightenment in Zen Buddhism. He named each look after a modern monastic trope—city monk, punk monk, funk monk, hiking monk, sporty monk, nerd monk, archi monk—and gave a deferential speech explaining the men so stoically personifying these variations. A mix of models, friends, and assorted “gents who’ve inspired” him along the way, they ranged from bartenders and trainers to musicians and fellow designers, including Maxwell Osborne of Public School and DKNY—“the tall guy and hottest designer right now.”
Knowing the no-concept concept and non-story backstory, the clothes took on a cryptic, quirky depth, in particular kimono-esque jackets, asymmetrical-sleeved tees, tone-on-tone layered draping, and assorted robelike shapes in noncommittal shades of gray, ecru, olive, and dusty rose. Im credited New York jeweler Samma with the sculptural silver bracelets and Beltology with the artfully dangling belts. A recurring cross motif, a tribute to German architect and Bauhaus leader Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, indicated pieces from Im’s new performance line, which were mixed with the main Siki Im line as well as the contemporary line, Den Im—all three shown together for the first time, in communal spirit.
