Mobile Suit Gundam, William Gibson’s Neuromancer, Jedi, Wall-E, and “Ridley Scott color-blocking”: these were just a few of the references dropped by Siki Im as we scanned this collection from orbit. Im’s nostalgia for past futures was, as he cheerily pointed out, a big influence here, along with what he described as “my love for ’90s post-punk new wave.” A German-Korean who studied architecture in Oxford and fell into fashion in New York, this designer’s identity lying beneath those layers of inspiration made for a collection in which the cacophony of references struck a fresh and interesting harmony.
Soft modernist horn-buttoned suiting and shirting—often collarless, sometimes kimono style—in silk charmeuse or worsted wool featured Gundam prints plus a smattering of velcro patching and strapping in order to allow the wearer to play around with the volume of his look and feel like some back-from-the-future badass. Hard vectors of seaming were stitched onto the gently contoured shirting and pants to deliver the dichotomy Im was aiming for.
This dystopian punk 3.0 note was counterpointed by a strong sportswear-rooted section that included a foldable Jedi-esque poncho—totally Tauntaun—and some paneled short-shorting that set the thrust course of conversation direct to Berghain (Im was getting ready for a visit). Whatever your reason for getting into Im—quad stretching or mind bending—he presents a distinct menswear aesthetic that feels both future-proof (at least for now) and exactingly thought through.
