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Sporty Sophistication by Siki Im
After a few seasons of general praise, and after having won the prestigious Ecco Domani-prize for best men’s wear in 2010, The German-born designer Siki Im of Korean-descent is the man of the hour. The fact that Siki Im is a multicultural half-breed stands very clear in his design. In his latest collection, the Rei Kawakubo bulky-silhouette is juxtaposed with the European penchant for Jil Sanderian neo-minimalism.
Come fall, Im has taken a peak in the rear-view mirror and paid a homage to his own high school jock-phase, during which he played basketball for five years, and classic American athletic wear such as Nike and Champion held a firm grip of his wardrobe and everyday life. At that time, The Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan were in their age of glory. Therefore, their uniforms and sneakers have provided with inspiration for Siki Im’s up-coming season.
He even mentions Rocky’s Russian opponent Ivan Drago in Rocky IV as an influence; thus, the fluffy box-hair cut has been resurrected, accentuated by black and reddish sweatbands. But never mind the 80’s action movie allusions, the collection hoovers in a completely different dimension of modern sophistication, which could be explained by the fact that Im has once worked under the wings of Karl Lagerfeld and Helmut Lang.
Except for safe card such as black and grey, the collection presents a wide array of nuances from the red colour spectrum, featuring scarlet sweatshirts, burgundy blazers, coral slacks and ruby drawstring-tunics, all effortlessly layered together with goofy popcorn-print shirts and bomber jackets.
“Most people think my designs are very serious and avant-garde, but I really like it when some people say my collections are funny”, Im admits.
According to himself, he prefers to work with men’s clothing since it’s easier for women to wear menswear than the other way around. “The clothing can be worn comfortably by either sex”, he insists, “I think what’s important is to be comfortable.”
