Songzio designer Jay Song’s love of art history once again proved a fertile playground for his explorations in pattern and technique. He chose to imagine what the fashion of the future might have looked like to the onlooker of the late 19th or early 20th century, in a world undergoing vast industrial change.
The works of John Chamberlain were a particular reference, the artist’s sculptures of crushed cars inspiring textural play and fabric experimentation, with thin layers of materials including leather or aluminum foil bonded together with other fabrics, lending sheen here, depth there, or allowing manipulation that formed light pleats at the waist or hips on tailored looks, as if the fabric had been crushed into place.
Initially dominated by black and gray, with touches of white, the collection then veered into earthy and mineral territory in tone-on-tone, layer-upon-layer demonstrations in hues including russet, copper and brown.
Distressed textiles were explored in depth, with strata of wool strands on outsized sweaters, wool coats brushed to give them a shabby look, and patchworks of different materials spliced together, enhancing the sense of intensity. Wide, fringed hair belts and fake fur mittens added further texture.
Song cut his fabrics on the bias so they flowed. His pants were wide, often culotte-like, sometimes barrel-shaped, and particularly striking when done in padded leather with paper-bag waists or in wide patchwork stripes. Giant collars stood upright, at times hiding the models’ heads and faces entirely, rendering a sense of alienation, and certain models sported steampunk goggles or leather dog collars, accentuating the otherworldly, cinematic feel.
