For Fall/Winter 2020 Sies Marjan creative director Sander Lak has been deeply scientific and artistic about nature sending an educated message on the role of nature and the countryside in a modern predominantly urban universe. Inspired by and sponsoring a similarly themed exhibition by Rem Koolhaas coming late this month at the Guggenheim Museum, New York, he manufactured fabrics processed with plant-dyeing techniques resulting from a collaboration with Cornell University. Other collaborations for this collection include one with Dutch artist Claudy Jongstra who creates ethical wool from lambs’ sheddings, another with visual artist Diana Scherer who produces engineered plant-root raffia, and one with Marlo Laz who created the raw pearl earrings featured on the runway and reminding us of the ‘Girl with the Pearl Earring’ by Johannes Vermeer. There was great knitwear and florals that don’t look romantic at all. The grungy gilded looks were crafted by twill adorned with screen-printed golden film. The French utility overalls and oversize bags allude to the hard work put in these crops and natural materials. The glossy roomy outerwear, Dutch-style clogs, and dark neutral palette give it an ultra modern spin. Paradoxically for the topic of this collection, it was showcased on the 54th floor of One Manhattan West. I think that Lak intentionally wanted to create a visual contrast or send the message that they are all – countryside and cities – very much interdependent in practice.
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Backstage at the Fall/Winter 2020 Runway show: Look 11. Photo by @vnina for @tmagazine.
