MARK KENLY DOMINO TAN SS24

August 10, 2023

Sometimes the line epitomizing a sharply focused (sweet!) and tightly-focused (sour!) collection is so fine that whatever side you pick feels erratic. This Mark Kenly Domino Tan outing walked prettily enough — but often rather customary — right down that line. Or perhaps down a shore, connecting the frenzy paced fashion with the boundlessness of the ocean. Ditto for Spring, the label paid homage to the natural treasure, evidencing inspirations from “the subtle and abstract life in and around the sea to capture the unique atmosphere it brings.” These are garments engaging in a dialogue between the art of conceal and reveal, the straightforward and the notional, with every piece of the Spring lineup speaking to a certain quotidian, almost Puritan-esque 1930s take on preppiness, from slouchy separates to noir-tinged ones. It had a splash of retro grace to it without feeling overly traditional.

Text by Chidozie Obasi
Photos by James Cochrane

This collection was also marked by its greater focus on artisanship and beading, many of them, like the terrific pearls, culling inspiration from Korean diving women, known as the Haenyeo, which literally refers to ocean women. “For generations these women have dived off the southern coast of South Korea without oxygen,” detailed the notes,” explaining that “some of them are up to 90 years old.” And so, this dynamic played out here on the elevation of craftsmanship (this season introduced the brand’s atelier collection), with a soft-meets-tough attitude that was evident in surface embellishments that resembled water droplets trickling across the fabric.

One of the collection’s standouts, a squarely-sized white collar in shades of wick teamed with exquisite embroidery and peplum hemlines, offered a promising hint to a stellar proposal of easy-to-wear elegance that would nicely translate to the world’s sidewalks and beyond. To wit — at a time where designers rely too much on hype and loony experimentation, Mark Kenly Domino Tan is out to prove that ease might be the best resistance.

Fashion

A New Lee® and Alpha Industries Collaboration Takes Flight

Fashion

Escaping the Glass Cage

November 19, 2024

For years, she stood still, watching life rush past her, a quiet observer behind the glass. Now, the glass is broken, and she steps out into the unknown. She walks through the city, caught between two worlds—part of it, yet apart from it.

Her journey is quiet but bold, searching for something she’s never understood, something just out of reach. On church steps and under glowing city lights, she questions everything: the rules, the past, and where she truly belongs. Each step feels both freeing and uncertain.

A curious soul in a borrowed life, she keeps moving forward, leaving behind only whispers of her escape, like a fleeting shadow in the night.