TEXT, VIVIAN KELLY
Our first stop during NYFW, that is, our first real show, was to see the Siki Im Men’s Collection. Like in the old days, just getting to the West 25th Street show space was an adventure onto itself. The scary taxi garage cage elevator ride to one of the floors upstairs was worth it though.
Even if the collection had been a dud [it was not], getting to admire the vintage silver Jag
preshow a colleague pointed out was worth the haul. Sitting on the dirty windowsill, I felt as I’d been thrown back to the late eighties when the coolest clubs were those with no sign on the door - you just had to know where and when the party was going on.
This was a well-executed presentation - the models were posed like mannequins, holding their poses so long I almost forgot they were live human beings. It was impossible not to get a good look.
The clothes were of the “whiteout”
variety Fashion Tribes Editor/Writer, Mark Behnke, and I had predicted we’d be seeing a lot of earlier this week, when we were packing-up our bags to go to the City for the eight days of shows. The collection was more than just a grouping of white tops and pants. The s/s2011 Siki Im collection presented a daring alternative take on menswear. There was a white Jesus
of Nazareth linen tunic, and a gray coat with Karate Kid 
style stitching for lapels.
When a designer goes in a more avant-garde direction, there’s bound to be a few things that don’t work so well. What could have been left out was the black matte/sheer jacket
that looked too much like Vera Wang’s famous bridal "illusion" panel and the awkward HAZMAT style oxfords.
We gave our vote for “best in show” to the slim black linen suit accessorized with a backward baseball cap
that had black leather strips hanging down, giving it a vaguely Lawrence of Arabia 
feeling.
This is the kind of collection, like Duckie Brown and Petrou Man that is designed for men who dare to step outside the box and take their clothes and fashion seriously.
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