«Creating simplicity with complexities»: interview with Songzio At his latest Paris show, the Korean designer talks about himself and his brand

There is a lot of responsibility in being the founder and creative force behind the largest fashion brand in South Korea - especially if the brand we are talking about, namely Songzio, is also one of the most historic brands in the country today. Jay Songzio, its founder, president, and creative director, however, has a very clear vision, even after so many years: his design philosophy is «staying true to myself, and designing a style that reflects me and is therefore, real, natural and authentic». But there is more: the main brand of Jay Songzio's empire, the one that bears his name and that we see on the catwalks of London and Paris, is not just a commercial brand but can be described as avant-garde because of its so distinctly artistic approach to tailoring work - an approach that concedes nothing to market trends or the superficial allure of fame for its own sake to «look beyond conventions or trends, and search to design what is only ours, what has not been seen before». And because the brand's creative spirit does not fit the patterns imposed by the industry, new inspirations or ideas are the results of an inner process, reasoning that touches the very reasons for design each time: «We look and dig within ourselves every year and season to express, in the purest and creative way, who we are, and what we believe to be the most beautiful». The end result is the apparent oxymoron of a «simplicity with complexities» or, in other words, a «bold appearance, with the most meticulous details».

One should not think, however, that all this introspection and reflection represents a retreat into oneself. It is true that so many avant-garde brands (especially in Europe) tend to wallow in their own cultural niche, disdaining contact with the outside world and the advertising itself - but with all its artistic charge, its attention to detail and even its conceptual complexities Songzio remains a vital brand, one that wants to communicate and tell a story about itself but above all that wants to interface with the world at large. «We became a very large brand in Korea over the last 30 years, but as said earlier, this is just the beginning», he goes on. «With what we're able to develop from home and with a consistent desire to self-evolve, we will most aggressively seek to expand our house internationally. Paris Fashion Week is a starting point». Indeed, the brand has presented between Paris and London on a regular basis over the past few years, making its way more and more into the Western market (its garments are available on Farfetch, for example) but this seems to have to be the breakthrough year, the one in which Jay Songzio will become a permanent presence on the Western fashion horizon.