Som is a Star
Coffee date with the fashion legend
I had the privilege of sitting down for coffee with the legendary Creative Director, Somsack Sikhounmuong. He’s currently the co-founder and creative director at Alex Mill, but I’ve been following Som’s career for years - first during his time as head designer at J.crew and Madewell, and now at Alex Mill. One of my favorite things about his designs is the way he incorporates vintage inspiration in a truly wearable way - because as all vintage lovers know, not everything you buy vintage is something you can wear - sometimes it just SMELLS! We got into that and so much more during our chat. Let’s get right into it:
Abby: First of all, I love your hat!
Somsack: Thank you! Very random. Rose, who you met, helped me start off the Substack {Som’s Substack a must read}. It was her birthday, and I thought It’d be funny to get her a hat with Somstack on it. I found one on Etsy and I just had it made, and now there’s a bunch of people wearing them around the office.
A: That’s great marketing! I loved the tour you gave on Substack of your vintage collection. How do you use your collection in your work?
S: It’s hard to be inspired by just one thing. Sometimes people look through magazines or Pinterest, I do everything, and vintage plays a big part for me. In Paris we go to the vintage markets, in NY we go to 26th Street or the LES, and it's so easy to shop vintage online now. I joke that my days of rummaging through bins are long gone. The internet rummages for you!
A: Do you ever wear the pieces you collect?
S: Most of the pieces I collect are things I can’t wear, like women’s clothes or very tiny little things. But they spark joy for me; it’s like collecting art, being surrounded by things I’ve always admired but couldn’t afford when I was younger. Now, I’m making up for lost time.
A: Isn’t that the best feeling? I had a similar experience with a YSL bag I had been watching my entire youth. I found it for $300, and I wear it all the time!
S: Exactly! It feels like you’ve waited for it. I have a vintage coat from Isaac Mizrahi and I remember seeing it in the runway show and thinking 'that is the most beautiful coat I've ever seen'. I have a vintage seller friend who texted me that Isaac himself was getting rid of some pieces. He sent me the pictures lo and behold there was the coat! I got it from the man himself.
A: (talking about the pants I’m wearing): I've been wearing these pants non stop, and they do remind me of a favorite pair of vintage pants that I have, but they're updated and have some modern touches like they’re washable!
S: Exactly, and that's how it is with vintage - I love the idea of it, but either the sizing is off or it's scratchy, the fabric is not great or it smells!
A: Ugh the smell of vintage clothes is really a thing.
S: That turns me off the most too! Because you can't wash it out.
A: What do you think about when you design a collection?
S: One of the taglines we use is uniforms for individuals, which is not the idea of everyone looking the same, it's about the ease that comes with a uniform. Whoever understands that philosophy is our customer. We try to make every piece we design interesting - and it doesn't have to be crazy to be interesting whether it's the wash or the color, the fit, that's the philosophy we approach every collection with.
If you couldn’t tell, I absolutely fell in love with Som during this interview. He is so warm and friendly and a fashion lover to the core. And it made me think that Alex Mill might be one of the only brands doing incredibly thoughtful designs, with great quality and fabrics, at a reasonable price point. Thank you to the Alex Mill team for making this happen - Rose, Meaghan, Alex, and of course Som!
‘Til next week.
xo
Abby
abby! let the smelly vintage be known. it was so fun meeting u -
love this!