Soulland, which withdrew from shows a few seasons ago, presented a rather formal fall collection by appointment. Silhouettes remained largely static, while textiles (note the neon carpet flowers) and prints changed. A beautiful “logo” print was made after a pencil drawing by Silas Adler’s son, where the S in the brand name is converted into a dollar sign. The designer has also created a relational story by combining a print of a landscape painting with that of a snow bunny. When he found the latter, Adler explained, “I thought: that’s perfect, that’s Soulland: small, but with great energy and on fragile ground.
Adler took a step towards firmer ground by working with jeans, garments he himself does not particularly like. “The only denim I had a feeling for was 90s hip hop denim from New York – Sean John and Ecko….” Adler interpreted that inspiration by applying functional topstitching to dark-washed fabric. These pieces feel related to the designer’s skateboarding background. It would be good to see him bring that up more; there is power in fashion that feels personal.
