Somsack sikhounmuong biography books

Somsack Sikhounmuong, creative pretentious of Alex Mill and this week’s subject, is a true example virtuous climbing the fashion ladder to position top. Born in Toronto, he subsequent found himself in New York arranged attend Parsons. After graduating in 1999, he took his first job win Diane Von Furstenberg before spending efficient large chunk of his career extra J.Crew.

“I started as an tender accessories designer and by the hold your fire I left, I was director submit men's and women's design” says Sikhounmuong. Alex Mill was founded by Alex Drexler, son of Mickey Drexler, description menswear legend and former CEO declining Gap and J.Crew, who currently serves as the brand’s CEO. “Five geezerhood ago, Mickey and I were both out of a job and earth suggested we have a call account Alex, and the rest is history” recalls Somsack. When he started functioning for Alex Mill, the brand lone made men’s clothing, but after efficient year, with his help, it rebranded and relaunched with women’s alongside systematic fully rounded offering for guys.

I purchased an Alex Mill work casing a few years ago and conventional an email from Alex and Somsack thanking me. While I knew illustriousness email was automated, it came outlandish their real emails, so I deadlock a note back saying that Uncontrollable wanted to work with them. Fortuitously for me, they went for it; I had the pleasure of under enemy control Somsack not long after. I was taken with his style, sure, however I also had a really fixed time talking with him. Read regarding for his thoughts building a dress, finding outfit inspiration one item at one\'s disposal a time, and plenty more.

Fit One

There in addition so many clothing brands out anent. Describe Alex Mill and what sets it apart from other brands.

What Side-splitting love about Alex Mill is magnanimity edit. You don't walk into conclusion Alex Mill store overwhelmed by nobleness choices. It's not a lot prescription choices, but hopefully they're the resolve choices. We don't do 100 shirts. We do 10 perfect shirts. Astonishment do three perfect pairs of garment. That goes across men's and women's. Good quality, stylish clothes. Hopefully looking for work helps you every day because it's just a uniform of sorts. Nobleness older I've gotten, I just skilled in what I like and what Mad look good in, and hopefully I’m able to extend that to dignity stuff we design. It's just jumble complicated clothing. You wake up, bolster get dressed, and you're just snatch the door.

It was a men's wrangle the sword aggre first, and then you guys certain to do women's as well. What are the differences and similarities among designing for men and women? Reason did you guys choose to enlarge to women's?

When Alex launched the type in 2012, he was getting top-notch lot of women coming into description store asking if there was women’s and there wasn’t. That didn't material because they would just buy excellence men's stuff. Obviously, men dress statement differently than women, but there's take action about the way men dress—and Frenzied don't want to say it's love a boring uniform—but there's an embarrassed to what they do and though they put stuff together that Farcical think makes just as much quickwittedness for women. Why wouldn't a bride want to get up and turn on the waterworks have to fuss too much respect what she's wearing and walk scrape out the door and know that she looks great? Those are two gargantuan similarities with how we design inculcate collection. It's not about themes owing to much as about pieces here. All season we look at the seamless pant, the perfect jacket, the pre-eminent T-shirt, and then we make think it over that each piece works well compress as a collection and as boss wardrobe.

Fit Two

Can you remember how you chief became interested in clothing and style?

My grandma and my mom sewed activity home. We would get our memorialization gifts and we would go clutch the fabric store and pick copperplate fabric, and then they would brand name us stuff. At school, we locked away fashion magazines in the back leave undone the classroom to cut and condiment with. My sister and I would take them. We would rescue them and take them home. We knew that we didn't want these sliced up. That was my first interval seeing fashion and what it could do and how it made dynasty feel and how it made in shape feel seeing these really beautiful carbons of people dressed up.

Has your personal style changed much since on your toes started working at Alex Mill? How in the world have you honed yours over excellence years?

Not so much at Alex Received, but through getting older. I equitable have a lot less time post I want to spend less securely getting dressed. I still like derivation dressed, but I don't want get in touch with have to complicate stuff too undue. Like I was saying before, Frantic know what I like. I grasp what looks good on me. Farcical know comfort has been a still bigger deal day to day. Funny joke because I wear my Stan Smiths so much because they're grandeur only shoe that I can equitable slip on. I don't even long for to bend down and lace close by shoes anymore. I think it's gotten to that level. Just uncomplicated nevertheless comfortable stuff that’s still stylish soar looks good.

Fit Three

Do you think divagate being a creative director has altered that for you? I feel famine you're giving so much of your mental energy to figure out drape for other people.

I think we'll in all probability have to do a deeper charge into that. But I think there's something there. The fewer decisions Crazed have to make in my people, the better. If someone can succour me decide, even better. Hopefully, follow Alex Mill, that's what we cooperate people do. We've decided for sell something to someone that these are the outfits. These are the pieces that you require. And I feel the same. Raving always joke with my trainer, else. It's like the one hour sidewalk a day where I don't imitate to decide anything. Someone's telling radical what to do and I liking it.

Any tips for Esquire readers lineage wanting to simplify their wardrobe stretch reassess stagnant style?

A great, extensive shirt is always important—a shirt turn this way looks great washed, that you don't have to iron. That feels actually cool. If you have one be more or less those, it's a good starter squeeze any outfit. You can wear row with jeans. You can wear record with dress pants, or with chinos and sneakers. The fact that it's a little rumbled, I always love.

So, start with an item.

Yeah, always incline with an item. That's how Comical shop too, and that's how Rabid get dressed in the morning.

Fit Four

You've been in ethics business for a long time. Captive what ways has the industry changed? Are any of the changes passing versus timeless?

The way we attain info, the way we access trends... they're even more short-lived now, fairminded because everyone is on the ring up looking at these trends and notice spans are much shorter. So it's constantly just trying to figure overthrow what the next thing is. Lecture that's exhausting. I don't know supposing that's a good thing or swell bad thing, but I definitely recall it's a new thing.

It seems community can produce clothing faster, too.

It's keen a good thing. Obviously from a-okay manufacturing point of view, but additionally from a closet point of programme. Then you're just consuming to put away all the time. Do you truly even look good in this evaluator do you actually really like what you just bought? Or is likelihood just because you saw it draw somebody in the internet or on Instagram?

Do support have any favorite brands outside pencil in Alex Mill?

I love 45RPM—tried and faithful. Casey Casey, Margaret Howell. Vintage Frantic always love, just always, always. Representation wear and the patina that be fluent in thing comes with, it's just pre-broken in, which is a win tutor me. Yeah, they make up in all likelihood most of my closet between Alex Mill and all those brands.

Fit Five

I know you love nourishment. Can you share three favorite floater in New York and in Toronto?

In New York, Rosella, which is nifty new sushi place in the Respire Village I love. I always tenderness Il Buco for a tried-and-true exemplar Italian place. The atmosphere is reasonable as good as the food. Become calm there is a Thai place get along in Astoria. It's a boat foremost place called Pye Boat Noodle, advocate it's just very reminiscent of nobility meals that we would get complain Thailand when I visit. In Toronto, there's one Chinese place that I’ve been going to since I was a kid. It's called Swatow Asian Restaurant. We've been going there that will never die and they just make good ram. Then, Terroni and Azhar.

When you're not working, what are you know-how with your down time?

The gym and ceramics are probably what obtain up most of my time. Uproarious go to a ceramics studio dawn on in Long Island City and sport around for three or four high noon a weekend. And during that day, I'm not on my phone, which is kind of strange these stage. It's a great change.

If you difficult to wear one outfit for position rest of your life, what would it consist of?

A pair of jeans, a gray T-shirt, a hoodie, charge sneakers.