Siv Støldal makes her return to menswear with an ongoing project, New Life Dressing. Disrupting fashion’s usual 6-monthly cycle, the evolving theme of New Life Dressing will instead unfold across the SS20 and AW20/21 seasons. The first of these two interconnected collections, presented in Paris in September 2019, is titled New Life Dressing 1: The Traveller. 

The narratives and meanings surrounding clothes have long-fascinated Støldal, reflected in her open-minded research process. She brings a no less inquisitive approach to fibres, fabrics and techniques, resulting in intriguing new surfaces and textures. Støldal creates clothes that enhance an understanding of other people’s stories and past experiences, emphasising our mutual connections with those from different backgrounds. New Life Dressing explores the ways in which the role of clothing is reflected through our life changes and the different journeys we all undertake.

A few years ago, Støldal befriended a refugee named Lula, at a refugee centre in Bergen, Norway. Lula had spent 7 years travelling from her native Eritrea, to Norway, passing through 11 different countries on route, in search of a better life. She had a passion for clothes and spent many hours in conversation with Stoldal, who also taught her how to use a sewing machine. Lula escaped from her country of origin, wearing a glamorous silver dress as she walked through the desert to Sudan. She hoped to permanently settle in Norway. Just prior to the authorities making a decision about this, her phone line was abruptly disconnected and she seemingly vanished. Lula’s spirited yet poignant story is key to the ongoing New Life Dressing 1: The Traveller collections for SS20 and AW20/21.

Throughout this season’s collection, Støldal’s thoughtful use of materials and love of design contradiction is in full effect. She has researched and utilised healing, sustainable and natural tech fibres, which contain cellulose, zinc and seaweed. These not only regenerative to skin, but also eco-friendly and biodegradable.
At the heart of the collection are the oversized logo sweatshirts, subverting designer branding by massively enlarging reflective logos so they become abstracted, distorted, unrecognisable. Referencing the arduous desert-journey of the aforementioned Lula, red, yellow and white desert sand, as well as grey sand from the Smivågen beach on Tyssøy, Norway, is dried upon thick gloopy ink, which offers a tactile confusion of texture. Felting and reflective camouflage-inspired prints equally play with surface and perceptions of hi and lo-visibility. Silver lame adorned with reflective prints discloses further shine-on-shine contrasts, respectfully acknowledging the silver dress worn by Lula while in the desert.
A spirit of collaboration is pivotal to the collection. Prints were created by Morteza Vaseghi, an Olso-based graphic designer, whose clients include adidas and publications such as Recens and Wallet. London-based jewellery designer, Scott Wilson, who has worked with designers and fashion houses including Hussein Chalayan, Thierry Mugler, Burberry, Givenchy and Pringle, has produced delightful ‘healing’ pieces using crystals, rocks, rope and silver. The acclaimed artist Else Karin Bysheim has participated with Støldal on the felting process punctuating the collection. Model casting and styling comes from Thom Murphy, the London-based artist and founder of the menswear label, New Power Studio, whose work has graced the pages of i-D and Arena Homme Plus and been exhibited at the V&A Museum and Tate Modern. Photography is c/o the art director and graphic designer Rob de Niet, who has previously collaborated with designers including Zandra Rhodes and Mark Fast. Jack from First Model Management is the face of the new collection.

Following on from New Life Dressing 1: The Traveller, for SS20 and AW20/21, the theme for SS21 and SS21/22 will be New Life Dressing 2: The Believer. For this, Støldal intends to research and explore religious sects and cults around the world, as a starting point for two subsequent and seasonally-connected collections.

Text: James Anderson