SOLID HOMME

LABEL LOVER

You’ve probably heard of South Korean menswear designer Woo Youngmi and her buzzy label, Wooyoungmi, with its line of luxury tailored pieces showing during Paris Fashion Week since 2003, but you might not know that the label has an older sibling that has been the leading Korean menswear brand for a few decades. Solid Homme, which offers contemporary, sport-luxe wardrobe staples and celebrated its 30th anniversary last year, is finally reaching a global audience. In contrast to Wooyoungmi, which occupies a more avant-garde space, customers will find Solid Homme’s minimalist approach more wearable, often featuring oversized check jackets and sweaters with subtle twists in the details, be they the buttons or the sleeves. For fall, John Lennon’s anti-war music serves as the main inspiration for Woo, who has taken military elements like box-cut coats and cartridge belts and added an element of luxury through the use of such fabrics as velvet and corduroy. Reflecting Lennon’s message that we should give peace a chance, the colour palette remains calm, keeping to neutrals with the occasional pop of red or pink, and the pieces are all easily layered. Solid Homme is available at Lane Crawford and online at Mr Porter.