Across The Sands
Fall/Winter 2012
Considering what I wear on a day-to-day basis I come to the realization that I seem to wear a Silent garment on most days of the week. The line, curated by Damir Doma, has quickly become my dependable go-to for simple but well-designed basics (it even featured when Steve asked me about some of my most treasured items). Diffusion lines are generally a minefield, often being notoriously bland (as much as I love Comme des Garçons, Play is an abomination) or plagued with flaws (Coming Soon quickly became going soon). However Silent is not a diffusion line in the traditional sense, if at all, and seems to avoid the common pitfalls inherent to that side of the market. It can be thought of as Damir's side project, more akin to Yohji's work at Y-3 than a mere grab at the market, which most diffusions unfortunately seem these days.
Some days you want to be able to throw something comfortable on instinctively without sacrificing aesthetics, and so well-considered basics are always welcome. Whether it is for wearing around the house, out and about, or stays in hospital, the Silent garments I own have proven to be comfortable and easy to wear for the every day. I am particularly fond of the soft cotton jerseys they utilize, although rather unfortunately the decision was made recently to move away from organic fabrics. Thankfully comfort does not come at the cost of design, and the garments are all cut in what, I suppose, is now a typically Damir fashion. It is probably a childhood fancy but I am always drawn to longer sleeves, and so having sweater sleeves that are usually long enough to pull down my hands is a nice touch.
Although still a relatively young line Silent has expanded noticeably over the past two collections in particular, and it promises to carry on evolving in an interesting direction. Whereas it started with simple organic basics, it now includes a range of outerwear, bags and a number of footwear options (as opposed to the single sneaker design of the first collection). Whilst I am not entirely convinced by some of the options from the current season collection, namely the tribal print, I do rather enjoy the move away from the more basic designs of its inception to a broader range of everyday garments and pieces. Indeed the Fall/Winter 2012 collection posted, whilst thankfully remaining true to the original ethos of the line, still slowly broadens its scope in terms of design. I am rather drawn towards the heavier black knitwear, as they seem to fit the bill nicely for Winter layering, as well as the outerwear pieces.
They may not necessarily be ground-breaking new designs, but in a way I like that, after all they are not meant to be. What I see is comfortable, high quality, every day garments, and for me it works. Interesting but unobtrusive, I do love quiet design.
xxxx