How many times have you found yourself saying, “Ugh, I just can’t find the right shirt to wear in this selfie?” Well, fret not, tech-savvy narcissists, because up-and-coming London-based designer Timur Kim has got you covered. Today, the Central Saint Martins-trained talent (who, having graduated in 2012 at the age of 22, was one of the late Louise Wilson’s star pupils) launches his selfie T-shirts, a unisex range of limited-edition tees whose prints are cleverly focused around the neck. “When you’re doing a selfie, you capture only the face and the area below the neck,” said the 25-year-old designer of Russian and Korean descent. “What makes these shirts perfect for taking selfies is that all the designs are concentrated around this area. Everything is in the right place for the photograph.”
Selfie-focused fashion—could this be the end of cerebral, well-designed clothing as we know it? Not at all, actually, because Kim’s cheeky, entirely handmade capsule is simultaneously a clever commentary on our self-absorbed, iPhone-obsessed generation and an ingenious marketing plan. “I don’t really do selfies,” Kim told me. “I like to keep to myself, and I don’t like to be photographed. But the selfie is a huge phenomenon, especially in fashion, because [fashion] is such a self-centric industry. We all want to be part of it. We all want to be exposed, often through the clothes we wear and the style we choose. So I thought why not get people to take a selfie in my work?”
Offered in three styles, the tops are priced at £100 and are available on Kim’s website. And because I know you were wondering, no. Kim’s T-shirts were not inspired by Kim Kardashian West’s recently announced book of selfies. In fact, he didn’t even know said tome was in the works. “I don’t really pay attention to Kim Kardashian. What she’s doing doesn’t in any way relate to my work, so she doesn’t really interest me.” We’re guessing she won’t be posing in Mr. Kim’s tops anytime soon.
What does interest Kim (and me, for that matter) is his forthcoming Spring ’15 collection, for which his T-shirts serve as a preview of sorts. With his event scheduled for September 15 at London’s Lyst Studios, Kim is confident that this London fashion week outing will be his best yet. A sneak peek at his mood board debuts exclusively here. “I think this is going to be my breakthrough,” Kim said confidently. “The main theme is Back to the Future, so it kind of encompasses everything I’ve done from the [Central Saint Martins] MA to this point. I feel like I can finally integrate all that I’m capable of, and the result is what I’ve wanted to achieve for a long time. I’m getting there, and I’m liking it.” Expect color-blocking, stretch everything (including denim), silk looks, and “unexpected techniques,” as well as garments that are made entirely by hand. “Some designers don’t learn the craft, and then the craft gets lost,” said Kim of the importance of touching each garment he conceives. “It’s not just about styling and jewelry and sketching. You have to know how to work with the fabric, how to be an architect of clothing.” Like we said, good design isn’t going anywhere—in fact, it might just be getting started.
