2023 Holiday Campaign: "양면성: Dichotomy" Celebrates the Duality of Life

Sundae School’s 2023 Holiday Campaign, titled "양면성: Dichotomy" delves into the intricate dance between the yin and yang that symbolize the duality of life. In this collection, we explore the multifaceted identities young professionals, particularly immigrants in chaotic city life, adopt to navigate the chaos around them. Living in a metropolis often requires us to temper our unrestrained self-expression, conforming to societal expectations in speech, actions, and attire. However, individuals and communities are not monolithic. We harbor various egos and alter-egos that define our true selves. This campaign aims to capture the myriad shades and colors that exist between the yin and the yang.

The narrative unfolds in a laundromat, paying homage to the film "Everything Everywhere All At Once." This setting serves as a metaphor for the mundane responsibilities young professionals bear. Underneath the hard, solid layers of daily life, a vibrant, textured alter-ego emerges a Hyperpop DJ in an underground mall in Chinatown. Sundae School's first campaign since relocating its headquarters to NYC features authentic stories from the local community. A Wall Street banker moonlights as a Red Hook biker, a Soho yoga instructor transforms into a Cosplayer, a Chinatown waitress embraces her inner dominatrix, and a nurse reveals her Peking opera singing talent—all inspired by true stories from the Sundae School community. The focus is on the versatility and reversibility of the garments as a means of genuine self-expression. 

The collection boasts 12 outerwear pieces, including fleece jackets (a Sundae School staple) and puffer vests and jackets showcased for the first time. Two fleece styles, The Tiger Cub fleece and The Irezumi fleece, are completely reversible. Printed Sherpa fleece layers are surged and bound with solid polar fleece layers, allowing both sides of the garments to be worn throughout the day. The prints draw inspiration from the design team and community members' heritage and influences. The custom tiger print by Kwang Moo Lee pays homage to Tiger moms and Cubs, drawing inspiration from the Korean traditional art form "Ho-Pi-do/ 호피도" symbolizing courage and audacity. Similarly, the Irezumi fleece takes inspiration from the traditional Japanese tattoo form "Irezumi," initially a form of corporal punishment now translated into an art form. 

Versatility is a cornerstone of Sundae School's design ethos. Every puffer jacket in the collection is reversible, featuring a solid Nylon facade with signature stash pockets, a down layer, and a printed facade with various textural configurations such as velvet, corrugated nylon, or fleece. The standout piece is the Burnout Pottery Puffer, available in black and jade. The Pottery print by Corinne Ang draws inspiration from traditional East Asian lotus etching work found in Baekja (백자/ White Porcelain) and Chungja (청자/ Blue Porcelain). The designers pay homage to their heritage while embracing their counter-cultural streetwear roots with the "Blunt Wrap Puffer" and "Collage Puffers," showcasing a range of past graphics and iconic imagery that has inspired the team.