Just recently I reeled off a few brands that I think do lookbooks well, from Wythe and Drake’s through to Engineered Garments and Beams. Well, it appears I made a boo-boo. I forgot Corridor, a brand that has been making waves in the fashion world – and wavey garms in its factories – for a good ol’ minute now, and its SS23 Sefirot lookbook is certainly no exception.
When I think of Corridor, I immediately think of three things: knitwear, shirts, and a shit-ton of texture. In fact, I can’t think of a brand in the heritage menswear-sphere that manages to consistently produce garments that have as much visual interest as they do textural. The creative team is either too talented for its own good or they’re hitting a bunch of acid. I’m going to go with the former, but I wouldn’t be opposed to the latter. Anyways, let’s jump into a few of my standout pieces.
Let’s kick the lookbook rundown off with Corridor’s Acid Plaid Trance shirt. Cut from 100% cotton, the shirt features a camp-collar; perfect for the summer months, a single chest pocket, and an intricate three-dimensional all-ver herringbone pattern. It’s pretty obvious why the shirt has been named the ‘acid trance’ shirt, but just in case it’s not immediately clear, the uneven vertical black stripes that have been woven amongst the blue herringbone pattern cause the eyes to go a bit skewiff if stared at for too long. Personally, I’m a big fan, and I can imagine myself rocking this on vacation with a pair of wide-fit, raw-hem ecru jeans and some roughout loafers.
When I saw Corridor’s Scallop Lace cardigan, I immediately thought of Childish Gambino and his disgusting freestyle on HOT97 with Rosenberg almost ten years ago. If you haven’t seen it, climb out from under your rock and go check it out. Now. There’s something about a slouchy, button-up cardigan layered over a camp-collared shirt that’s so undeniably cool and uncool at the same time. Grandpa-vibes, but if your grandpa was the coolest guy on the planet. Am I making sense? Probably not. The way it’s been styled in this lookbook by Michael Baquerizo is just chef’s kiss. Thrown effortlessly over a graphic print beige camp-collar shirt and a white tank is summer layering at its finest. Finished off with a pair of textured shorts and some espadrilles – you can’t go wrong.
If you’re in the market for a wearable summer statement piece, then look no further than Corridor’s Spacedye short-sleeve polo shirt. Now, my grandma didn’t knit me clothes when I was growing up, but if she did, I would have hoped for something like this. The shirt, which has been made with care in Peru, features an extremely colorful horizontal pattern and a loose, drapey fit, perfect when paired with a pair of ivory chino shorts and some clogs.
Last but not least, Corridor’s Shibori Sunrise short-sleeve camp-collar shirt. Made in India by Corridor’s partner workshop, the shirt features a blue tie-dye, almost snowflake-like pattern, which is the result of a traditional Japanese manual resistance tie-dying technique known as Shibori. Derived from the verb ‘shiboru’, which roughly translates to ‘wring’, ‘squeeze’ or ‘press’, the process involves taking a white or undyed cloth (usually silk or cotton), which is then folded, bunched or twisted, then tied and finally dipped into a natural indigo dyed. When unraveled, you’re left with a beautiful, uneven pattern spread unevenly across the fabric. If you’re into details, then this is the summer shirt for you.
Check out the full Corridor SS23 lookbook on the brand’s website.
