Soaring Above Standard Menswear

London designer Tim Soar prefers to let his clothes do the talking. His spring/summer '09 collection was accompanied by a press release of few words—a list of fabrics, textures, themes and shapes alongside a simple mission statement: "I hope that with each season I have moved forward towards a more perfect crystallisation of what is in my head."

If ever a sentence distilled the very essence of design then surely Tim's got it in one. Perhaps his unusual career path has led to such a nonsense attitude to fashion. Co-founder of POST Design alongside legendary graphic artist Neville Brody, Soar worked on a range of arts projects in major museums across the UK and Europe before ever considering fashion. Moonlighting as a DJ he went on to establish music consultancy Music Concrete, which included clients such as Fendi, Adidas and Ian Schrager hotels. In turn, 2006 saw the creation of his own menswear label, SOAR, which was immediately snapped up by celebrated London boutique B-store and fashion forward department store Liberty. The appointment of international stylist Jodie Barnes in 2007 cemented his vision, helping to take the brand to the next level.

Tim's initial attraction to menswear came from a desire to fill a gap in the market for well-fitting, beautifully constructed clothing. While tailoring was always at the forefront of his vision he was determined to add an experimental element to his designs—simple designs accentuated with unorthodox shapes and fabrics, off-beat but never gimmicky.

The s/s '09 collection, "And The Sun Shone Straight In All Directions," falls right in step with this aesthetic. Shown during London Fashion Week at the intimate Home House, a Georgian townhouse turned private members club, the show was the ultimate combination of classic and avant-garde—Hawaiian print suits, denim double breasted blazers, linen safari shorts and flowing wide leg silk trousers. Once again, SOAR strikes the perfect balance between grown-up elegance and youthful egde—turning an outlandish concept into a wearable, modern statement piece.

For more information, see www.soar-london.com.

—Lena Dystant