When I think of Sofia Borromeo’s brand sofie.b, I’m captured by the detail. She likes clean lines and it shows: Her collections respect the natural grain of the fabric she uses and holds. It may look rather simple at first glance, but examine closer and you’ll see they resonate elegance, intelligence, and a mastery you didn’t know you longed for.
Japan has one of the most distinguished aesthetics in the world of design. They could go from maximalist to minimalist, employing characters and clean geometric shapes. It’s no wonder designers cull inspirations from the Japanese; their sense of craft and artistry are among the most focused out there. Sofia Borromeo joins this list with her Japanese-inspired collection called “Texture on Texture.”
Prominent figures in the Japanese art world have been major influences in Borromeo’s work. The design philosophy of esteemed architect Tadao Ando, for instance, inspired her as a student. For this new collection, Borromeo cites artist Yayoi Kusama and “her famous dots” instead as her major inspirations. “Her dots have a beautiful sense of repetition, that the more you look at her work, it would almost hypnotize you!” she says.
An advocate of the “less is more” philosophy, Borromeo takes a liking toward addition symbols and favors keeping the structure of her collection simple yet calculated. Borromeo’s designs border on piqué, which allows them to achieve the mesmerizing effect similar to that of Kusama’s.
“Given that the fabric is so rich in content, the silhouettes need to be simple in order to compliment the entire look better, and that is exactly what we did,” Borromeo says, “we put a lot of emphasis on our cuts, which is the most difficult part in the entire technical process.”
Although the collection mainly borrows from Japanese aesthetics, the signature seamless blouses modernized in their 2015 Maria Clara collection are still present in the new collection.
“Texture on Texture” will be available on view in a trunk show at Fairways Tower, BGC from September 29 to October 1, 2016. All trunk shows are by appointment only. For appointments and other inquiries, contact Sofia Borromeo at sofiapborromeo@gmail.com.
