Commission is — and has always been — a personal project for designers Dylan Cao, Jin Kay and Huy Luong. One that celebrates their heritage by charting the intricacies and intimacies of individual stories and cultural narratives. Since releasing their first collection — an ode to their own mothers — the trio has only continued to bolster its community-based ethos, launching Commission Femmes and Commission 1986; the latter, a photographic project documenting the diversity of East Asian cultures. Earlier this year, the trio published their first photo book, splitting 100% of its profits between APEX for Youth and The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, two charities that serve New York’s Asian American community. This momentum has carried the label into its latest collection. “Now, we can take a deeper dive,” Dylan says. For SS22 — after six collections and one pandemic — the label casts its vision further than ever before, exploring the confluence and clash of history, culture and heritage. With the 70s as its starting point.
“Last season, we touched on the 1970s and we wanted SS21 to be a continuation of that,” Dylan says. “But coming out of Covid-19, we’ve had to reassess a lot of things. And we were forced to question the history that was presented to us a little bit more.” He notes that the trio studied at Parsons in New York City, where they were versed in fashion history through a strictly Western point-of-view. “In the US, the 1970s were all about escapism and celebrating freedom,” Dylan says. “But the reality in Asia was a little more grim because people were still picking up the pieces from the war.” Titled 1975, Vice Versa, Commission’s SS22 collection charts the tensions between these cultural histories, foregrounding an Eastern perspective on the decade’s sartorial themes.
In addition to photographic prints — eternal Commission touchstones, sourced from the trio’s library of inspiration — the label’s SS22 moodboard is pinned with flat-lay images of post-war garments: the tattered fragments of a pair of jeans, work pants worn out at the pockets and a dress that’s coming apart at the side-seam. Inspired by these war-time relics, this season, Commission took a deconstructed approach to their signature tailoring. A clean-lined trench coat has been rid of its back panel, revealing the intricately ruffled and tucked lining beneath. Silk and satin dresses have been turned inside out, exposed seams and binding abound. One of them, cut in white cotton with a fraying hem, is layered over a pair of flared jeans. Other American staples work their way into the collection, too: crocheted separates from the annals of hippie-dom, the slinky jersey gowns and bodysuits of Studio 54. One of the latter, however, is spliced together from two of the label’s disparate floral patterns.
SS22’s deconstructed look also symbolized another kind of ‘deep dive’ for the designers. “The past six seasons, we’ve developed Commission’s core shapes and signature details, so we’re really dissecting, deconstructing and reconstructing to create a new voice,” Jin says. One such detail is the label’s fanny pack waistband, inspired by Dylan’s mother and a label hallmark since its inception. On a pair of this season’s tailored trousers, the distinctive shape has been recreated by cutting into — rather than adding onto — the garment. “This concept is a process for us,” Dylan says. “We’re always reappropriating our own products, in a way, and I think that’s something you’ll see season after season going forward.” As Jin mentioned, deconstruction begets reconstruction. Through thoughtful tweaks and small reconfigurations, Commission’s vision continues to evolve, with SS22 its sharpest and most confident outing yet.
