Have you ever heard the adage “you are what you eat?” What about: you are what you wear? The wardrobe is a powerful tool for expressing the soul. Whether we prefer punky duds, tailored suits or whatever in between, wearing clothes aligned with who we are helps us feel our best… no matter what the world has in store. For Sonya Park, finding what reveals the inner self has been a lifelong passion–one catalyzed by the soft minimalism of her label, Arts & Science.
Before launching Arts & Science, Sonya Park worked as a stylist in the Japanese fashion scene–a vocation that laid a strong foundation for how garments can wear on the body. She is credited with helping define certain currents of Japanese style, and The Business of Fashion cites her as one of the key voices who helped bring the country’s couture to the world stage.
From Stylist to Designer
In 2003, Sonya Park opened her first storefront in Daikanyama–a relaxed, but sophisticated borough that is often affectionately referred to as the “Brooklyn of Tokyo.” Tucked alongside the cafes and galleries of Daikanyama’s tree-lined streets, she said “I’m opening a shop, and I’m stocking it only with things I love.”
At first, Sonya filled the shelves with vintage European clothing and home goods from her personal collection. She hung exquisite mid-century linen shirting alongside a curio of antique mirrors, deco chandeliers and silver-handled brushes. However, the goods flew out the door faster than she could restock. Very quickly, it became clear that Sonya’s particular approach to retail was resonating… and that the demand for beautiful, well-made things would far outpace what she could source through the vintage market.
The trouble was… Sonya wanted to work solely with natural fabrics in a time that polyester was on the rise. She obsessed over the textural feel specific to old linens: substantial but soft, well-worn but not threadbare. No early aughts textiles could match her standards, save for fine handwoven Khadi cotton-silks coming out of India. So she enlisted a fabric expert local to Tokyo to help make her own.
In Pursuit of Purity
In its infancy, Vogue journalist Lynn Yeager described Arts & Science clothing as “plain, simple and perfect.” Sonya’s aesthetic is subtle, focused on muted colors, clean design and minimal branding, rendered in high-quality textiles. She doesn’t bother with the flashy and trend-forward, instead focusing on the quiet luxury of designs that last a lifetime.
Things Worth Loving
Core to the Arts & Science clothing brand is the idea that objects are not mere props, but components for a meaningful life. In her mind (and ours,) the things we spend our money on, wear on our bodies or bring into our home should be worth their influence. Sonya Park describes the pieces she makes as “everyday objects that soothe the mind, stir the soul and enrich the surroundings.”
On the Rise
Friends from Afar
As a slow fashion retailer ourselves, we have a lot of overlap with Arts & Science. We share a love for small houses, such as Daniela Gregis, Nanna Pause and Noguchi Bijoux, but also a vision for what everyday luxury could be. We have long admired Sonya Park not only for her storefronts (which are fabulous to visit if you are ever in Tokyo) but for her keen eye for detail and design. It’s a pleasure to add this collection to Wild Life, and we hope you will join us as we delve into this brand over the next few seasons.
“Life is a balance of art and science. If art is desire and science is function, something with an imbalance of those elements can appear a bit strange. Constantly thinking about that balance, whether it be for products of the company as a whole, could be considered the concept behind [my brand.]”
–Sonya Park
