EXCLUSIVE: Songzio and Egonlab Rework Military Codes for New Collab

by · WWD
Looks from the Songzio x Egonlab collaboration.Courtesy of Songzio

SEOULFUL COLLAB: South Korean fashion house Songzio and Paris-based label Egonlab have joined forces on a new collection that brings together their respective approaches to avant-garde design, which launches online Monday.

Titled “The Art of Dark Poetry,” the collaboration draws on historical French military uniforms and reinterprets their structured silhouettes through the two brands’ shared interest in sculptural forms, romanticism and unconventional design.

The collection was developed over about eight months of the teams working together, after finding common ground in the Paris design scene.

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“As independent designers based in Paris, we connected on a very genuine level and were able to develop this collaboration with a very profound sense of connection and mutual understanding,” said Songzio creative director and chief executive officer Jay Song.

“I felt this was a particularly meaningful moment for us to collaborate because both houses have developed strong, independent creative languages. Rather than compromising those identities, we wanted to challenge one another and create something that neither house could have achieved independently,” he added.

To that end, Songizo contributed its focus on construction and architectural shapes, while Egonlab brought a touch of Parisian romanticism and subversion.

The result is a collection that features exaggerated shoulders, defined waists, elongated officer coats and expanded cavalry jackets. Traditional military details, including frogging, soutache, braids and decorative cords, are used as decorative elements in unusual ways — such as appearing on pant legs instead of jackets — rather than references to military rank.

“We wanted to create a new kind of uniform: not one that represents obedience to an established order, but one that celebrates the courage to define your own,” Song said.

For the designer, the partnership also reflects a broader exchange between two independent labels with different cultural backgrounds but similar creative ambitions.

“Songzio and Egonlab represent two distinct cultural perspectives, one rooted in Seoul and the other in Paris, yet we share a conviction that fashion can transcend geography, culture and conventional boundaries,” he said.

Monday’s online release will be followed by an official launch event at the brand’s flagship in Seoul on Wednesday. The Paris launch is scheduled for Dec. 3 at Songzio’s store in the Marais.

The collaboration could potentially help both brands reach new audiences. “If this collaboration allows both houses to communicate their creative philosophies to a wider international community, then I consider that a meaningful achievement,” Song added.