Who knew that a simple graphic T-shirt could tug on your heartstrings? 6397’s pre-fall offering, pared down to the essentials, features a tee printed in all caps: “I want to hold your hand.” In a time of lockdowns, closed borders, and social distancing, the simple act of thinking about touching a loved one—let alone doing it—can be a tearjerker. Another tee reads, “Do you feel like I do?”
The emotion of these slogans is amplified by the humanness of Stella Ishii’s project. Her showroom is usually a bustling place, with collaborators, friends, and children scurrying about. Now, she takes Zooms masked up with her colleague Jenny Smith at her side, the occasional figure passing in the background. Barred the opportunity to show their new georgette-and-silk floral camp shirts or micro-cord plaid board shorts in person, Ishii and Smith diligently buzzed around the space holding things up to a laptop camera, occasionally trying pieces on themselves. It’s as human and kind as things can get in our digital era, but you can’t help but wish for more than a tee to hug you tight. Till then, it’ll have to do alongside the brand’s new joyous, bright floral cardis and “Barney purple” shirt jackets.
