Steven Tai Spring 2014: The mega talented designer brings his science lab signature to the season’s sportswear trend

by Randi Bergman October 11, 2013

See the Steven Tai Spring 2014 collection »

What Steven Tai does in his fabric lab is probably above all of our heads, but that’s just as well; the instant attraction to his clothes is easy enough to understand. The London-based and Vancouver-bred designer brought his latest masterpieces to Toronto last night on the second day of The Shows, and if we had a loonie for every gasp in the room, we’d be rich. (Or at least have like, a few hundred bucks lining our wallet.)

On the surface, what Tai showed was an airy touch on this season’s arts-infused sportswear trend. Perforations, painterly prints and ombre effect pastels, check. It’s all part of the Spring 2014 book. But upon closer inspection (and Tai’s explanation), the inner workings reveal themselves as something much cooler. Those perforations? Actually, a grid style laser cut silkscreen that is a self-contained pattern on its own. That painterly print? Actually, a pixelated collage of England’s Eden Project by Spanish artist Lola Dupre that’s been messed with on a home printer and adhered to embroidery. Even his accessories have a geeky backstory, with helmet style baseball hats molded to reflect Eden’s dome structures.

We’d say that Steven Tai is too smart for his own good, but it seems he’s bewitched some serious retailers including Holt Renfrew, which proudly began stocking his wares this season. At an intimate dinner previewing Steven Tai Spring 2014 on Wednesday night, the Holts team seemed overcome with the kind of homegrown pride that’s actually attached to dollar signs. Steven Tai, meet the fruits of mad scientist labour.