Happiness is described as a state we should aim for to reach a feeling of wholeness. It is supposedly the ultimate cure against hardship and, therefore, inextricably crucial to humanity. Joy is one of life's milestones that determine our lived experience. It goes that as long as we are happy, we can reach our goals in life. As SUMMARUM is the brand's anniversary collection and they receive our happy birthday biddings, Mark Baigent wants to analyze the concept of happiness and joy and translate these intrinsic wishes and longings into design. The Fall/Winter 2025 collection seeks to explore the relationship between joy and happiness through how we use clothing and sets it into dialogue with philosophy, textiles, patterns, and high-end tailoring techniques to determine how personal experiences contribute to identity formation.

Mark Baigent's tenth collection seeks to initiate a profound dialogue between the concept of happiness and the evocative power of joy as its catalyst. At its core, the collection probes how textiles, textures, colours, and design become vessels for emotional resonance and ignite personal growth. Anchored in black and darker shades—a signature of the brand's identity—black is envisioned not merely as a colour but as a blank canvas. In this universal numb anatomy, all humans are represented. As a "non-colour," black transcends individual differences and, as neutral ground, invites every wearer to inhabit the garments in their own way.

Central to this exploration are the hand-made batik prints in volcanic red tones and the metallic golden sheen of silk, which symbolise moments of joy that spark creativity and individuality. These vivid hues and shimmering accents inspire combinations and layering, mirroring the process of shaping our identities through experimenting with clothing to unlock more profound happiness.

SUMMARUM encourages the exploration and interplay between materials like silk, viscose, cotton, and linen. Each fabric embodies a facet of this emotional journey: silk represents gender fluidity and grace, viscose reflects social adaptability, cotton grounds the collection with simplicity and comfort, and linen evokes durability, strength, and timelessness. Together, these materials create a tactile narrative of harmony, inviting wearers to connect with the garments on both a sensory and symbolic level. The intentionally contrasting textures are thoughtfully curated to evoke a narrative reflecting humanity's richness and diversity.

We will be showing the collection at Curate International Collections in New York, from February 16th to 18th.

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