The Cool Way to Style a Shirt, According to Somsack Sikhounmuong
Plus, the designer shares a magical travel destination and the best ravioli.
Hi! How’s your week going? We’re excited about this fun issue :)
When I think of Somsack Sikhounmuong, the creative director of Alex Mill, the first word that comes to mind is “lovable.” He grew up in a tiny Canadian town and now lives in New York City. He is warm and hilarious, he delights in small pleasures (think: ravioli and luggage stickers), and joie de vivre just pours out of him. Also, fun fact: this 2019 Cup of Jo post with Somsack was the original inspiration for Big Salad!
How bright and fun is his new collection (this isn’t sponsored, we just adore him):
“Summer is the perfect time for color,” Somsack told us. “Since you wear fewer pieces — no scarves, hats, beanies — you have to make a color statement with your clothes instead. Say, a red camisole or a green linen shirt.”
On Substack notes,
compared the primary colors of Alex Mill’s summer collection to the sixth season of Friends, haha. Can you see it?Here are 10 things Somsack swears by, including a refreshing drink and how to style a button-down shirt so you don’t look like an office manager…
Travel: My friends and I go to Italy every summer, but last year, I craved something different. So, I went rogue and went to Alaska. My best friend and I flew into Anchorage and rented a car. We drove — past mountains and wildlife, which was incredible — to Seward, where we took an eight-hour cruise to see seals, whales, otters, and bald eagles. We were in the middle of the ocean and orca whales were swimming by our boat. Mindblowing! If you’d have kids, I’d recommend it highly. Then we drove up to Denali National Park. We were in Alaska in early July, so we got about 22 hours of daylight – every hotel had blackout shades and eye masks. It was 100% weird.
