SULCI: The Mind Made Visible
Fashion is often recognised as an outward expression of identity, one that mirrors the political, historical, and social fabric of human existence – the clothing choices we make tend to betray not only who we are, but also how we wish to be perceived. For SULCI, however, fashion transcends these external displays. It is an excavation into the unseen: the realms of thoughts, emotions, and the subconscious.
Founded in London in 2023, SULCI–named after the grooves on the brain’s surface–emerges as a deeply conceptual unisex brand that blurs the boundaries between body and mind, visibility and concealment. Right from its inception, SULCI has married artistic design with scientific principles to craft its unique fashion narrative; its debut collection, CEREBRUM 1.0, manifests the brain’s intricate formations into sculptural garments, challenging our conventional perceptions of self and society. The collection’s voluminous and oversized silhouettes, wrapped in the somber elegance of monochrome shades, create a dramatic, protective form that maps the complexities of the human psyche. Each piece strikes a delicate balance between vulnerability and security, illustrating the dual forces of exposure and concealment that define our mental landscapes. This collection quite literally exposes the brain, serving as a visual and tactile meditation on what it truly means to embody the mind.
At the core of SULCI’s philosophy is a commitment to maintaining the anonymity of its creator, a decision that elevates the enigmatic allure of the brand. This choice encourages a deeper, unprejudiced engagement with the garments, compelling wearers and observers to interact with the designs on a profoundly emotional and intellectual level. The anonymity is reflected in the distinctive visuals of SULCI’s lookbook, where the obscured faces of models direct attention to the expressive potential of the garments, underscoring the clothing rather than the personalities wearing them.
Just as the mind conceals its deepest thoughts, SULCI’s designs shield the wearer, creating a space for personal reflection. The brand’s ethos is reflected in every fold and cut of the fabric, each layer a metaphor for the layers of the human psyche. Let’s dive into a detailed exploration of how these concepts are intricately woven into each piece of the collection, entirely made of recycled materials and set to be available in limited quantities starting in 2025.
Collection 1.0 – CEREBRUM
CEREBRUM draws its name and inspiration from the largest part of the human brain, responsible for high-level ‘conscious’ functions such as sensory perception, thought, and movement. The region itself is a fascinating study of contrasts, where highly ordered neurological pathways coexist with what may appear as frenzied neural activity; far from random, this intricate network of synapses is a dynamic force that underpins all human behaviour. The collection’s recurring theme of duality—order amidst apparent disorder—is reflected in the brain’s capacity to process information in ways that are both disordered and functionally precise. This concept is visually and structurally represented in the garments’ oversized silhouettes, which offer both protection and exposure, mirroring the brain’s complex functionalities.
The oversized silhouettes, a defining feature of the collection, are present in all five pieces, symbolising the expansive nature of the human cerebrum. These voluminous designs, with their generous use of fabric, seem to mimic the unbounded quality of human thinking. Strategic openings and cuts within these silhouettes offer a nuanced interplay between exposure and concealment, echoing the brain’s selective process of deciding what emotions and thoughts to reveal. Particularly, “Sulcus” (1.2) and “Golay Coil” (1.4) are neck accessories from the collection that represent this duality perfectly. Intricate 3D puffer paneling adds a tactile dimension that evokes the brain’s gyri and sulci. The paneling, functionally, provides insulation and protection – our quest to be enveloped in comfort rings more true than ever this year, and these garments seem to offer a physical manifestation of this security, echoing our desire to find solace in what we wear.
The colour palette of the collection remains deliberately muted; blacks and greys are meticulously chosen to evoke the cerebral themes of the collection. Interestingly, the grey matter of the brain enables individuals to control memory and, importantly, emotions – this choice of colour seems to symbolise the often obscured, subconscious processes of emotion that occur within ourselves. With this restrained colour scheme, SULCI invites wearers to dig deeper into the psyche of its designs, emphasising the internal over the external, or, as they put it, “embodying the mind”.
Beyond its immediate visual impact, CEREBRUM stands as a testament to the seamless integration of art and science, each garment serving both as a piece of wearable art and as a scientific enquiry into the human mind.
The collection’s artistic direction vividly illustrates this melding, drawing heavily on the complex imagery of brain scans. These scans not only informed the aesthetic framework of the collection but also its thematic depth, with their complex networks becoming a central visual motif. The use of light and dark creates a compelling contrast that mirrors the dualities of the human mind, reflecting the oscillation between clarity and obscurity in our cognitive processes, a concept that resonates across each garment. Enhanced by dynamic lighting and structured compositions, this visual strategy evokes the pulsating energy and movement characteristic of the brain’s electrical activity. The equipment and lighting techniques borrowed from actual brain scans enrich the overall ambiance, grounding the collection’s creative execution in the reality of scientific exploration. It is here that science and creativity collide, not in opposition but as complements to one another, each enhancing the understanding of the other.
SULCI’s CEREBRUM collection is a fusion of art, science, and fashion that reflects broader cultural themes of identity and mental health. By embracing the anonymity of its creator and the intricate beauty of brain imagery, the collection encourages a deeper engagement with the garments, focusing on personal interpretation rather than designer celebrity. The collection’s thoughtful design and protective silhouettes offer a tangible sense of comfort and security, fulfilling our need for both physical and emotional solace in the clothing we wear. The brand seems to set a new standard in the industry, proving that fashion can be a powerful medium for expressing complex human experiences–our innate desire to be cocooned is something SULCI not only understands, but masterfully addresses.
Words by Penelope Bianchi