Slow and Steady Wins The Race

Origin: 2008, New York, USA

Field: mens and womenswear, accessories

Designer: Mary Ping

Biography:

Queens native Mary Ping has said that her art background is what informs her collections the most, which makes sense when you consider her long silk gowns shredded at the bottom, layered knit sweaterdresses with a pattern that coils down from the neck, and reversible trenches with pointy ends that dip below the knee. Launched in 2001, her namesake label was well received by stylish downtowners. The label was independently run, and Ping was able to keep labor costs at minimum by using her friends to pitch in at her Upper East Side studio. In 2005, she was awarded the Ecco Domani—a $25,000 prize which allowed her to show in Bryant Park. The Mary Ping label is currently on hiatus so the designer can focus on her other line, Slow and Steady Wins the Race.

Style:

Slow and Steady Wins the Race is a new clothing label, presented as a bimonthly clothing diary, cataloguing ideas that are focused on a specific and fundamental characteristic of clothing design. Ping produces four collections a year that address a classic staple, whether it be the iconic white T-shirt or designer underwear. Each item is re-imagined in a new way: changing the wash, altering the fit, adding an extra seam here and there. The goal is to challenge people’s accepted views of fashion culture and history. With each issue, Slow and Steady Wins the Race intends to slowly open the cap on a more democratic dissemination, promotion and appreciation of clothing. The mission of the label is to push and produce interesting and significant pieces from the simplest and most inexpensive fabrics and materials.Only one hundred copies of each issue will be printed and distributed to magazines and select stores and only one hundred pieces of each style will be produced. That was the original framework, but due to high demand, it has been increased to one thousand. Every style is still available since the work in its entirety functions as a living archive.
 Like Maison Martin Margiela, each of the collections focuses on a specific theme, denoted by a number (No 1 – Seams, No 2 – Prints, No 3 – Bags, No 4 – Sweats, and so on). A past collection reinterpreted designer handbags by using cheap industrial fabric. The result is a line of plain canvas look-alikes. The famous Dior saddlebag becomes a casual tote, retaining the saddlebag shape, but devoid of any logo print. Similarly, a Bottega Veneta bag’s signature weaving is composed of rough canvas instead of leather. “I took the bags and did it in the opposite of what it stood for,” Ping explains. “I was interested in seeing what people’s reactions would be.” The response was overwhelming. In just a few days, the bags sold out their limited run. They were featured in magazines and even popped up in an episode of Sex and the City. Ping’s fans are Claire danes and kirsten Dunst amongst many others.