Los Angeles-based streetwear label Sundae School celebrated multiple milestones with its first-ever runway show.

Founded and designed by Dae Lim, Sundae School’s runway show, which was held Thursday night on the House of Cannabis in SoHo, was meant as a celebration of the brand’s sixth anniversary and marks the brand’s return to Recent York City, where it was launched before relocating to Los Angeles. The runway show was also a celebration of 4/20, the national holiday for marijuana enthusiasts. 

“We decided to not show in the lads’s calendar this yr and as an alternative do it on 4/20 off the calendar,” Lim said. “The rationale is because we’re firstly a brand for our community. We now have a community of cannabis enthusiasts, but we even have a community of Asian Americans and Korean Americans, in addition to LGBTQIA folks, so we desired to bring everyone together to rejoice 4/20 in Recent York.” 

Lim looked to the brand’s playful design codes for the brand new collection, titled “Let There Be Light,” making a lineup of campy pieces that pay homage to Recent York City and cannabis. The inspiration was taken literally for several pieces, reminiscent of a pair of jeans painted to resemble Recent York’s ubiquitous hot dogs or an off-white dress with burnt edges meant to seem like a joint. 

Other styles paid homage to Lim’s Korean heritage and the brand’s cool ethos. Lim produced multiple styles inspired by traditional Korean hanbok — including the finale look, which was a tackle the normal graduation gown — and incorporated Korean phrases on several pieces. 

“We actually desired to concentrate on how different Recent Yorkers find light,” Lim said. “Whether it’s literally sparking up a joint at Sheep Meadow [in Central Park], to going to a yoga class or watching Netflix, we desired to play into different archetypes that we imagine the cannabis enthusiasts or the stoners at Sundae School partake in in Recent York.”

The 4/20-themed runway show comes at a time of sustained growth for Sundae School. After the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the brand transitioned from wholesale distribution to strictly direct-to-consumer to give you the chance to return to the roots of the business. Sundae School also has an edibles line of cannabis-infused mochis, which it launched in 2021.

“I used to be like, ‘Hey guys, let’s remember why we began this,’” Lim said concerning the shift in distribution. “It was for the community. It was for us, and I feel like somewhere due to the realities of running the business, it sort of got lost. But truthfully it’s been amazing to take back the destiny into our hands. Now even when the product doesn’t are available in time, we will just wait per week to drop.” 

Sundae School has several initiatives lined up for this summer. The brand is hosting a pop-up store on the Line Hotel situated in Los Angeles’ Koreatown and is releasing collaborations with Electric Daisy Carnival and Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival.