Sander Lak was born in Brunei and raised between Malaysia, Gabon, Scotland, and the Netherlands. He studied at ArtEZ in Arnhem before earning a Master’s degree in menswear from Central Saint Martins in London in 2008.
His early career took him from Phillip Lim in New York to Balmain in Paris, followed by five formative years designing the men’s and womenswear at Dries Van Noten in Antwerp. In 2016, he founded the label Sies Marjan in New York—named after his parents.
Known for a poetic use of color and a distinct subversion of proportion and material, Lak has received widespread recognition, including the CFDA’s Emerging Designer of the Year award in 2018 and several nominations over the years.
His collaborations span from Maharam to Rem Koolhaas, and in 2023 he published The Colors of Sies Marjan with Rizzoli, a critically acclaimed monograph documenting the visual and conceptual development of the brand.
In 2025, Lak launches Sanderlak, an emerging luxury brand shaped by the ongoing exploration of identity and place.
