After sending out lessons in immigration and Native American culture in previous seasons, Siki Im—one of the most consistently intellectual designers working in New York today—titled his Spring 2012 collection “The Topography of Globalization.” In a study of the impact of Americanization and its attendant cultural hegemony, Im also introduced his DEN IM line, a capsule collection of three different silhouettes of the most all-American of clothing staples, jeans. Referencing the spread of democracy through the Middle East earlier this year during the Arab Spring, Im worked to produce looks that mixed the proportions and construction of traditional clothing from that region with the blazers and t-shirts that are iconic of the United States. Subtle military details like cargo pockets served as the final touches that drew the cohesive collection together.