The word memorabilia brings to mind a kaleidoscope of nostalgia. It is a photograph of a loved one, a satchel of vintage coins, a well-worn tee from your mother’s favorite band. It can be kitsch, it can be rare, it can be priceless. It is, in the words of poet Angelo Flaccavento, an effort to make the ephemeral permanent. In her Fall/Winter collection, designer Uma Wang captures the concept with a collection as clever as it is romantic.
Fun experimentations, such as fuzzy Truss vests and Cinnamon coats, are presented proudly alongside Uma’s classical Acre dresses and Kady jackets. The entire collection is a play on memory, both Uma’s personally and the global consciousness. Vintage and antique silhouettes, such as knit wrap coats and silk peasant tops, are plucked from the past and presented in new light. As is the Uma way, these pieces hold a constellation of interest—beautiful in shape, color and feel.
“Structure as posture. Posture as manner. Manner as structure… [Turning] the ephemeral into the permanent, like noting down thoughts on paper.”
— Poet Angelo Flaccavento on Uma’s Memorabilia collection.
For almost 25 years, Sacai’s Chitose Abe has perfected the art of hybridization. Just as Chitose Ave is a multi-hyphenate as a designer, mother, businesswoman, and most recently, magazine curator, Sacai pieces are two things at once. Shirting melds into dresses, peacoats into bomber jackets, traditional suiting into a cascade of feminine pleats. The results are dynamic and unexpected–elegant puzzles of garmentry that stay in the mind well after their first impressions. Of Sacai’s Fall/Winter collection, Chitose Abe said her instinct is to convince people to dress up more. With such a bold invitation, how could we say no?
Even after close to 50 Sacai collections, we can’t help but be wowed by Chitose Abe’s construction. To pleat and fold and stitch together so many faceted layers in one garment, and still have it float with such grace over the body, is mastery. Sacai pieces may have roots in the highest of avant garde silhouettes but they are less complicated to wear than they look, offering high-flying design with minimal styling effort.
“No matter how new and revolutionary of a design you make, if it’s not something that’s wearable, then I don’t think it has very much meaning. I myself am a designer, but also a business owner, and a mother. Like myself, people who live in different scenes have many unique faces and therefore the clothes I make, which are what I feel I want to wear, emphasize people to Sacai.”
Sabina Savage’s latest visual feast brings us aboard a 17th-century Dutch trading ship, en route to the city of Edo, Japan. In addition to standard dry goods, such as sugarcane and silk, the ship teems with terrified exotics—wild, imprisoned animals intended to be a gift for Japan’s then ruler, Shogun Tsunayoshi Tokugawa. Leopards, rabbits and birds tremble together as the ship’s merchants unload cage after cage onto the shores of Dejima Island. Before continuing to Edo, the merchants are met with revelry — the city is in the midst of Tango No Sekku, an ancient seasonal festival celebrating the children of Japan.
Unbeknownst to the merchants, their delivery coincides with a new edict from the Shogun: Orders on Compassion for Living Things. These strict animal welfare laws forbid the confinement and mistreatment of any living creature. As the merchants sleep for the night, local Tango No Sekku revelers sneak into the encampment. In observance of Tokugawa’s decree, and a deep respect for the beautiful creatures before them, they quietly unlatch and open the cages. Released from their imprisonment, the animals disappear into the night, lost among the festive decorations.
THE LUNAR LEOPARD
“The clouded leopard flees until he can run no further. Under the gently rippling willow and flags of Tango No Sekku, he takes pause on a hillside. His tortoise companion attempts to disguise their presence with samurai tassels, while the ship rats emulate the rounded shapes of the tsuba. It is the fifth night of the fifth moon in the lunisolar calendar, and a flight of swallows announces the outsiders’ presence under the sparkling sky.”
“The black tailed jackrabbits dash blindly through the decorated streets, twisting and gathering menuki and miniature kawari kabuto (strange helmets) as they bound. Now entangled in translucent paper lanterns, they float gently over Edo on the morning air until they reach Ōkunoshima (Rabbit Island). Here they attempt to assimilate with the native population. The lanterns cast a soft glow in the dawn light and the metallic grasses rustle softly.”
“As the sun rises, the imposing black karasu (jungle crow) soars above the city. Attracted to shiny things, he finds intricate arrowheads amongst the Tango No Sekku decorations and steals a gleaming samurai sword. His shadowy presence spooks the locals, who then spook him in turn, and losing balance, he becomes caught in the koinobori carp streamers. Panicking now, the imposing corvid heads towards the harbour, unwittingly collecting fish bones and a lobster as he glides.”
Sabina Savage, while a keen designer, is a storyteller at heart. In addition to the newest illustrations from Escape Into Edo, we invite you to explore other odes from Sabina Savage’s archive, such as A Tale of Tibet and Mythos, Sabina Savage’s interpretation of Ancient Greek lore. We seek Sabina Savages pieces for our stores again and again (even years after their initial production) because not only are they visually striking, but because their stories continue to resonate.
Footwear shouldn’t be an afterthought… what you wear on your feet is truly foundational (pun intended!) A colleague of ours has always said that she starts with shoes and builds the rest of her outfit upon that initial choice. This intentional type of dressing can make even the easiest outfit look (and feel) thoughtful. This isn’t to say you need fifty styles in your closet… A handful of personally chosen pairs should be able to span the week with ease. Labels such as Trippen, with their avant-garde, out-of-the-box, crazy-cool-and-somehow-still-crazy-comfortable designs, make this approach to styling fun—changing our perspective on modern footwear one step at a time.
For Trippen designers Michael Spieth and Claudia Hoess, delight is in the details. Their work at Trippen is an ode to the little things: the undulating rivets of a sole that leave unique footprints; the missing heel of a perfectly balanced wedge that reduces the shoes weight; the intimate freedom of dressing exactly how you want, when you want. Trippen’s latest collection, Horizon, is all about perspective. After all, even a micro experience, such as choosing your footwear for the day, can have a macro impact.
We can all benefit from the experience of a new angle. It’s one of the roles that future-thinking studios, such as Trippen, seem to relish in their work. On both a personal scale and a cosmic one, all things are interconnected and better for being so. A dream can be a reality; an obstacle, an opportunity; a shoe, a work of art. Optimism and pleasure are found outside of preconceived notions—all it takes is a change of scenery.
With her “Legacy” collection, Scottish designer Ellis Mhairi Cameron introduces new shapes and colors to her line of hand carved and cast jewelry. Reverse-set grey, yellow and white baguette diamonds glimmer across her rings, earrings and necklaces like stones embedded in the earth.
Amongst the new Ellis Mhairi Cameron pieces are several new styles of rings, including the Yellow Diamond Legacy Cocktail Ring. This piece features a stunning oval yellow diamond, surrounded by a halo of white baguette and brilliant-cut diamonds. The gemstones are set deep into the gold—a nod to Ellis Mhairi Cameron’s inspiration from uncovering buried treasure.
Influenced by objects unearthed on her grandparents’ farmland including a 17th century necklace and a fragments of a 16th century locket—Ellis Mhairi Cameron’s jewelry reflects her connection to her ancestors and the West Highlands.
“For these pieces, I wanted to explore the feeling of discovery—that moment when digging in the landscape, a glint of something special catches in your eye, and a piece of history is excavated from the earth.” – Ellis Mhairi Cameron
Good ceramic is defined by its form, great ceramic by its soul. Lise Herud Braten has the pleasure of embodying both. Her collection of sculptural vessels are the union of intuitive creativity, material mastery and discerning taste. Featured in both galleries and private collections across the world, Lise Herud Braten is a rare breed of ceramicist who merges our twinned interests in fashion and objects – we are excited to feature her one-of-a-kind works in Wild Life.
Based in London, Lise Herud Braten’s studio practice is informed by her prior career as a bespoke couturier. A natural maker, part of Lise Herud Braten’s pivot was to free her hand, opting for the organic creativity of clay over the rigid precision of tailoring. Her aesthetic undulates between sophisticated minimalism and rugged earthiness, informed by her upbringing in Norway.
Made primarily from stoneware and porcelain, Lise Herud Braten’s pieces combine many different ceramic specialties. The vessels may be angular, geometric, organic, soft – whatever tactile inspiration guides her hand at the time of their inception. Some capture the patina of antique metal, while others seem to be carved from bolts of white marble or chalk.
Much like Lise Herud Braten herself, her collection straddles international borders. Within each piece, find elements of Spanish terracotta, Japanese hagi-yaki, and Moroccan tamegroute mixed with elements of Nordic primitivism. Several of her works call upon East Asian sculpting traditions (our favorites being those inspired by iconic Korean moon jars.)
Lise Herud Braten typically starts her work on the potter’s wheel, before palming the piece to manipulate and shape its final form by hand. This mode often takes her away from the ordinary, allowing for moments of spontaneity as she feels across the surface of the vessel. Rooted in ancestral pottery traditions, her works capture the primal moments of their own creation – a rare and precious humility not often found in ceramics of this caliber.
“I find constant inspiration in craggy rocks, lichen, moss…layered tree bark…urban decay. My primary interests are texture and natural, undulating forms…”
In Dries Van Noten’s Fall/Winter 2024, the singular designer returns to his original muse: the paintbox. Decadent florals and broad-swath brushstrokes swell across his textiles in a feast for the eyes and hand. For Dries Van Noten, prints are not merely embellishment. They impart character and life into the garments they grace. His motifs are chosen carefully to best accentuate both fabric and form… expressive, elegant and ever bold.
Look 01
Roltas Brush STrokes Coat in Gold & Green
Look 02
Rankin Oros Coat in Metallic Gold & Pink
LOOK 03
Roltas Brush Strokes Coat in Green & Mauve
“I love the journeys of research and discovery their development takes me on. I see prints as less ‘decorative’ than many might, and more fundamental to a garment’s core.”
Jan-Jan Van Essche’s label was originally conceptualized as an annual fête—his Spring/Summer designs are his only deliveries referred to as collections. However, appetite for Jan-Jan Van Essche’s exceptional fabrics implored him to create a series of Fall/Winter offerings as well. These smaller, more focused dispatches are called projects in his Belgian studio. They are often hotly anticipated capsules that explore the intersections of form and texture. Jan-Jan Van Essche’s latest, Fall/Winter 2024, is titled Beyond—a reference to the limitless possibilities that lie just outside previously conceived boundaries.
Preconception is near foreign to Jan-Jan Van Essche. Like other Belgian greats, such as Dries Van Noten and Ann Demeulemeester, he is a designer so accustomed to upending norms that the divinely atypical comes second nature. In flouting tradition, Jan-Jan Van Essche achieves works of unmistakable prowess.
Not strictly a womens or menswear designer, Jan-Jan Van Essche’s organic, loose fit pieces flatter all genders. Rather than seek solely virgin fibers, his knit scarves are woven entirely out of selvedge material–each yarn chosen for the color and presence it adds to the weave. Crisply woven kinari cottons mingle with soft hemp fibers and woolen yarns that have been boiled until they are as smooth and shiny as silk.
One of the most notable facets of an original Jan-Jan Van Essche is its lack of traditional seams and origami-esque construction. Though subtly avant-garde in cut, Jan-Jan Van Essche garments are often presented in familiar, earthy palettes. Warm notes of camel punctuate this particular delivery, contrasting against the rich black textiles like a midnight sun. Ultimately, this is not a designer defined by the contemporary. Instead, Jan-Jan Van Essche designs beyond our borders, his work a timeless landmark in our aesthetic landscape.
The act of coiling clay involves more than just a dexterity of the hand. To take filaments of soft earth and slowly layer them to create paper-thin walls one to two feet high… this is a practice that requires the rarest mental acuity. At any moment, the vessel’s unfired structure could submit to gravity and collapse – an omnipresent risk in handbuilt ceramics. Linda Ouhbi relishes this challenge, committing to peril in pursuit of presence.
With each movement at her artist’s bench, Linda Ouhbi develops a dialogue between the surface of her vessels and the space they occupy. A tacit conversation emerges through this instinctive creation; a swell of clay at the base, bubbling lilts; an upward curve, rising ideas; a sudden edge, deliberate repartee.
Through this push and pull, Linda Ouhbi’s ceramics take on an indescribable quality: simultaneously azoic and vibrantly alive. They hum with a kineticism not often found in the inanimate. Organic shapes and angular cuts are both at home within Linda Ouhbi’s aesthetic vocabulary, contributing to this dualistic nature.
Though her forms are nothing short of incredible, what most strikes us are Linda Ouhbi’s hyper-tactile finishes. At first brush, the pieces seem to be hewn not from clay, but from rock, granite, metal – materials associated with the fortitude of architecture and spirit alike. This effect is achieved through a careful layering of mineral glazes, oxides and slips, followed by deliberate hand-carving. Linda Ouhbi achieves a “used” patina through this practice, as if each piece has already stood for a millennia, and may stand for a millennia more.
For pre-fall, designer Aneeth Arora is back to classics. Her line, Péro, is one we look to for a dose of playful nostalgia – quintessential shapes and familiar patterns rendered through Aneeth’s distinctly cultural aesthetic lens. In contrast to the rich florals of her spring collection, this first delivery is defined by a dynamic palette of raspberry and chocolate plaids.
Aneeth’s take on plaid and tartan, while sentimental, maintains a stylish edge. She often references the 70s and 80s in her line… plaids, in particular, were a symbol of revolution during this time period worn by rockers and rebels alike. Aneeth confronts modern blasé with the same vigor, co-opting traditionally feminine cues for the contemporary wardrobe.
Aside from the seamless blending of generational identity and personal voice, one of the most incredible elements of a Péro piece is the attention to texture. Using exclusively handmade fabrics, Aneeth and her team are able to carefully attune the way their works feel on skin.
For those who covet the garden, fear not—Aneeth’s trademark florals still sprout within this delivery. Find sprays of English roses tucked between the plaids, hidden in the silk lining of two coats (one of which is reversible) as well as the center frame for a gauzy cotton scarf. Additionally, we have received one of Péro’s most precious offerings: a special coat from their archive. Circa 2015, this limited-edition piece is exuberantly hand-embroidered with a bas-relief of stitched and beaded flowers. Vibrant carnations and daisies make up the core of the design, with the occasional tufted bud shooting up from the silken fabric. Most notable within the bouquet is hibiscus, a tropical bloom that doesn’t often feature in Péro’s oeuvre.
Established in 2015, Cottle is a relatively young brand… though you wouldn’t be able to tell that from their collections. These are pieces that meld the sophistication of couture, the casual cool of Japanese denim and the intense academia of ancestral dyes… all seasoned with a healthy dash of Americana. The creative genius of this union lies partly in the high-caliber creative background of its designers, Toshiaki and Yukari Watanabe. The rest of it is influenced by its environment: Kojima, Japan—the birthplace of Japanese denim and a modern mecca for indigo dye.
True to the history of Kojima, all manner of dyes make up the Cottle toolbox—it’s not unusual to find the deep cobalt of traditional indigo alongside Sumi Ink (pine soot), Hinoki (cypress bark) and Kakishibu (persimmon tannins). Toshiaki and Yukari are wholly dedicated to the processes and challenges of working with natural materials from seed to style, going as far as developing their own sewing thread from cotton and hemp.
The Cottle studio is headquartered in a renovated 130-year-old former textile factory in the same historic district where Japan’s first jeans were produced. You wouldn’t know it from a map, but just down the road are beaches so pristine they rival Australia’s Gold Coast. This nexus between cultural heft and modern leisure permeates the collection. Afterall, their brand ethos is to create an unfussy uniform for living. Though artful, their pieces are comfortable and endlessly wearable. And their denim, though new, has been worn-in so distinctly that you might think it’s a well-loved vintage weathered and salt-washed by decades of ocean air.
Album di Famiglia’s approach is one of consistency. Season after season, designer Monica Rusconi and her siblings, Giovanni and Patrizia, deliver pieces that are smart, straightforward, and easily layerable… each crafted with a simplicity that belies the deft touch of a seasoned atelier. The Album di Famiglia studio is based in Lomazzo after all—a small, medieval township just north of Milan, in a province best known for its high craft and luxurious textiles.
Album di Famiglia is a feel first, everything-else-second brand. If the fabric doesn’t make your skin sing, the Rusconis won’t work with it. Slippy silks and soft cottons are what they are typically known for, however Album di Famiglia’s Fall/Winter 2024 is defined by a selection of lush cotton velvets in rich earth-tones. In addition, we have also received a handful of the studio’s limited edition Serie Numerata works. These are the Album di Famiglia handknit Dolcevita sweaters—one made with cashmere, the other lofty alpaca and cotton.
Among our arrivals for fall came a real treat—fresh silk pieces from the indomitable Christian Peau studio in Japan.
A newer addition to our family of beauty, designer Junji Koike continues to impress us with his incredible skill. Much like Junji himself, these pieces deserve a higher level of attention and reverence. What makes a Christian Peau piece most phenomenal are the subtle details. The tight gathering of a skirt that hangs just right against the hips, distressed ties at the neck that can be fashioned into a bow, hidden drawstrings that reshape the silhouette all comprise the foundational notes of Junji’s visual symphony.
The Christian Peau studio prefers to use a fabric called Golden Silk, a textile made by wild silkworms native to Southeast Asia. When woven flat, as you see in Christian Peau, it is particularly shiny, vivid and strong. It has a high sericin content, which glues the silk threads together to form the silkworm’s cocoons. As the sericin dries, it can harden and evolve. While this element adds structure to Golden Silk (a much needed counterweight that keeps the garments from being too gossamer and fiddly), it is a historically difficult fiber to dye. Rather than shy away from the challenge, Junji embraces it with vigor to create his unique textures and finishes.
We had the pleasure of hosting Junji this past August in Workshop. He is as emphatic and delightful as you would expect from someone who designs like this—a thoughtful, high-taste artist with just the right amount of playful curiosity and charm. He was joined by his daughter Hana, who you may see featured frequently on the brand’s instagram. Both of them traveled from Kobe, Japan to visit with us. We were lucky to experience a traditional Japanese tea ceremony led by Hana, and to have the opportunity to know the two of them more deeply. We hope you enjoy this newest collection and we look forward to sharing the brilliance of this one-of-a-kind studio with all of you into the future.
The newest delivery from UK-based Toogood takes us into the wild.
The last few years have seen the blurring of lines between formal and casual, vocation and lifestyle, urban and rural. This blend has relaxed previously rigid norms and flung open the door for creativity, practicality, and, for Faye and Erica Toogood, adventure. The Fall/Winter 2024 delivery of the sisters’ namesake line is their 21st collection—a number associated with continuity, maturity and flow. In Toogood’s case, their evolution took them into the wild. No longer content to simply see the landscape, Faye and Erica wanted to experience it… and ultimately thread that exposure back into their designs.
This Toogood collection tows the line between leisure and pursuit. Utilitarian details, such as deep pockets and snappy buttons, contrast against oversized silhouettes and textured layers. Distressed blue and brown Woodland dyes read like well-worn denim in both a shirt and pant style. True to the Toogood ethos, the pieces honor the artisan origins of their inspiration—find in this collection Botanist tops, Forager trousers and camo-printed Hunter scarves.
Through Toogood, we discover the wardrobe of an adventurer, defined largely by sporty shapes and lightweight fabrics made to move through the forest. One of the most distinctive pieces is the Wayfinder coat, a parka-style rendered in vibrant blue and brown camouflage. In pulling on the pieces—complemented well by a hiking boot and a canteen—the imagination is set free into Erica and Faye’s great beyond.
“An urbanist finds themself on the side of a mountain, deep in woodland, under a big sky. Take a closer look at the print on their shirt and you’ll see it’s a forager’s map, pointing out which plants are safe to eat. Their coat is hand-painted camouflage. They are wearing layers of textured wool and technical ripstop – performance wear, ancient and modern. They tend a fire, tie knots and [thread] together a daisy chain.”
Every one of us has a piece of jewelry with significant personal meaning. The ring that commemorates lasting love, the sparkly earrings we bought ourselves after our first real paycheck, the pearl necklace handed down from generation to generation… For Melbourne-based designer Karen Liberman, her piece of significance is a carved filigree bracelet gifted by her mother. First acquired by her spice-trading grandfather, the bangle was bartered in exchange for tea and sugar. Where it was before that… only the imagination can tell. This is where Karen Liberman’s fascination with gold is born: the long, magical and sometimes hidden histories of heirloom jewelry.
Born in Tel Aviv to Moroccan and Polish parents, Karen Liberman maintains a strong connection to her North African and Mediterranean roots. Though her influences lie across history, Ancient Etruscan motifs are particularly strong throughout Karen Liberman’s jewelry. Like other favorite designers in our cases, such as Denise Betesh and Tovi Farber, Karen favors the ancestral practice of granulation.
An attention—intensive process, granulation is the act of fusing tiny gold spheres for ornamentation. These minute rounds join other historical carving techniques to create layers of delicate texture across the 18K gold settings.
Though the entire collection is stunning, we would be remiss not to mention two particular standouts. One is a traditionally set trilogy ring featuring a fiery cognac diamond flanked by two teal diamonds—a rare, natural blue varietal. The other highlight is an antique roman coin pendant studded with a ring of inset brown diamonds. A traveller and collector at heart, Karen Liberman works alongside professional numismatists to source the authentic coins in her jewelry.
WWD Postcard: Donna Karen at the International Folk Art Market, Santa Fe
Santa Fe Dry Goods
Santa Fe Dry Goods is an amazing store. I love Shobhan the owner, she has amazing taste and she carries Urban Zen. I checked out their new home store Wildlife where everything is handmade and many items are sustainable.
