January, 26th, 2013

Juba – New York | INAISCE | Fall Winter 2013|14

The InAisce Fall/Winter 2013-14 Collection, Seeking Aether, explores the sense of exile felt by the human heart. It is a study of the quest for belonging and purpose despite the fog of mystery shrouding our origins, and an expression of hope for eventual homecoming. The collection pulsates with vitality and refinement that simulate the longing for our immortal roots, yet carefully placed dissonant notes remind us of the displaced state of our species. This is manifested in individual elements of the collection: raw finishing and uneven panel lengths counter-balance the regal collar construction of a triple-ply wool coat; and the elegance of the complex seaming of a Tuscan shearling is contrasted by a s andblasted finish on the surface. Similarly, the fabrications befit nobility and vagabond alike. Luxurious silks, wools, and cuprous are juxtaposed with large felted wraps that evoke the hide of a wild highl ands beast, and a plush nylon-coated knit, while soft within, resembles a worn industrial garbage bag on the surface.

The collection is represented in the look book by Ger Duany, a South Sudanese refugee whose own journey of exile from – and return to – his homel and is a tangible illustration of the larger theme. The deliberate discord with the finely calibrated cohesion of the collection echoes the ancient mystic chords that bind the tribe of man and the potential unity that could lead us to home. It was in this spirit of solidarity that Jona embarked on InAisce’s first ever collaborations resulting in the following three projects:

InAisce + Claudy Jongstra

Renowned Dutch artist Claudy Jongstra has felted enormous wool+silk wearable art pelts for the collection. Jongstra’s sustainable farm in Holl and provides the “studio” for every step of the creative process, including raising the sheep for the wool and growing the plants for the dyes.

InAisce + Layer-0

Italian shoe artisan Alessio Zero has applied traditional Italian craftsmanship to the InAisce FW13/14 boots and shoes. With the form based on a turn-of-the-century Pacific Northwest logging boot, old-world Italian and American aesthetics merge in the fast-forward context of the collection

InAisce + Artemas Quibble

Fellow New Yorker and leather artisan A. Jason Ross has collaborated with Jona to innovate several belts for the collection, utilizing hardware based on antique furrier’s tools. Despite their primitive provenance, their geometry and functionality belong in a world yet to come.