PREVIOUS COLLECTIONS FOCUSED ON SIMPLIFYING DESIGN DOWN TO BUILDING BLOCKS AND COMBINING THOSE PIECES TO CREATE A FULL GARMENT. THIS CONCEPT GUIDED THE CREATION OF THE RHIZOME PUFFERS AND INSPIRED SMITH TO THINK OF MODULARITY, SPECIFICALLY BLURRING THE LINES BETWEEN GARMENT AND ACCESSORY. THIS LED TO THE IDEA OF A MODULAR BAG/ VEST, A HYBRID PIECE THAT IS COMPRISED OF TWO LEATHER BAGS EMBOSSED WITH WET FORMED LEATHER OVER CERAMIC SCULPTURE TO CREATE THE BRAND’S SIGNATURE ESTUARY MOTIF, AND NEWLY DESIGNED ZIPPER PULLS THAT HAVE BEEN MOLDED AND CONTOURED TO EMULATE SCULPTURE AND ERGONOMIC FORM. THE GARMENTS CAN BE WORN TOGETHER OR INDEPENDENTLY DEPENDING ON THE WEARER’S NEEDS THAT OFFER OPTIMAL FUNCTIONALITY AS BOTH A VEST, AND TWO SHOULDER BAGS.
OUR ESTUARY BAG CAN EITHER BE SELECTED IN RIGHT OR LEFT VARIATION IF THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE ARE COMBINED IT ALLOWS THE WEARER TO CREATE THE FULL VEST. THIS IS MADE FROM MARBLE WASHED VEGETABLE TANNED HORSE REAR FROM MARYAM TANNERY, WHICH IS LWG CERTIFIED. FOCUSING ON SUSTAINABILITY, THIS LEATHER IS WET FORMED OVER CERAMIC SCULPTURE TO CREATE THE ESTUARY MOTIF. IT FEATURES MULTIPLE RIRI ZIPPERS WITH OUR NEWLY DESIGNED ZIPPER PULLS CONTOURED TO THE FINGERS. EACH BAG IS CREATED FROM INDIVIDUAL HIDES. BECAUSE THESE HIDES COME FROM ANIMALS THAT VARY IN COLOR AND TEXTURE, THE VARIATIONS ARE PART OF THE INTENDED DESIGN AND ARTISANAL PROCESS OF ANCIENT TANNED LEATHER RESULTING IN EACH BAG BEING COMPLETELY UNIQUE.
IN THIS COLLECTION, WE INTEGRATED ELEMENTS SUCH AS HAND-PAINTED HARDWARE AND LOGOS DESIGNED TO ADORN EACH GARMENT IN FORMS REMINISCENT OF SHELLS AND BONES FOUND AMONG THE NATURAL WORLD THAT EMPHASIZE THE PASSAGE OF TIME, AND THE PERMANENCE OF TRANSFORMATION.
