Sunday, March 17, 2024

3.17.24

I'll have a boxty and a Guinness...

Top to bottom: St. Mary's Old Parish graveyard, Cahir, Ireland; Roadside sign, Cahir, Ireland; Ben Bulben mountain from Drumcliffe, Ireland; St. Columba's Church, Drumcliffe, Ireland; grave of W.B. Yeats, St. Columba's Church, Drumcliffe, Ireland; Giant's Causeway sign, County Antrim, Northern Ireland; Giant's Causeway sign, County Antrim, Northern Ireland; Giant's Causeway, County Antrim, Northern Ireland; basalt columns at Giant's Causeway, County Antrim, Northern Ireland

All photos above by JEF


"Belfast Child" by Simple Minds

When my love said to me
Meet me down by the gallow tree
For it's sad news I bring
About this old town and all that it's suffering
Some say troubles abound
Some day soon they're gonna pull the old town down
One day we'll return here
When the Belfast Child sings again

Brothers, sisters, where are you now?
As I look for you right through the crowd
All my life here I've spent
With my faith in God, and Church, and the Government
But there's sadness abound
Some day soon they're gonna pull the old town down

One day we'll return here
When the Belfast Child sings again
When the Belfast Child sings again

So come back Billy, won't you come on home?
Come back Mary, you've been away so long
The streets are empty, and your mother's gone
The girls are crying, it's been oh so long
And your father's calling, come on home
Won't you come on home, won't you come on home?

Come back people, you've been gone a while
And the war is raging through the Emerald Isle
That's flesh and blood man, that's flesh and blood
All the girls are crying but all's not lost

The streets are empty, the streets are cold
Won't you come on home, won't you come on home?

The streets are empty

Life goes on

One day we'll return here
When the Belfast Child sings again
When the Belfast Child sings again



http://www.discoverireland.com/us/

http://www.simpleminds.com

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Even More Collage...2024

Regular readers may recall that during the pandemic, I spent some of my downtime creating a lot of new art work including a series of collages previously seen here, here, here, and here. I was recently inspired to revisit this technique but this time with a few different goals. I wanted to work with texture, color, and shape alone, and not try to create anything representational like my prior works. I wanted to leave white space around each composition. I wanted to assemble each composition very, very quickly, using instinct, without overthinking or fussing too much with placement--since I had all the pieces pre-cut, I spent about an average of a minute or so on each one, just grabbing what seemed right. Even the titles came quickly, in just a few seconds--I chose simple, one-word titles and not the narrative titles I used in previous collage pieces. Goals met! I found it a fun way to kickstart creativity.


Top to bottom: Union; Ticket; Farm; Mycelium; Kingdom; Tectonic

Friday, March 15, 2024

BEAUTY: Interior Design--Pierce and Ward

Singular and stellar design firm Pierce & Ward worked with homeowner and star of "The Big Bang Theory" Johnny Galecki to place his lifetime collection of antiques and objects into a wonderful context in his home in Nashville. They created a labyrinthine home that is part antique, part retro (20s, 30's 40's, punctuated with a few elements and accessories from the 60s and 70s), part Alice In Wonderland, and part Dark Nostalgia. The result is an unexpected and fascinating mélange--and their use of wallcovering is unparalleled. I would love to tour Galecki's home and take time to absorb each room and tableau, to ask after the history and story of each piece...


https://pierceandward.com/
https://www.instagram.com/sanctionedjohnnygalecki/

Thursday, March 14, 2024

"A Different Life" by Nordfold

A fun, thumping, pumping, humping track..."A Different Life" by Nordfold.


https://www.instagram.com/nordfold/

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

NONE OF THE ABOVE

Why people are reluctant to call themselves atheists

By Harmeet Kaur, CNN
Sun March 10, 2024


In September, standing before a room full of Christian conservatives, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made a bold pronouncement: “I don’t know how you could be a leader without having faith in God.”

Being an atheist is still a political liability in the US — though it’s not as bad as DeSantis would have you think. While a 2020 Gallup poll found that six in 10 people would vote for a well-qualified atheist presidential candidate, fewer people said they would be willing to vote for an atheist than a candidate who was gay, lesbian or Muslim. Only socialists ranked lower among poll respondents.

Though the share of Americans who say they don’t believe in a higher power has increased in the past decade, some people still view atheists negatively. A 2017 study found that people believe atheists are more likely to be serial killers than believers, even though federal data suggests they are far less likely to commit crimes than religious people.

Just like people of faith, not all atheists believe the same things. Aside from their lack of belief in a higher power or powers, atheists vary widely in their answers to spiritual and existential questions.

Given the misconceptions surrounding this group, many people are reluctant to say that they’re atheists — which means it’s hard to pinpoint connections and differences among their numbers.

What is atheism?
An atheist is someone “who does not believe in the existence of a god or any gods,” according to Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary.

Because atheists are defined by what they don’t believe, it’s difficult to generalize what they do believe. In the words of comedian and outspoken atheist Ricky Gervais on X, “Saying ‘Atheism is a belief system’ is like saying ‘not going skiing, is a hobby.’”

Some atheists, like evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins and neuroscientist Sam Harris, are steadfast in their rejection of organized religion. Others are skeptical or apathetic when it comes to philosophical questions of whether a god exists.

Because of the social stigma atheists may face in the US and around the world, some people have complicated feelings about the term, said Nick Fish, president of the organization American Atheists. Plenty of people who fit the definition of an atheist don’t self-identify as such, instead preferring less fraught terms such as agnostic, humanist or freethinker, he added.

Then there are the cultural Catholics, the non-practicing Jews, the secular Muslims — people who don’t necessarily believe in a deity but identify with a particular faith because of their family upbringing, ethnicity or culture.

“A simple dictionary definition doesn’t necessarily encapsulate people’s self identity, and people use a variety of terms even when ultimately they believe the same thing,” Fish said.

What do atheists believe?
Atheists also have different interpretations of what it means to not believe. While nearly all self-described atheists don’t believe in the God described in the Judeo-Christian Bible, 23% do believe in God or some other higher power or spiritual force in the universe, according to a Pew Research Center report published in January.

Belief for atheists goes deeper than the question of whether there is a higher power.

Notably, a fifth of self-described atheists consider themselves spiritual, Pew’s recent survey on the religious “nones” found. The report contains other surprising insights, too: Most atheists say the natural world is all there is, but nearly a quarter believe there’s something spiritual beyond our present environment. About a third believe animals other than humans can have spirits or spiritual energies, and a slightly smaller share believe spiritual energies can be found in parts of nature, like mountains, trees or rivers. Just under one in five atheists believe cemeteries or memorial sites can have spiritual energies, while fewer than one in 10 say the same about objects such as crystals. Nearly a third of atheists believe humans have souls or spirits in addition to their physical body.

These responses might seem confusing or contradictory, but atheism and spirituality aren’t necessarily at odds. Though some people associate spirituality with a connection to a god, for others it can mean feeling connected to other people or to something else bigger than oneself.

Indeed, there are atheists who believe in cosmic interconnectedness or in transcendent moments of wonder without considering themselves religious. Long distance swimmer and self-proclaimed atheist Diana Nyad discussed this distinction in a 2013 interview with Oprah.

“I’m an atheist who’s in awe,” she said. “I think you can be an atheist who doesn’t believe in an overarching being who created all of this and sees over it. But there’s spirituality because we human beings, and we animals and maybe even we plants — but certainly the ocean and the moon and the stars — we all live with something that is cherished and we feel the treasure of it.”

How many atheists are there?
It’s hard to know just how many atheists there are when some people are reluctant to claim the label.

While a 2018 Pew survey found that 10% of US adults say they don’t believe in any higher power or spiritual force, only about 4% of US adults identify as atheists. A 2022 Gallup poll puts the number of nonbelievers higher, with 17% of Americans saying they don’t believe in God.

Some scholars, however, consider these numbers underestimates — an analysis by psychologists Will Gervais and Maxine B. Najle suggests the true count is closer to 26%. Gervais points to Cold War era associations of atheists as “godless communists,” as well as Christianity’s enduring influence on American culture, as some reasons people may be hesitant to identify as nonbelievers.

“The term atheist has attracted some unsavory connotations,” he added. “Also, religion (in the US) is politically and socially rewarded, so people might be reluctant to out themselves as an atheist.”

It’s also worth noting that atheism — at least in the West — is often defined in relation to monotheistic traditions, namely the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. As the organization American Atheists notes on its website, older dictionaries previously defined atheism as a “belief that there is no God” — the singular, proper noun typically used by Christians and some Jews. Even Gallup’s 2022 poll asked about belief in “God.”

Framing atheism in these terms doesn’t capture a range of other beliefs that atheists could conceivably hold. Strands of atheist thought can be found in non-theistic traditions such as Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism, as well cultures around the world that practice animism.
What is the difference between an atheist and an agnostic?
There are all kinds of labels to describe nonbelievers. While atheism and agnosticism are among the most common, there are some differences between those terms.

Though the two are often considered distinct worldviews, technically, they aren’t mutually exclusive. Rather, the terms atheism and agnosticism answer different questions, Nick Fish of American Atheists said. Atheism answers whether a person believes in a god or gods, and agnosticism answers whether it is possible to know if a supreme being exists.

But again, dictionary definitions prove limiting here. In reality, many people think of agnosticism as a less stringent form of atheism.

“If you spend a bit of time digging in, I think (many agnostics) will ultimately say, ‘I don’t believe in a God but I’m not sure, so I’m agnostic,’” Fish said.

Jocelyn Williamson, co-founder of the Central Florida Freethought Community, doesn’t believe in a higher power but says she can’t be certain. Technically, that fits the definition of an agnostic atheist. But she said she typically tells people who ask about her religious beliefs that she’s a secular humanist.

“Most people don’t know what that means, and then I can actually have a conversation,” Williamson said. “There’s too many preconceived notions if I just say I’m an atheist.”

The term atheist only conveys what she doesn’t believe in, Williamson said. The term humanist, meanwhile, signals that she’s motivated by compassion for others and that she believes societal decision-making should be grounded in reason and science.

What do people get wrong about atheists?
One of the most common misconceptions about atheists is that they lack morals that others typically attribute to religion.

In a 2019 Pew survey, 44% of US residents said belief in God was necessary to be moral and have good values — in other countries, that share is much higher.

Williamson is all too familiar with such notions. When she was first getting to know faith leaders in her state, through her work with the Central Florida Freethought Community, she recalls a clergy member asking her what stops her from killing other people if she doesn’t believe in a higher power.

“I had always thought that was a meme, a trope,” she said. “I didn’t think anybody actually believed that.”

In fact, various studies suggest that atheists are no more immoral than religious people. They’re also just as likely to participate in civic life as those who are affiliated with a religion and just as likely to engage in community service, according to Pew’s recent survey of religious “nones.”

Atheists also get stereotyped as angry people who vehemently oppose religion and its followers. Like any other population, though, they aren’t a monolith. Williamson, for example, is part of the Interfaith Council of Central Florida and works with faith leaders toward common goals. Plenty of nonbelievers volunteer with religious organizations out of a desire to serve their communities, she added — her father worked as a local director for the Christian nonprofit Habitat for Humanity despite not being religious.

Another misconception about atheists is that they’re certain or unwavering in their beliefs, Fish said. People often tell him that they aren’t sure on the big existential questions, and therefore can’t be atheists. But many atheists are figuring it all out, too.

“Just because we don’t believe in a god doesn’t mean that we have all the answers to everything else,” he said. “In fact, for many, for most of us, it’s the opposite. We recognize that we don’t.”


Link to original article on CNN:
https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/10/us/atheism-beliefs-explained-cec/index.html

Saturday, March 9, 2024

"Portals" by Christian Löffler

After our recent string of songs heavy with meaning ("Keep Going" by Guster, "Boys" by Amen Dunes, "Time" by EELS), here is a touching song both sad and uplifting, disguised as a dance song..."Portals" by Christian Löffler with Mogli on vocals.

I had a long-forgotten classmate from my middle school reach out to me a while back. He said he just wanted to make sure I made it. And we both knew what he meant, the secret sign. "I wanted to make sure you got out. I just wanted to know that you made it."


This doesn't feel like
Any one thing I
Have ever felt before
Like the next chapter
Written in language
I don't know

Mm
Feels like magic
Mm
Feels like magic

Portals

And even though I didn't plan to cross this portal, I
Felt it comin' all my life
A quiet pull inside
Is there a secret sign to give each other that says, "I
I made it"?
Yeah, I broke it

Portals

Ooh, mm
Feels like magic
Ooh, mm
Feels like magic

And even though I didn't plan to cross this portal, I
Felt it comin' all my life
A quiet pull inside
Is therе a secret sign to give еach other that says, "I
I made it"?
Yeah, I broke it



https://www.instagram.com/christianloeffler/
https://mogliofficial.com/

Friday, March 8, 2024

Happy International Women's Day 2024


Today, March 8th, 2024, is the 113th International Women's Day. Read on for information about this year's theme from the official IWD site:

Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that's diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge women's equality. Collectively we can all #InspireInclusion.

Celebrate women's achievement. Raise awareness about discrimination. Take action to drive gender parity.

IWD belongs to everyone, everywhere. Inclusion means all IWD action is valid.

The campaign theme for International Women's Day 2024 is Inspire Inclusion.

When we inspire others to understand and value women's inclusion, we forge a better world.

And when women themselves are inspired to be included, there's a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment.

Collectively, let's forge a more inclusive world for women.


Visit the International Women's Day website to learn more:
https://www.internationalwomensday.com/

"Woman In Chains" by Tears For Fears

For International Women's Day: "Woman In Chains" by Tears For Fears with Oleta Adams. Just phenomenal. After more than thirty years, this song still moves me to absolute tears.

"Somebody, somewhere is trying to breathe..."

 

You better love loving and you better behave
You better love loving and you better behave
Woman in chains
Woman in chains

Calls her man the Great White Hope
Says she's fine, she'll always cope
Woman in chains
Woman in chains

Well I feel lying and waiting is a poor man's deal
And I feel hopelessly weighed down by your eyes of steel
It's a world gone crazy
Keeps woman in chains

Trades her soul as skin and bones
(You better love loving and you better behave)
Sells the only thing she owns
(You better love loving and you better behave)
Woman in chains
(The sun and the moon)
Woman in chains

Men of Stone
Men of Stone

Well I feel deep in your heart there are wounds time can't heal
And I feel somebody somewhere is trying to breathe
Well you know what I mean
It's a world gone crazy
Keeps woman in chains

It's under my skin but out of my hands
I'll tear it apart but I won't understand
(Somebody somewhere is trying to breathe)
I will not accept the Greatness of Man
It's a world gone crazy
Keeps woman in chains

So free her
So free her
(The sun and the moon
The wind and the rain)

"Time" by EELS

Well, this must be the season for profound songs...with Guster's lovely "Keep Going," and yesterday's new song "Boys" by Amen Dunes...here is "Time" by EELS. Oh, where do I start... where we come from, who we love, who we must leave behind, how we miss them, our own journey, the limitation of our presence...you'll need a tissue for this.



Time, it's all about time now
Tick-tock I rock, but then I look at the clock
Knock-knock, who's there?
Well, I don't dare...
Open the door

Time, there was nothing but time there
Click-clack riding down the tracks
Never worried about coming back
Anyplace looked good to me
Why not stop and see...
What's there?

Time, there isn't much time now
What's the fear, well, I like it here
With the ones I love so near
Maybe there's just somе way
Dear god...
I can stay


https://www.eelstheband.com/

Thursday, March 7, 2024

"Boys" by Amen Dunes

A new song from Amen Dunes. "Boys."
To repair the damage. To recognize the power to stop the cycle. To see clearly.


It takes a long time to know that
It takes a long time to know that
It takes a long time
It takes a long time to know that

Still out on a Sunday
He died over the weekend

He tried hard
Tried hard
But he caved right in

Do you really want it?
Oh, you always said you would
Do you really want it?
Though I know it isn't true
Do you really want it?
Though it always felt untrue
Do you really want it?
Though I never said I would
You said you couldn't save him
You know he always thought you could
You said you couldn't save him
Though he always thought you would
People 'round you talking, but you never listen to them

But I never lied on Sunday, ain't go no one to listen to
He's still out on Sunday, he's got no one to listen to
He's still out on Sunday, you can't tell him what to do
You're still out on Sunday, you can't tell him what to do
He's still out on Sunday, he's got no one to listen to

It takes a lot to care
As if they're even there

And do you dare to tell me, you have done all you could do
But do you mean to tell me, you have done all that you could do
No suicide, no damage, depends on who you answer to
No suicide, no damage, you can't tell him what to do
You won't find me breaking, no one tells me what to do

The kids come out to kill
The streets have made you bad
The kids come out to kill
'Cause everything you've done, it's been done to you too
Everything you've done, it's been done to you too

You know that all my lies are true
May all your lies come true


Photo: Michael Schmelling

https://bedroomdrum.com/home

Sunday, March 3, 2024

"Keep Going" by Guster

A lovely positive song, "Keep Going" by Guster, from their new release "Ooh La La" out May 17, 2024...when things don't work out quite right, keep going, you will be alright.


I bought a ticket but the train didn’t stop
Ended up walking all the way singing “Ooh La La”
I made it home and put the radio loud
Was just static but still turned me on

Well the world brought us here
If we let it now, all good things reappear

It’s ok I’m alright
It’s ok I’m alright

Keep going
Keep going
To the light

It’s ok I’m alright
It’s ok I’m alright

Slow motion on a video tape
We had magic, it still turns me on
And at the end of this dark night
Which way to go
I may just take a walk to the bright side, the bright side

Well the world brought us here
If we let it now, all good things reappear

It’s ok I’m alright
It’s ok I’m alright

Keep going
Keep going
To the light
It’s ok I’m alright
It’s ok I’m alright

Keep going
To the light

Keep going
Keep going
To the light

It’s ok I’m alright
It’s ok I’m alright
It’s ok I’m alright
It’s ok I’m alright



https://www.guster.com/

Saturday, March 2, 2024

Don't Rush, You'll Hurt Yourself

I found this piece by Melissa Kirsch to be a nice reminder about pace of life and priorities. Thank you for the wisdom, Melissa!

Hurry up and wait

The New York Times | The Morning
March 2, 2024
by Melissa Kirsch


Racing to catch a subway train recently, I tripped on the stairs leading to the platform, steadying myself only barely by grabbing the arm of an unsuspecting and rightfully alarmed fellow passenger. I sustained no major damage — a scraped knee, a bruise on my thigh I’d discover a week later. These injuries were, I told myself in the aftermath, well deserved. I’d disregarded one of my precepts for personal happiness, the one that stipulates, “Most misery is caused by rushing.”

My fall was the most basic evidence of this, a frying-pan-over-the-head reminder that running late and reckless from one place to the next puts one at risk of a spill. But there was also all the incidental unhappiness I’d incurred and inflicted in the lead-up: I’d been rushing to get out of the house, which put me in a foul mood. I’d been impatient with everyone I encountered on the way to the subway, adding some measure of unpleasantness to their mornings.

We rush because we’re late. We also rush because we want to move quickly away from discomfort. We rush to come up with solutions to problems that would benefit from more sustained consideration. We rush into obligations or decisions or relationships because we want things settled.

Worrying is a kind of rushing: It’s uncomfortable to sit in a state of uncertainty, so we fast-forward the tape, accelerating our lives past the present moment into fearsome imagined scenarios.

A friend and I remind each other regularly of a radio news segment she heard years ago. The reporter concluded the story, about a mess of delays on the Long Island Rail Road, with the line, “These commuters are ready for this day to be over, once and for all.” Of course the message was the commuters wanted to get home and have dinner and go to bed already. But the finality of “once and for all” made it sound as though the commuters were so fed up that they wanted to end that day and all days. Or, as my friend wrote: “Certainly at one point the day will definitely be over once and for all for each of us. Is that what we’re rushing toward?”

This obsession with being done with things, of living life like an endless to-do list, is ridiculous. I find myself sometimes having a lovely time, out to dinner with friends, say, and I’ll notice an insistent hankering for the dinner to be over. Why? So I can get to the next thing, who cares what the next thing is, just keep going. Keep rushing, even through the good parts.

In Marie Howe’s poem “Hurry,” she describes running errands with a child in tow. “Hurry up honey, I say, hurry,” she urges, as the little one scampers to keep up. Then she wonders: “Where do I want her to hurry to? To her grave? / To mine? Where one day she might stand all grown?”

This is not novel advice, to stop and smell the roses, to be here now, to slow down. But it’s not easily heeded. Our culture, now as ever, rewards hustle. The Silicon Valley maxim “Done is better than perfect” can be constructive when applied to procrastination. But we bring it to bear on situations in which “done” is not necessarily a desirable goal.

Since my subway incident, I’ve been trying to notice when I’m rushing, physically and psychologically. “Where are you going?” I ask myself. “And why are you in such a hurry?” That pause helps put a little space between here and there, and might, with any luck, avert future misery.


Link to original article in the New York Times Morning Newsletter:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/02/briefing/why-we-cant-stop-rushing.html

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Monday, February 26, 2024

BEAUTY: Clothing--Versace and Ferragamo

Milan Fashion Week is currently happening...not to be confused with Milano Moda Uomo which is for menswear. Traditionally for womenswear, this week features lots of houses, brands, and designers showing men's and women's collections together, on the same runway at the same time.

And two things caught my eye... at Versace and Ferragamo who both showed very high boots for men.

At Versace, they were thigh high and amazing.


And at Ferragamo they were even higher, inching up to the very top of the leg (look #3). The bulk of the collection though was made up of some effective monotonal (the autumn trio of olive green, mustard, and deep plum) looks in leather.


https://www.versace.com/
https://www.ferragamo.com/

Saturday, February 24, 2024

BEAUTY: Clothing--Antonio Marras

It has been quite a while since Antonio Marras has appeared here on Oh, By The Way, (last seen here). But his show at Milan Fashion Week for women was a co-ed show (like so many designers now, he showed men's and women's pieces in the same presentation), and it was quite a beauteous affair.

Based on the life of Eleanor of Arborea or Eleanor De Serra Bas (1347— June 1404), the queen who united all of Sardinia under her rule, the show featured garments that mixed contemporary cuts with Medieval silhouettes and details to wonderful effect. The results are quite powerful. Marras is from Sardinia, and much like Dolce and Gabbana who love to use various iterations and aspects of Italian culture and history specifically from Sicily as a springboard for inspiration, Marras uses his beloved home island the same method. The show itself opened in a highly theatrical way with an actor sporting the first look of the show (a lovely doublet made of a cable knit sweater with slashed sleeves) entering the runway space in search of Eleanor herself. Her spirit soon found him and the show began...watch the video below!


https://antoniomarras.com/

Snow Moon

Monday, February 19, 2024

BEAUTY: Clothing--Paolo Carzana

Welsh designer Paolo Carzana showed up on my radar last year when I saw his SS '24 collection "My Heart is a River For You to Bend" shown at London Fashion Week (seen here). He is a newer designer but has already amassed some clout: he is a recipient of the British Fashion Council NewGen award and has BFC support money to put on shows, and is also an artist in residence at the Sarabande Foundation, the arts foundation supported at the bequest of Lee Alexander McQueen.

His vision is fairly singular, much like McQueen. While promoting his Fall Winter '23 collection entitled "Queer Symphony," he said, "It’s mainly related to this idea that everything I was ashamed of as a kid is now my strength. Up until I was 17, I would literally pray every night to wake up straight, and pray to be normal. And every single day, I was bullied in school, when I didn’t even know who I was." It is a shared story among many of us in the gay community, one I have heard many times...surviving emotional, psychological, and often physical abuse to emerge on the other side, despite or probably because of it all, with a hunger and drive to create something beautiful, to express a force that could not be taken from us. I can attest to the truth of this from my own personal experience. So I feel great tenderness toward and interest in the creations of Paolo Carzana.

His sartorial vernacular is made of delicate fabrics tied and stitched together that seem like creations from some dream world, as if those wearing his garments should be lounging around on marble terraces in bright Pre-Raphaelite splendor, or in a lush production of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream." There is a hushed beauty to the silhouettes and construction of the garments that casts a spell. And while this Fall-Winter '24-'25 collection might have originated in a dark place, it is still this other, brighter world he strives toward. "It’s very much sort of journeying through the darkness, passing through the storm, up through the clouds, and onto the top where the light shines. I’ve called the collection 'Melanchronic Mountain.' Everyone around is feeling a lot in this moment, the way the world is. It's this feeling I have that it’s so hard to try and be positive, but we can. It’s within the bones that we carry, how we can transform that pain into hope."

I like that sustainability is important to Carzana: he is committed to using deadstock or recycled fabric, and he uses plant dyes and spices to color his fabrics, including introducing sappanwood reds and black walnut browns in this collection. But here is what I truly love: his cuts feel like they are memories of historical clothing, like tattered remnants of a far-away homeland after a shipwreck, and his beautiful sheer, ripped, ruched tops and trousers seem like they belong on wood sprites, elves, fairies. Or just those who wish to live in a softer, gentler world.


https://www.paolocarzana.com/