We live in a world where we tend to feel uncomfortable in our own skin. We find insecurities and flaws which we point out, hone in on and make our focal point for internal destruction. However, with such power comes the opposite effect. We’re able to control what makes us happy, what makes us confident, and most of all, what brings us joy.
Being a fully autonomous individual means we have freedom within ourselves to self-govern and control our own affairs. High street brand AELIZA studies individuals who are living fully autonomously. “In an age of individualism, what makes people feel secure, Is having themselves reflected back to them like a mirror. AELIZA is that mirror.”
AELIZA was founded by Jack Harper. Born in Brixton in 1996, Harper built up a name for himself, working alongside Samuel Ross at A Cold Wall* as the brand’s Design and Art Director. Later, he moved on to work on progressive projects within multiple disciplines with the likes of Virgil Abloh, The Design Museum, Selfridges, Birkenstock and many more.
His current brainchild, AELIZA, is a platform for essentialist communication, using fashion as a facility for open conversations and questions about humanity. Emphasizing its use of psychology and philosophy within its garments, the brand utilizes design in order to visualize the above categories. Consumers are meant to approach the clothing with the mindset of being open to looking deeper, not afraid of what it could entail.
On August 19th and 20th, AELIZA launched their ‘EXTROSPECT’ collection at a pop-up in London at Reference Point, a local bookstore. This collection expressed the dichotomy of making decisions. You can do one of two things: do you confront the issue, or do you escape? EXTROSPECT works to answer this question through your own journey.
The popup included a 19 piece collection which was available to purchase upon the conclusion of the event. Among them were a mix of essentials which worked to play with an element of illusion – looking at the square patterns on the hoodies and long sleeves forced your eye to choose one block and focus there.
The line as a whole was a serotonin-infused concoction of easy-to-digest designs, raised patterns and an overall trippy aesthetic. Staring at the chest or back of certain designs produces a hypnotizing feeling which makes the piece hard to veer away from.
In the future, AELIZA hopes to grow exponentially while maintaining the brand’s core values. After all, “We don’t look to be the loudest person in the room. We don’t look to be right. We look to be effective and concise.”
More on CULTED
See also: HEATWAVES AND HOLIDAYS – A LAST MINUTE SUMMER SHOPPING GUIDE
See also: A GUIDE TO A MORE SUSTAINABLE WARDROBE
