Photo: Jason Eric Hardwick / Courtesy of Ace & Jig
Elizabeth Blackwell was a British physicist who, among many noble achievements, was responsible for most of the botanical illustrations of the 1600s and 1700s. This season, eco-friendly brand Ace & Jig paid homage to such a figure in their beautiful Fall 2019 collection. Perhaps what was most astonishing about this line was that designers Cary Vaughan and Jenna Wilson didn’t go the predictable route and pillaged their seasonal offering with all sorts of overused floral prints and motifs. They instead shed light on Blackwell’s artistry with their palette, using the likes of peony pink, ivy green, and blossoming orange to paint their modest collection. Within their streamlined silhouettes of exquisitely tailored pieces and quaint rustic designs, there was a serene beauty that gave credence to Mother Nature without having to imitate her. Though the pattern-play got a little too much at times, the overall narrative shone through with flying colors. And to make matters even better, most of the textiles used here were organic and upcycled fabrics from past seasons! Now that’s a great push of sustainable style if there ever was one!
