Chef and natural food pioneer Alice Waters once said, “It’s around the table and in the preparation of food that we learn about ourselves and about the world.” The custom of sitting down for a meal together with friends, family, or even strangers has become somewhat passé in an era of smartphones, selfies, and overdiagnosed ADD, and designers Cary Vaughan and Jenna Wilson recognize it. In an attempt to draw our attention back to that sense of sharing and community, they looked to Ms. Waters while contemplating their Fall 2018 collection at Ace & Jig. They thought of dinner parties at long tables filled with heaps of salads, meats, grains, cheeses, and, of course, lots of wine. A smorgasbord on top of that random blending of small talk and deep conversation were the things that informed their multilayered, multi-textural pieces.
There were chevron patterns on top of stripes and jacquards mixed with silks. Apron skirts and durable wide-leg trousers painted a more literal picture of a chef hard at work over a stove. But the really meaningful pieces were those made with the colors of the rainbow, such as the adorable puff-sleeved off-the-shoulder blouse and long, loose midi dress. Simple as it may be, a rainbow reminds us to come together, to work together, and to eat together. It was a nice tie-in to Waters’s message of listening and learning, but more importantly this Ace & Jig collection provides a truly optimistic way to dress in times of great divide.
