P.A.M. for ESP No.1 is a unique and collaborative capsule range recently unleashed for Pre-Autumn 2012. To clearly comprehend the ideas expressed herein, let us begin with an introduction to the contributing
minds, two husband-and-wife duos, P.A.M. (Misha Hollenbach and
Shauna Toohey) and ESP (Andrew and Alexandra Hogge).
P.A.M. (Perks And Mini) from Melbourne, Australia, has embedded
itself as an internationally renowned cult name in the creative
world after it’s inception as a fashion label in 2000. Outside of their
seasonal fashion collections; P.A.M. have created an new aesthetic and
a multi-faceted world consisting of art, music, and a plethora of creative
projects, channeling an eclectic culture of present day Pop, and
postmodernist appropriation that’s distinctly underscored by a fascination
with anarchy, the psychedelic and the independence born of
creativity and free thinking.
P.A.M. products are highly covetable and can be found at carefully
selected boutiques worldwide; encapsulating the freedom and
creativity of DIY, and successfully blurring the lines between Fashion/
Art/Design/Fine-Art. P.A.M.’s foray in the fashion/art/creative world
continues to evolve and expand and their footprints have generated
devoted P.A.M. followers worldwide seeking new ways of living in an
increasingly homogenized world.
ESP, originating from New York City, is a multidisciplinary platform
consisting of fashion, design and music. Their No.1 collection
is modern unisex clothing for children, an aesthetic response to the
challenges of shopping for kids, fundamentally resulting in adult silhouettes
with miniature proportions. Over the last years, ESP No.1 has
become a beakon for young parents seeking “real” wardrobes for their
young ones whilst satisfying an elevated taste level via the combination
of beautiful fabrication and timeless simplicity.
A kinship was born out of Misha and Andrew’s shared obsession
with interesting and inspiring musics and the general belief that music is the only truly universal language. Through their further telepathic
communication, ideas that were shared over the years inevitably gave
birth to a project that employs the creativity of all four individuals,
P.A.M. for ESP No.1.
The untamed nature of this project shines through
in all aspects; the mix-and-match use of fabrics, the ambitious use of
color, the absurdist print and pattern, the settings and styling created
for the lookbook (beautifully photographed by
Peter Sutherland) and
especially the following story which brings the concept to life...
It was a camp to teach survival skills. Busy parents were happy to
send their children off into the mountains for a week. They were to
be taught about wild food foraging, survival techniques and ancient
crafts, but after a couple of days of organised activities, things began
to change. The teenagers employed to care for the children had lost
interest and, without management, spent their time in the nearby town
hanging out with friends. The children were left to fend for themselves.
They fashioned clothes from indigo-dyed bedsheets and oil/water
paintings done on their first day. They stopped brushing their hair
and teeth, and banished their shoes to feel the dirt between their toes.
When hungry, they foraged for mushrooms and went dumpster diving
in the nearby towns. They weaved blankets for shelter, and at night
they burned sage to ward off unfriendly spirits whilst they sat around
the fire, telling stories of mythical creatures and adventures in outer
space. After storytime they wildly banged drums and played flutes they
carved from sticks. As they danced around in circles, clouds of dust
rose from the ground and they fell into a trance, moving as one, unable
to feel the ground beneath their feet or the hunger in their bellies.
They heard the sounds of the wild animals and responded with there
own calls. When the children finally fell to the ground with exhaustion,
they slept where they fell while a feeling of great peace blanketed
them, a feeling that would stay with them for the rest of their lives.
This was a sign of things to come, a new era, a golden age.
As always, all is manufacted in the USA in our own ESP facilites. Check out our
Stockists page for a list of our wonderful retailers across the globe... and lookout for the collection on our
online shop later this week!
