JAN-JAN VAN ESSCHE｜PROJECT #14 SOIL
PROJECT #14
SOIL
Soil holds memory.
Inherited stories and traces of the past.
The texture of materials and minerals found in the earth.
Craft traditions carried across different places.
Within the soil, different elements gather
and, over time, grow into something new.
PROJECT #14 “SOIL”
emerges from this cycle.
PROJECT #14 — SOIL
AW26
The collection Soil bears witness to connections—of heritage and stories interwoven with materiality, and earthly minerals a source of imaginative memories.
SOIL reflects inherited memories and stories
through the language of material.
Grounded, gentle silhouettes.
Rich textures emerge
as different fibres come together,
layered with deep, complex colour.
The mineral-like sheen of chambray.
Wool silk with a pearlescent quality.
Undulating twill.
Wool recalling the layered soil of a forest floor.
As different materials meet,
simple forms take on
greater depth and expression.
A New Artisan Series
SOIL also marks the beginning
of a new Artisan Series
made in Japan.
Elements from past collections are reconsidered
as if returned to the soil
to grow once more.
Through collaboration with Japanese artisans,
earlier designs are approached from new perspectives,
exploring ideas of circularity and renewal within the creative process.
Natural Garment Dyeing
The first chapter of the Artisan Series
focuses on garment dyeing
with natural dyes.
Five long-standing signature shapes
have been selected
and finished using two natural dyeing techniques.
One is Amami Oshima mud dyeing,
creating an earthy colour
with a mineral depth.
The other combines kakishibu
with an iron mordant,
resulting in a soft grey
with a subtle warmth.
For BORDEAUX,
we selected pieces dyed with kakishibu
and finished with an iron mordant.
A soft grey,
deepened by the iron
while retaining a trace of the warmth of kakishibu.
Natural lines and subtle shifts in tone
emerge through the dyeing and washing process.
The way these colours continue to change with time
is part of the beauty of this dyeing process.
Handwoven Collaborations
The collection also brings together
handwoven traditions
carried across different places.
The artisans of 7weaves in Assam, India.
Textile artist
Lamine Diouf.
The cultures and memories rooted in each place
resonate through handwoven cloth,
bringing a quiet vitality to the collection.
For BORDEAUX,
we selected pieces with attention to
material, colour, and layering.
PROJECT #14 “SOIL”.
Memories and craft from different places.
Material and colour.
Things returned to the soil, and growing once more.
Changing with time,
gradually settling into
the life of the person who wears them.
With the air of autumn and winter.