Collection Autumn 2023

I have often spoken of my interest in Native American cultures. Seeing Edward S. Curtis’s photographs of the Hopi at MoMA had a decisive impact on me, and I believe that Georgia O’Keeffe heard the echoes of indigenous cultures in the home and way of life in Santa Fe, New Mexico, that she chose in her final years.
As might be expected, I am powerfully drawn to the handcrafts of Native American cultures, particularly the handwoven garments, rugs, and other textiles of the nations in the Four Corners region. I always marvel at the highly geometric, abstract quality of the designs and wonder how their weavers came up with such imagery. The design sensibility could almost be from outer space. It reminds me of the pottery and clay figurines of Japan’s Jomon culture: utterly unique, yet somehow familiar, with a magnetic appeal. It seems to reawaken a sense of connection to and respect for nature that is now all but forgotten and at risk of being lost entirely.

Origins are something 45R has long prized. Wherever life takes us, we can can always honor our origins as human beings by dressing in a way that reminds us of them. These are the kind of garments that 45R has always sought to create. And when I wonder what the origins to which we seek to return were like, I cannot help but think that the aesthetic sensibilities and worldview expressed in the Native American weaving I have encountered hold important lessons.