Last summer I went on a safari tour of the urban jungle, and came back deeply stimulated and touched. Strolling along the streets of a few European capitals alongside all sorts of creatures, camouflaging myself within the rivers of nonstop traffic and sounds of the city, and living the daytime and nightlife to the fullest has filled my existence with a much needed breath of fresh air.

I could completely see the metropolis’s demand to make each of us into just one drop in an ocean of people, but also perceived the individual need for being special and unique. It was as if people put on all sorts of masks before leaving home, then kept removing and changing them along the way.

Among all the urban grey and smoke, I could see oh so many glimpses of color and texture, a wink of an eye, a naughty curl of the lip. For the first time in a long time, I felt connected to Babylon and appreciated all the richness and abundance it actually has to offer. I live in a jungle in the tropics, on the shore of an exotic sea, so when I go out for harvest I come back with all sorts of natural materials, stones, pieces of metal and leather. But when the people of the urban jungle go out to forage, they come back with findings such as a second hand vintage jacket, a designer t-shirt, a 50-cent hip necklace and a broken piece of plastic, then turn it all into their unique (fashion) statement.

This collection is strongly inspired by this re-discovery of the urban jungle and its fusion into my own private one, and also by new and old friends, both from the Goa and the Bali tribes, that collaborated on this project in order to make the collection diverse and special. Lots of love and respect go out to Michael, Timme, Alekai, Pema and Basil: It was a great honor to synergize with you.

Thank you for visiting and have a lovely season wherever you are!

Ori ki