When Moya Annece and Ashley Cimone first launched Ashya, their stylish, utilitarian travel accessories label back in 2017, it was their supple, hand-stitched leather belt bags that received the most attention. Yet while the designs gained a dedicated following as the ultimate glow-up to the forlorn fanny pack, it might be the least exciting thing about the Brooklyn-based brand, which has since collaborated with the likes of Saint Heron, Solange Knowles’s creative platform, and Opening Ceremony.
Annece and Cimone, who met more than a decade ago while attending New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, began drafting the line after traveling to Rishikesh, India, together in 2015, having found themselves unable to locate a sophisticated belt bag ahead of their trip. But the experience also bubbled up profound feelings about travel and exploration, prompting the two to devise a brand whose pieces eschewed fleeting trends for something richer and more thoughtful, and rooted in the stories of the places that inspired them.
“It sounds a bit cliché, but we really had an eye-opening moment about where our passions lay, around exploring culture and creating with this sense of freedom that we had while we were traveling,” says Cimone. “That led to this concept of creating a brand that spoke to our explorations, that spoke to our love of cultures, of learning about Indigenous communities, and creating beauty through the lens of fashion.”
The Palmetto bag, in brown viper, nods to the hues of snakes found in India.
ASHYAThe result was a string of sleek, practical accessories whose framing—as items to be used out in the world by thoughtful travelers—found quiet ways to honor the places that inspired them. The lookbook for the brand’s “Blue Mountains” collection was shot in the lush hills of Jamaica; the bright hues of the designs, like citrine and jasper, invoked the country’s vibrant flora. Pieces in the latest collection, named for the Irula, one of India’s oldest Indigenous communities, subtly incorporate reptile patterns and colors inspired by the snakes in the region—a means of honoring the work of the Irula, whose largely unsung snake-catching efforts contribute to the production of anti-venom in a country where snake bites are estimated to kill more than 50,000 people every year.
The Irula’s story is also the basis for Nilā, Ashya’s second experimental film, directed by Anthony Prince Leslie, for its series, “Ode to Exploration.” (The first, Men of Maize, also directed by Leslie, explores the intersection of Mayan and Catholic rituals in Central America.) The films reflect the duo’s efforts not only to expand beyond accessories, but to faithfully represent these cultures, with local casting and on-the-ground partnerships. The films notably don’t feature any of the brand’s products—it would feel too much like “commodifying the culture,” says Annece.
“We always feel that there’s a fine line you have to tread when you’re going into a community outside of your own and hoping to use your own platform to share their story,” says Cimone. “There are a lot of buzzwords that get tossed around like representation and inclusion, but it’s important that people are able to tell their own stories. That’s how we feel as a brand, as creatives, as individuals, and as Black women. We want our story to be told from our perspective, so we assume that the same is true for others.”
The organic, squiggling line on Ashya’s passport book also serves as a subtle nod to India’s snakes.
ASHYAEven as they look to broaden the company into a veritable lifestyle brand, the founders continue to search for ways to improve on what they’re already doing. They’ve “redesigned the bags to cut back on our leather usage by 50 percent,” which in turn reduces water wastage, and are looking into new fabrics from West Africa. They’re also conscious of not overproducing, a rampant issue in the fashion industry. To that end, they’re focusing more on their direct-to-consumer business. “We have intentions of producing what we need when we need it,” says Cimone. “It’s important for us as an emerging brand to be thinking about these things from the very beginning, and creating a cadence that makes sense for us.”
It’s a level of accountability and commitment to do better that more brands should hold themselves to. But it’s also a mindset for those who strive to explore the world thoughtfully. “We are a work in progress,” says Annece.
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August 07, 2020 at 05:25AM
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This Travel Accessories Brand Is Designing for a More Thoughtful Explorer - Condé Nast Traveler
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