Cultural Exploration is at the Heart of ASHYA’s Distinctive Accessories

Every now and then a brand comes across our radar that so perfectly embodies our ethos that we can’t help but to shine a light on it. ASHYA is the latest brand we’ve discovered, one which brings together travel, style, and global culture while producing some of the most interesting and covetable accessories we’ve seen in a while. Newly inducted members of the CFDA, ASHYA primarily makes travel-friendly waist bags, though they’re far from anything you would dub a ‘fanny-pack.’ Instead, they’re in-line with modern culture, designed for a more fashionably adventurous, gender-neutral crowd. Slotted somewhere between the sleek and supple leathers of a Hermes and the modern and utilitarian cross-body bags of Alyx, ASHYA precisely captures the present moment in fashion. Though Brooklyn based, founders Ashley Cimone and Moya Annece design these collections with various, far-off cultures in mind, resulting in both eclectic styling and diverse casting. The most recent inspiration came from Guatemala (last season was inspired by the Blue Mountains of Jamaica), documented in ASHYA’s new experimental short film ‘Men of Maize’ directed by Anthony Prince. The film, which premiered at AHL favorite Camp David last week (alongside pieces from the SS19 collection of the same name), explores the identity of Guatemala and its roots in both the Mayan and Catholic traditions born out of colonialism. ASHYA uses the film to pose questions on complexity of cultural perspectives and the roots of identity, and in doing so exposes the identity of the brand itself; ‘Men of Maize’ is an extension of Cimone and Annece’s curiosity and motivation that manifests in each collection. It’s the same kind of cultural curiosity we approach our own travels with, and it’s what makes ASHYA such an exciting brand right now.

‘Men of Maize,’ is coming soon to ASHYA’s website, and the SS19 collection is available to pre-order now.

[Ashley Cimone, Moya Annece]