In the helming thoughts of Absent Finding’s intrigued design language, the apparels come into the lives not through the trend cycles, but they unwrap themselves from the memory, introspection and cultural amalgamation into true spirits. For the founder Shivin Singh, the design gets its seed from the space between the expectations and vicinity. The gap between the expectations and presence to give birth to those unplanned moments where the instinct quietly follows the instructions of the heart. This approach of designing is not limited to surface aesthetics but is a reflective process which showcases the requisites that have been thoughtfully put into reframing the piece. The U-Neck Jacket is not just a piece of apparel designed to fulfill the need for layering but is a lived object that rules on the virtue of discovery and inspections.
The base of the jacket procures its form with the use of deadstock cotton twill with a relaxed silhouette. The jacket stands on the strong forefront of depicting the rooted material history which gain its way from rich cultural heritage from “land of kings” of India. The flamboyant cropped front and an intended dropped back depicts a dynamic rhythm of planes and layers which transfigures the jacket into a rich architectural reference rather than just a piece of garment. This jacket is the portrayal of the ethos of Absent Finding’s form of showcasing the garments as a living gesture where it responds well to each movement, comportment and context to personal aesthetics.
At the heart of the jacket is a U-shaped neckline, which is intentional placing to reinterpret the traditional clothing Angarkha, an apparel worn by the Rajasthani Men and Women which follows a wraparound style with strings prominently having a cross-front opening. This historical reference into this jacket is not just used as decorative art or flow but is a representation of reflective gesture of tracing the lineage of South Asian dressing while maintain the contemporary silhouette. The zeitgeist of Absent Finding is not limited to nostalgic recreation of the piece but is a tribute to transforming the heritage from which Founder gains its concise of leading the life. The neckline of the jacket is a gateway to frame possibilities by inviting layers and initiating an interaction with the body that inhabits the artifact.
The jacket has not only referenced the architecture but is placed to adapt with modern functionality. The placement of double welt pockets, precious custom molded buttons and precise arrangements of closures are not ornamental but are coveted by the Founder. The jacket echoes the soul of a sari which signifies the emotional weight and subtextual feelings of the fathom of jacket when carried. The three buttons added at the lower front strike the perfect balance between the function and intentional form of the apparel.
Crafted in the UAE, the material and lineage used in the jacket is the representation of benevolent attention of the founder. The jacket is not just an piece of apparel but is structural meditation on the history and identity of a rich cultural heritage which has a nuanced expression of personal and collective memories.
