Vintage Icons Transformed
Jay Ahr is pleased to announce the launch of ‘A Collection of Vintage Icons Transformed’.
Following on from the success of the ‘Iconic Travel Bag Transformed’ collection, Jay Ahr’s latest transformation project has turned its creative attention to the most celebrated status symbols of all.
Founded by Jonathan Riss, Jay Ahr explores the fusion of artisanal techniques, creative design, local culture, and modern technology across a variety of mediums to craft unique pieces that always have a story to tell.
Born in Paris, Jonathan Riss spent his formative years in Brussels next to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts, immersed in the work of modern and contemporary artists. An explorer at heart, he eschewed static, formal training and embarked on a journey that would both be a reflection of, and become his work.
In 2017 he began to conceptualise and plan his current project of working with and trasnforming individual iconic pieces. In seeking to address the juxtaposition of culture, customs and technology co-existing in a single anachronistic moment, Jonathan creates unique and unexpected works of art.
The Collection
Photo Source: Instagrammer News
Jay Ahr takes the three most iconic bags of this heritage brand – the Birkin, Kelly and Constance – as a perfect canvas to narrate cultural and social moments in time, both historical and contemporary, their classic design holding firm below the mastery of embroidered layers of storytelling.
The creative process begins with the sourcing of the bag itself. These bags dating back as early as 1954 are notable treasures found in the private collections of prestigious collectors.
“We are curious by nature and like to draw on as many cultural references as possible,” explained founder and artist Jonathan Riss, “but we also like to challenge the linearity of time by blending contemporary, historical and timeless elements into our designs to reflect the eclectic nature of modern popular culture.”
Photo Source: Bigsta.net
There is no distinction between abstraction and figurative, between the specificity of an algorithm and the spontaneity of freehand drawing. This artistic chaos all plays out on a discreet canvas that can be carried with you, a narrative that continues to evolve with each individual story.
Jay Ahr marries beautifully crafted collectors items with sustainable business practices to breathe new life into vintage pieces. Each piece with its own original and completely unique story, literally woven into its surface, is no longer a bag, but a personal work of art.