inSHALLom

Gabriel Asfour, Adi Gil, and Angela Donhauser are threeASFOUR

On the morning of Thursday, September 15th the sky consulted with both
sun and rain clouds. Humidity caused silk to adhere to salty skin
and bones during the final morning hour. The threeASFOUR collection
was revealed within the house of venerable Saint Patrick on Mott street. Prior to the show, guests congregated round the gymnasium entrance and embraced each other; it was a tender and intentional community gathering.

Inside, benches were aligned in four rows to compliment octagonal shapes taped on the wooden floor planks. As the first model strode out of a small door in the corner she took an immediate right, marched toward a few flashing cameras, took a sharp left and continued to traverse guests
with a geometric path. For mere seconds, the sun shot through high windows
and cast magnificent shadows upon the enlightened audience.  

The significant iconography of the Evil Eye, and the Ahimsa adorned multiple garments. For thousands of years talisman fought against the evil eye by adorning themselves with Nazar Boncugu, or Turkish bead amulets.
The beads have been smiling for thousands of years and are eager to meet with the eyes of the new world. The Ahimsa symbolizes the primary doctrine of the Jain religion: nonviolence and avoidance of harm to any living creature. A salt and pepper keffiah dress could be reinterpreted as a Palestinian hijab scarf. Mosaics covered the legs and arms, and every
inch of the body was utilized as a conceptual canvas. threeASFOUR designs are fine art, born out of passion and freedom of expression.  
Their goal is not to produce garments for mass production
or mass consumption. Their goal is to create art for art’s sake.

Front-row observer and longtime fan Yoko Ono noted,
"There's not one fashion designer like them. Art comes first.”

"We wanted to do it for a long time," designer Adi Gil said.
"It's about connecting people; it's not just about clothes."
Rarely does fashion speak directly to issues concerning imminent, cultural and political current events. However, threeASFOUR is planning a show
in Tel Aviv, and is in the process of creating a film that will eventually be screened in the West Bank. Shalom.

- Elizabeth Katharine James