VW x Root Chakra x Paintings
I would say it's the collab of the century but to be honest I don't follow collabs all that much. What we have here is a grand trifecta, a collection of upcycled red and reddish hued clothes hand-painted as inspired by Rothko and Matisse in the hopes of bringing peace and harmony to the world through art, music and the fun, healing concept of chakras.
Chakras have intrigued me for years. Then during lockdown while becoming certified to teach yoga I learned about the concept of chakras being tiny brains for different systems in our bodies. I love that idea. And I love thinking in terms of color and frequency; that's something else appealing to me about chakras.
It is said that wearing red and red tones can be a way to enhance one's root chakra: thus the red and reddish tones here. Your root chakra aids in your sense of belonging, your sense of focus and presence, your drive to live, and your ability to take care of yourself. When your root chakra is balanced you feel energetic and ready for the world. So you can let this shirt or tie be your new lucky one when it comes to feeling grounded, stable, safe and secure.
If you need a reminder, a little 396 Hz, the frequency of the root chakra, which can be very healing to listen to, is placed someplace on each garment. Speaking of sound, for the Vampire Weekend fan, there's also a lyrical nod; lines from Cousins, Blake, Obvious Bicycle, Walcott, Rich Man, How Long?, Houston, Dubai, or Jonathan Low are painted into these designs. So if one of these is your favorite song, the corresponding fresh dig just might be meant for you. That said, in true Vampire fashion, these lyrics transcend to give everyone and anyone some sage, rooted words tucked amongst a unique sartorial surprise.
When I first conceived of this concept of sorting Vampire Weekend's songs according to chakras and doing a some series of corresponding merch, it was hard for me to conceptualize beyond that new age aesthetic of the lotus-positioned human, jewel-hued balls of light running up and down their body. But then it struck me: color. And beyond that, the most famous of color: paintings. If I was going to be painting clothes why not get wholeheartedly meta with it and paint red-colored clothes with red paintings?
Thus here we have the reddest paintings of two of my colorful favorites -- Rothko and Matisse -- painted on red and reddish hued clothing, honoring some of the rootiest words of my favorite band. I hope the end result brings a sense of energy, blance, safety, presence, security, and groundedness to whoever wears them. Peace + love ❤️
