November 1, 2018 |
Despite popular belief enforced by the media you consume on the daily (that’s us included), there’s only a few things in life you actually can’t live without. Food, oxygen, water and shelter you already know about. But us? A white shirt comes in close fifth on the list. And if you’re anything like us, Absence of Paper is the brand you need to know about.
When he launched the it earlier in the year, Roy Luwolt (of Malone Souliers fame) had one thing on his mind – to “fulfil what just men had long had and take a rather bold step further: shirts only, white shirts only, luxury white shirts only, and all so for women only, in all personalities one may muster.” Absence of Paper was born as a single-item brand, with only a few different silhouettes of crisp white shirts available. The first one ever was called Patient Zero, a plain but oversized shape cut in lightweight Italian cotton. In its simplicity, the sense of luxury clearly comes to life.
Since that semi-modest beginning, the concept evolved into creating two new styles of a white shirt each month, not only giving depth to the brand but also widening the target audience. Now at 19 and counting, the shapes available from the brand’s website range include everything from ruffles, tiers and cold-shoulders, reinterpreting a simple idea into a lifestyle. “It abstains from assumption, merely permitting, as doted by its name, a blank canvas for any and all women, whereby demographic, geography, lifestyle, personality, whatnots alike, you do find something for yourself if you indeed seek a luxury white shirt,” Luwolt says. Now more so than ever before, the idea of a product-driven approach makes total sense. Instead of seasons, the focus is on producing the best piece possible, tailored to the audience it’s speaking to.
The muse behind Luwolt’s idea is the captivating model Aweng who also took on the role of a Director of the brand. If you haven’t yet, following her Insta profile is a great antidote to the weather-changing depression we’re currently experiencing. But her sense of humour and piercing beauty aside, why Absence of Paper? “As a model one never gets to wear an item where they have enough time in the world to understand the uniqueness and the concept behind it, but being a muse/ model for Absence of Paper I have that, the time to understand what really goes on behind the scenes,” Aweng says.
As the landscape of niche brands denses, seeing a unique idea becomes an absolute rarity. And so seeing this positive reinforcement of womanity, a clear power-giving approach to dressing is what truly elates us as onlookers. But as white shirt fanatics? We simply gotta catch’em all.
