America’s in Their Rags, and Bones

PHOTO BY MARK BORTHWICK

Tuesday evening, friends and family of Rag & Bone gathered at their flagship Soho shop to bask in the aura of photographer Mark Borthwick’s light-strewn homage to Americana, created to coincide with their Spring ’10 collection. As is his wont, the elvin Borthwick took to the heartland’s fields and valleys with a troupe of models (Jessica Stam among them) and a modified vintage Leica. The resulting set of images projects a youthful utopia where even the most rugged adventure won’t mess up your starched button-up. Borthwick’s subjects are all clad in the elegant, understated clothing that has propelled Marcus Wainwright and David Neville’s Rag & Bone to CFDA recipients in only a few short years, and he reflects the raw look of the garments in the way he made the images. By overexposing his negatives and allowing light to leak into the camera (tricks usually reserved for a Holga, a plastic camera renowned for its quirky imperfections), Borthwick’s guerilla-style images capture not only the clothing but also the raw spirit of the collection. As Neville put it, “We’re simply not the kind of brand that needs to have these big studio advertisements all the time. For this collaboration, we thought it was important to tell a story that really gave a sense of what the brand is about, and not just showcase the clothes.” Though the exhibit will be running for a few months, the limited edition postcard sets are likely to go quickly, so if you’d like a slice of Borthwick’s Rag & Bone paradise, you’d better act fast!

RAG AND BONE IS LOCATED AT 119 MERCER STREET, NEW YORK
ABOVE: MARCUS WAINWRIGHT, GUCCI WESTMAN, DAVID NEVILLE. PHOTO BY JENNIE MCCORMICK