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Silphium
New York, USA
Silphium is the work of Onea Engel-Bradley, an artist and designer based in Brooklyn. It started small, almost by accident. After years inside the industry, including a stint at The Webster and a role as private label women's designer at Totokaelo, which closed early in the pandemic, she kept making shirts and shorts for friends and friends of friends. That hands-on, friends-first energy is still all over the label.
The whole idea behind Silphium is making something new out of what already exists. Onea works largely with materials already present in the world, turning things like an antique linen tablecloth into one-off trousers patterned after carpenter pants. Every piece tends to be a little different, with sculptural silhouettes, carefully sourced fabrics, and precise tailoring with a modern edge. Sustainability and ethical production aren't a marketing line here, they're just how the work gets made.
She's even said she's a bit averse to the idea of being a brand, wanting her work to keep changing rather than being tied to one category. So this is closer to an evolving body of work than a seasonal collection. This is a real piece of New York's independent design world, exactly the kind of thing we love giving a home to.
Denim Jacket Black
