Increasingly, we’re seeking out clothing that carries meaning. Yes, it’s well made. Yes, it’ll ride the wave of passing trends. That’s great, but most importantly: what story does it tell? Emily Adams Bode Aujla’s BODE is the brand leading the way. The brand’s collections are based on the conservation of textiles, technique, and memory, presented through quilting, patchwork, appliqué and mending, as well as materials that hold their own histories — like vintage quilts, bedsheets, lace tablecloths, grain sacks, and curtains.
Each season is grounded in a specific, personal story, unfolding aspects of American culture and identity through an individual narrative. The stories are both intimate and fascinating: "Bode Wagon Co.”, inspired by Emily's maternal ancestral ties to a bygone wagon workshop in Cincinnati; "Moose Charlap, a multi-chapter narrative dedicated to the life of Morris “Moose” Charlap, a mid-century Broadway composer; and “The Crane Estate", a study of formalwear through the eyes of Bode Aujla’s mother, who assisted a 90-year-old matriarch in the ‘70s who stuck unwaveringly to the formalities of the Gilded Age.
In BODE's hands, clothing becomes a vessel for preserving these forgotten histories. Every collection acts as a chapter, every garment an artefact, inviting the wearer into a story that began long before it reached the rack. Fashion moves fast, but BODE remembers.
