As we continue to reevaluate what is important, what is impermanent, and what should remain pillars of truth in our lives and within our small company, we have been thinking a lot about the fashion industry’s unhealthy habit of fueling obsolescence. The focus on cultism as well as the constant pressure to generate newness overnight has become increasingly unsustainable, and so it has been refreshing to remind ourselves of Building Block's original ethos, which is to champion process and to design for longevity. 

With Age Edition #1 is an exercise in that philosophy, while exploring the ideas of time, light, and wear as transformation. In its first iteration, we introduce a sun-printed flower pattern on natural vegetable tanned leather that fades when exposed to sunlight and everyday wear. Eventually the contrasting pattern on the surface of each bag will intentionally blend away, letting time determine when the pattern is discontinued. Each piece is unique, aged under the California sunlight for over 3 months, and a reminder that renewal can come with age.

Both pieces will be available for purchase via a benefit auction on Instagram on July 22, 2020 at 12 pm PST. In the spirit of change for the better, 100% of proceeds of Edition #1 sales will go to Equal Justice Initiative. The Equal Justice Initiative is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society.