J. Elsterโs pop-up space in Tribeca is billed as a โgallery and store,โ but thatโs underselling it a bit; the entire space feels like an art installation.
Tables of leather goods, artwork on the walls, a t-shirt rack here, a rack of couture leather wear there, and an (epic) photo of David Bowie fill the dimly lit space; it seems like thereโs something interesting in ever corner. Jennifer Elster is an artist, filmmaker, designer and photographer and sheโs fully representing in every nook and cranny of the room. Thereโs a piece in the window that she said she loved because of itโs โraw, savage nature,โ and that really sums up her design aesthetic.
The collection consists of accessories, mostly pouches of varying sizes. All hand-made in NYC, theyโre at once finished and quite beautiful, but also rough around the edges; this isnโt the commercial finish youโd find on leather goods at a department store. There are masks and a couture collection of raggedly cut pieces, but the pouch collection, especially the monochromatic set, is the most wearable. The rest of the space is devoted to her artwork and a t-shirt collection inspired by a project sheโs working on with Yoko Ono. Another aside, sheโs also a filmmaker, and her Channel Elster has clips from her work that are haunting but also bracing. Her โIs Death Finiteโ clip hits like a freight train of raw energy, that same rawness that is represented throughout the store and gallery space.
The J. Elster pop-up space is located at 75 Leonard Street, Tribeca/NYC.
Words and photos by Jason T. Jaskot
