Designer Jason Salstein’s lineup is a superluxe capsule collection of croc and python clutches affixed with, yes, hand-carved crucifixes, but don’t let your jaded fashion self be fooled by the surprisingly austere pieces’ roots: Salstein is an unabashed Miami and New York-bred Jew. Formerly of Hunting Season and VBH, Salstein “wanted to do something that was set apart [and] I find religion magnetic and beautiful.” Plus, he points out, his born-again grandfather once christened him in the family pool.
The line consists of four sleek clutches. He sources his skins in Italy and produces out of a New York atelier, and the pieces will sell for up to about $8,000. “People might think it’s blasphemous, but I love religion, and I don’t mean it to be exploitative in any way,” he said. The bags will be sold at the Webster in Miami, and Salstein is pursuing retailers in Russia, Japan, and Paris. Next season he plans to include lamb and mink in the collection, and bags “tattooed with imagery of the Last Supper, as well as angels and cherubs,” Salstein said. “It’s not for everybody,” he added, and then, letting slip a bit of his own cultural heritage, “and that’s my spiel.”