Lauren Santo Domingo, Isabella Rossellini, and Elettra Wiedemann Celebrate Made for Moda: Aisling Camps at Mama Farm
Few fashion designers can geographically pinpoint where their materials come from. Aisling Camps is now one of them. The Trinidad-born knitwear designer who calls Brooklyn home is setting a new standard for the future of sustainable fashion with the support of Moda Operandi and Mama Farm, founded by Isabella Rossellini and Elettra Wiedemann.
What started as a deep-rooted desire to discover the fashion design process from raw material to ready-to-wear for Rossellini quickly became a two-year project and exclusive capsule collection titled Made for Moda: Aisling Camps at Mama Farm. The collection includes four limited-edition pieces, which were all hand-loomed with wool sourced from Mama Farm’s flock of sheep.
To toast the launch of the collection, Moda Operandi’s Lauren Santo Domingo gathered friends and fashion folk for an intimate dinner under the stars. Guests were greeted with summer elixirs like a watermelon basil aperitif, strawberry hibiscus agua fresca, and glasses of French Bloom before Wiedeman swept away attendees on a tour of the charming bed and breakfast operating on the property.
Of course, the next stop was the sheep’s pasture, where guests could meet the wool-making masters behind the collection. All of the sheep were hand-selected for their organic curls and named after legendary female artists. “I’m wearing O’Keeffe,” Rossellini excitedly exclaimed, referring to her vest made from the Lincoln Longwool sheep named after the late American painter Georgia O’Keeffe.
Soon the sun set off in the distance and the twinkling string lights beckoned guests to find their seats for dinner. A gorgeous long wooden table dressed in bouquets of wildflowers set the scene for a delicious, family-style meal. First to arrive was beet hummus topped with pistachios and paired with a crudité of fresh vegetables picked from the farm. For the main course, guests enjoyed grilled zucchini with ricotta cheese and creamy pesto pasta. Before dessert was served, Moda Operandi’s April Hennig rose to say a few words.
“Not only is Aisling a master of knitwear who hand-knits her pieces with incredible craftsmanship and unique techniques,” Hennig began. “But she also has her own commitment to sustainability. The magic she’s created for this love-filled project with Mama Farm has been humbling to watch, and I’m so proud Moda Operandi could be a part of the journey.”
Dressed in a two-piece set from her own collection, Camp reflected on the process. “This collection is super personal. It’s special because we were working with the fiber from its very inception, getting to know the sheep whose wool made the garments, and learning about the importance of sharing and the different heritage breed,” Camp explained. “We also wanted to maintain the textures and not lose those qualities in overly processed or refined versions, which you typically get with yarn. Why mess with something that’s already perfect?”
And that’s exactly how the evening felt, purposely perfect. A night dedicated to the Brookhaven farm turned fashion design lab with the community (and sheep!) that built a couture-level knitwear collection worn by the guests in attendance. On that note, a friend of Mama Farm and founder of Hildegaard Botanicals, Lia Chavez, presented everyone with a facial oil as a takehome. The medicinal formula was made from plants on the farm, another byproduct of Mama Farm’s magic.
“Elettra came to Moda because she knew we’d appreciate Mama Farm’s admirable mission with regards to local production and the preservation of biodiversity—and best understand how to tell that story to a luxury consumer,” Santo Domingo smiled. “You’ve heard about farm to table—farm to fashion is what’s next.”