The phrase “If you feel good, the mushrooms will feel good too” conveys a dual meaning. On one hand, it captures the intuition chefs and farmers rely on in their work – to “feel” what is needed for flavourful food or in balancing the elements of the natural world. These elements include soil, plants, animals and, of course, fungi – the “digestive enzymes” of the environment, decomposing organic and synthetic materials to spin out our carbon cycle.
On the other hand, the phase implies how one might feel under the influence of magic mushrooms, where users frequently report profound spiritual and creative insights. In 1964, psychedelic researcher Timothy Leary introduced the concept of “set and setting”, suggesting that preparing one’s physical and mental environment ensures one reaps the full benefits of a psychedelic experience.
Alongside the capsule collection, Edsa is launching its publicity campaign depicting chefs, artists and writers in sweatshirts captioned with their responses to the question, “What makes you feel good about what you do?” recording an ethnographic account of individuals’ creative processes, their “Path of Delicious Creativity”. Thus, this debut collection conveys Edsa’s central purpose: to explore the junctions where food and creativity meet; to embark on the journey we all take to get from one place – or one idea – to another.