Today we launch our collaboration with Tragic Objects - a collection of beautiful vintage art books, each impressive volume thoughtfully sourced by Tragic's founder, Ashley Krantz. Ash is a friend we connected with where else but Instagram. A former model and forever vintage doyenne, she is a true collector with a deep respect for the history and future of the objects she holds, for moments or years, before stewarding them on to their next adventure. A Great Lakes Region native - she's resettled in her home town of Chagrin Falls, Ohio - her collection is brimming with stunning mid-century modern design specific to the area and rock tees from the local metal scene, her reverence and pride for her home easily seen throughout. To celebrate our launch, Ash spoke to us about what her days look like, how her personal style extends to her business, and her ethos on collecting.

We were super excited to facilitate another collaboration as well - Ash shot the editorial for the collection locally with Volume II contributor, photographer Kelley Shaffer, at the home of LES Collection artist Kristin Yezza. We never knew we loved Ohio so much. Read on to learn more about Ash and Tragic Objects and see the beautiful shoot she and Kelley put together, then shop the collaboration available now.

"My style has always been androgynous - free-flowing, casual, and slightly disheveled. I feel like my most authentic self is when I'm most comfortable - in a pair of ripped Levi's, a paper-thin vintage t-shirt, no makeup, and barefoot. My style is inextricably linked to growing up in the midwest, where I still reside - Chagrin Falls, Ohio. 

My typical day is throwing on a pair of hiking boots and heading straight to Cuyahoga National Valley Park with my dogs. I spend almost every single waking moment on the hunt, getting my hands dirty, out sourcing items on my own. Avoiding the traditional route of relying solely on thrift stores or antique shops, makes the hunt a challenge, thus more rewarding. 

Working and traveling in the fashion industry when I was modeling at a young age allowed the opportunity to work in high-end fashion where creative worlds collide - fashion, music, film, literature. Therefore, I pursued a degree in English - I always felt I understood fiction better than real life. Simultaneously, my bespoke library began.

My personal style extends to my business. To put it simply, I do not thrive in uniformity and predictability. I believe all great changes are preceded by chaos. The items I share may seem arbitrary and incidental because they are - as intended. I share as I source, whether it be vintage clothing, ceramics, furniture, art, books - which is always pandemonium. I've never been the type to 'curate'. I believe objects should speak for themselves and be stand-alone. Interpretation gives voice to an object. I want the found object to seem divorced from the context of its creation or use. I guess this would mimic animism, a surrealist view on how I source objects - probable and poetic. Objects hold their own inscrutability.

In the near future, I want to refocus on selling vintage clothing that I have been acquiring since middle school. My collection consists of t-shirts I have acquired from local Cleveland musicians whom embody the grit and nature of the Great Lakes Region as well as the metal scene. I have been fortunate enough to become the recipient, serving as a time capsule, a historic cache, of their possessions: stories, demos, film to accompany the shirts. I identify as a collector who is here to preserve a subculture and underground scene in the Midwest. This isn’t a fleeting fad, this isn’t ephemeral, it’s indelible."

photography throughout by Kelley Shaffer

SHOP LES COLLECTION X TRAGIC OBJECTS >