While he was obsessively digging in the sand looking for clay so that he could sculpt, Asher's mom put him into sewing class at ten-years-old. I think there should be awards for moms who have vision and nurture creativity when they see it. Ever since his first days of "sewing vests and shorts while the others were making pillows," Asher has been consumed with creating silhouettes. What makes Asher so open to the world and unique are the objects that influence his designs - they read like the Discovery Channel-meets-Sci-Fi movies. Whether a sleeve, boot, neck, or pant, there is often a creature in mind, whether a fin, protozoa, or single-celled organism. The pieces shock you, in just the way he likes it, with their unconventional, yet accessible exaggerations and unusual configurations. For example, his winged-with-a-prehistoric-edged constructions, like the leather bomber, convertible jeans, and boots made of ostrich and alligator. His designs are forward and conceptual in their thinking, yet still accessible (much like himself). Asher can become as easily infatuated with a worm on the sidewalk and its ability to regrow heads when it is cut in half as he is with a guy in the checkout line at Trader Joe's, whom he connects with for his stylish 1970s hat. He possesses both the talent and humility of someone beyond his years, and his intense and positive energy is infectious. The world is Asher's garment laboratory. When asked about his favorite place to travel, his answer was The Maldives - "the amount of life is spectacular, and there is freedom knowing you are but a speck of sand in the entire Indian Ocean."