Around Iceland in a three-piece suit

Imagine trecking around Iceland in June in a three-piece suit. You will probably encounter snow, wind, rain, and some more wind and without the protection of modern fabrics you'll probably get rather cold and wet. London-based conceptual artist  Joshua-Michéle Ross is, however, braving the elements in a dapper suit designed for travel in a project called The Suitable World.

As Icelandic men often did in an age gone by, Ross will wear a single three-piece suit worn continuously over a 21-day journey across Iceland through extremes of climate, geography and social conditions.   The project documents the design and travels of the man and suit, and is comprised of Ross, visual artist Yvette Molina and photographer Elena Dorfman who works regularly for The New York Times , Vogue and The New Yorker.

Iceland perfect for the project

"The Suitable World is about seeking economy, beauty and utility in the things we carry with us, the role of clothing in how we define our place in society and an exploration of what it means to try and preserve the things we love in a world built around mass production and disposability," explains Ross, who is on his first ever visit to Iceland. He explains that Iceland was  perfect in terms of the visual tension that comes with putting a three-piece outfit into a raw natural environment.

"On a practical level Iceland allows for a wide array of  activities to test the suit - from horse riding , which is very hard on a suit I can now tell you, to hiking, cycling, kayaking and so on," says Ross. "It also allows us to move from very rural to more cosmopolitan settings.  All of these extremes are what fuel the story. " He adds that he's long wanted to come to Iceland and that The Suitable World was a good excuse.

Men used to wear suits all the time

When asked how unsuitable a suit will actually be for the unpredictable weather in Iceland Ross explains that's part of the test. "I should say that I am allowed outerwear; one hat, one pair of gloves and a waxed canvas shell.  These must suffice to deal with with high wind and rain.  But that too may not be “suitable” or enough to keep back the Icelandic weather. When we first began the project we looked at using ultra-modern materials for the suit construction.  However we quickly found that natural fabrics like wool are well designed to handle variables of heat, cold and moisture.  They also have a natural resilience and recover well from damage."

He adds that today we tend to forget that men used to wear suits for nearly every type of physical activity. " In these ways I think the suit is eminently suitable.  It just looks wildly out of place.  All of that said, getting cold, wet and dirty are some of the unknowns we are prepared to face. "

Collecting people's stories

An extended team of people, including Icelanders, are helping to advise with the project. "We are moving counter-clockwise across the country undertaking a diverse set of activities along the way; horse-riding, glacier walks, hiking, cycling, kayaking and so on," Ross explains and addst that he hope people will say hi if they come across us."

Another big part of the project is to use the suit as a doorway into conversations with people.   "I want to know about the suit that your grandfather used to wear.  What did it mean to him? How did he care for it?  Very often we hear stories that these suits meant a great deal.  They were precious items that signified a sense of self-respect and respect for others.   We want to collect these stories as one of the major themes of the project and would love to hear from anyone interested in speaking with us. "

The Suitable World project takes place from May 29th to June 21st and you can reach the team at i nfo@thesuitableworld.com

Iceland Monitor will be following the progress of The Suitable World as they continue their journey around the country.