amalgamated

Iconography: Christopher Isherwood

2010-12-07T14:04:00.000-08:00

Put In My Place

2010-12-06T08:41:00.000-08:00

Want/Need: Nautical + Wildlife + Etsy

2010-12-05T23:46:00.001-08:00

Custom Painting on a Nautical Map via Etsy.

Martha Stewart's Cooking School

2010-11-18T07:11:00.000-08:00

Want/Need: The Hill-Side Blanket Lining Tie

2010-11-17T06:45:00.001-08:00

The Hill-Side has whipped up this little treasure which would go perfectly with a blue collar. Har har. I'm a huge fan of textured ties as proven by the rare wearing of my repp and silk collections. My shirts usually have texture too and it's often jarring to pair denim, chambray or wool with silk. So I stick with knits and woolens and this would be a very welcome addition indeed. Very high on the list this morning.

2010-11-16T10:27:00.000-08:00

Anchor Bottle Opener, Maison Midi at American Rag Cie.
Tramp Art Frame, The Estate of Sheilah Warner.
Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid promo, Melrose Trading Post.
"Hot Stuff" Trivet, Gift from the Commodore.
Corona Familiar bottle, the side of the road.

The Grey Flannel Suit

2010-11-16T08:12:00.001-08:00

I'm highly anticipating the arrival of my new (cheap) grey flannel suit. I would not deign to pay such a meagre price for a suit if it wasn't L.L. Bean Signature. I have a major brand bias when it comes to shopping. If this was an H&M suit, Express, anything like that I would walk right by. But if Alex Carleton's beardy little mitts had anything to do with it I can make an exception and by a cheap suit. Plus, I did spot it on Valet and they seem to have reviewed it pretty favorably and their prices certainly vary so I know they're not simply promoting the lowest common denominator. Below is a screen cap from Valet.

Two button, peak lapel, working button on the sleeve and a size 36. Will let you know how it all shakes out...

The Pants I Want to Be Buried/Cremeted/Fed to the Sharks In

2010-11-15T08:12:00.001-08:00

I hopped online to find a picture of my new favorite pants, the red Stanton chino from J. Crew, and came across this from ATreasuryOf. The reason this caught me eye was because my Stantons are currently hanging on the back of my bathroom door. My lady hung them there the other day.

After I bought my first pair (on sale), I immediately called J. Crew and had them track down a second pair for me. I asked for 3 but you can't win 'em all.

Rock in Perpetuity, Mom.

2010-11-03T01:26:00.000-07:00

It's been 4 months to the day since my mom died. Over the summer resolved to start posting daily on here and so this will be my first post. Although they will certainly not be as personal as this one. My mom was a character, someone who had lived a lot of lives before I ever came around. I didn't know enough about it all. Artie Wayne, her second husband (my father was her third), posted this very kind tribute on his blog. It's strange and kind of great to read the comments from old friends of theirs, it's odd but revealing. Thanks, Artie.

(L to R – Sheilah Kent, Artie Wayne, and Allan Rinde in 1972)

It’s always hard for me to write about a friend who’s passed away, but especially hard to write about someone I have so much history with like Sheilah Kent. In 1965, that beautiful California Girl married this aspiring songwriter/artist from the Bronx during a time when inter-racial marriages were against the law in most states.

We had known each other for only two months, and spent the next three years growing up together, which inspired me to write dozens of songs…including 3000 MILES By Brian Hyland

3000 MILES

Was I wrong to think that you…could live like I’m accustomed to?

Your Daddy’s rich…you could’ve married a…millionaire or dignitary

But you chose me…Are you happy? Or sometimes is your mind

3000 MILES AWAY…3000 MILES AWAY

To a life that could’ve been…a wife you could’ve been,

I can just give you love…but is that good enough?

When there’s a tear in your eye…it makes me almost wanna’ die

I think of what you threw away to live…hand to mouth from day to day

And I wonder do…you think of it too? Sometimes is your mind

3000 MILES AWAY…3000 MILES AWAY

To a life that could’ve been…a wife you could’ve been,

I can just give you love…but is that good enough?

So I must love you a little bit more, kiss you a little bit more

And hope you’re satisfied…so you won’t wander…

3000 MILES AWAY…3000 MILES AWAY

To a life that could’ve been…a wife you could’ve been,

I can just give you love…but is that good enough?

At Mercury records, Sheilah worked as a secretary for producers, Luchi DeJesus (Miriam Makeba), Dennis Lambert (Freddie and the Dreamers), Artie Kornfeld (The Cowsills), and Jerry Ross (Bobby Hebb, Keith, Jay and the Techniques) while we socialized with them and their wives, I also wrote songs with her bosses.

When we divorced in 1968, I moved to California, while she stayed in New York and ran Jerry Ross’ office at Heritage records, and later worked with Artie Kornfeld again when he and Michael Lang put on Woodstock. When I ran A&M’s publishing in 1974, I hired Sheilah as my personal assistant. By this time, she not only had highly developed managerial and organizational skills, but also had a rapport with creative and business people that was second to none.

Sheilah, who once had been the inspiration for some of my deepest songs, had become one of my closest friends. We always had each others backs, as well as each others shoulder to cry on. In the late ‘70s, I was ecstatic when she married actor David Warner (“Time After Time”, “Titanic”). Although their marriage didn’t work out they produced a son, Luke, who I met as a small child.

...

My deepest sympathy goes out to all of her family and friends, who will surely miss her.

Sheilah Kent R.I.P. Rock In Perpetuity

Respectfully with much love, Artie

This last photo was taken by Johnny Pigozzi.

Dark Side of the Lens

2010-10-01T14:11:00.000-07:00

DARK SIDE OF THE LENS from Astray Films on Vimeo.

James Dean R.I.P.

2010-09-30T10:27:00.000-07:00

After Ralph Lauren

2010-09-29T18:48:00.000-07:00

by the Sartorialist

Yeah, I Got No Flip Flops

2010-09-29T16:10:00.000-07:00

I picked up a pair of these Sperry's the other day. Well after Labor Day. And I'm struggling to find a time to wear them. My exgirlfriend is a nurse and she never wore white shoes...but it's all I can see when I put them on.

Viva Vena

2010-09-29T10:07:00.000-07:00

The lovely ladies of Vena Cava are launching a new tshirt line called Viva Vena. Regardless of your personal aesthetic, this is a very classy, great-looking video. These folks always seem to get it just right.

Viva Vena! from LT and Co. on Vimeo.

Paradise + Lunch at the Echo Country Outpost

2010-09-22T17:14:00.000-07:00

Evening at B's in Echo Park

2010-09-22T16:34:00.000-07:00

I'm going to keep my buddy anonymous for now but he let me take some photos at his studio in Echo Park when I was passing by there over the weekend. I love his aesthetic and am always inspired by his art. These photos don't get it quite right but hopefully they set the scene.

Apolis Activism: A Worthy Obsession

2010-08-27T07:17:00.000-07:00

I've been admittedly obsessed with Apolis Activism for quite a while now. It's only been recently though that I begin my AA collection in earnest. I also wrote them a fan letter after my second purchase...here is an excerpt.

"It's hard not to describe the feeling of owning these items as somewhat akin to superiority but breaking it down a little further I realize that it's actually simple, genuine joy. At this time in our collective history it seems that that kind of joy now feels like a smug sense of self-love, instead of the joy of money well spent."

As a committed aesthete and activist, Apolis Activism is a company that could not be more suited to my tastes. They design classically and source American products and when they go abroad they do so to support local communities and crafts and trades and help build sustainable economies. Everything is done very deliberately, with philanthropy in mind, everything is transparent and they take the time to actively promote the nonprofits with whom they choose to partner. For my entire adult life I've hardly bought anything new, and I would have laughed at anyone who spent over $100 for swimming trunks. But there is something honest about knowing that the item was designed and made within 100 miles of my house and supports small businesses and a company like Apolis with the motto "Defend Tomorrow." Check out the short video with Invisible Children co-founder Jason Russell below.

Apolis Conversations: Jason Russell from Apolis on Vimeo.

Maybe I've been swept up in the marketing of it all but I think these guys are for real. And I'm heading to their sample sale with the full intent to spend some cash. Because it will be worth it. And it will be joyful. I hope they ask me out for a second date...

Field Jacket, Navy, Size Small.
Chambray Swim Trunk, Navy, Size 30

The Road Trip Essentials

2010-08-26T00:27:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a 10 day road trip from Long Beach up to Lyons, Colorado with my good friend, Joe. I got home and unpacked on the floor and gathered together my road trip essentials.

1. Herbal teas. Green, chai, roobois and Yogi...for the inspirational quotes. It's a lot easier to make drinkable tea on the road than drinkable coffee.

2. Mala. Prayer beads. Just in case.

3. Bruton Compass. And its manual.

4. Spoon and fork duo.

5. Kiehl's Facial Fuel moisturizer, SPF 15.

6. Red bandanna.

7. Bottle coozie. I picked up this green yachting number at a gas station in Coon Rapids, MN where I used to live. It's great for hiding the near beer at a BBQ.

8. Busted Kiwi laces. Handy for tying up water bottles and pretty much anything else.

9. My mom's Native print pill box. For mints.

10. Leather-bound book of national park maps.

11. Mighty Wallet. Airmail edition.

12. Two Sharpies.

13. Blackberry Curve.

14. Nail clippers.

15. Larabars.

16. Folding knife by Opinel.

17. Zippo lighter. Colt logo. Natch.

And I forgot to include my Leatherman Wave which totally saved us a few times.

Susan Sontag

2010-05-05T09:35:00.000-07:00

If you get a chance, the first volume of her college and grad school journals were published a few years ago by her son, David Rieff. It's a brilliant collection of a young writer's thoughts on just about everything. Lists of her childhood memories and her early recognition of her lesbianism are richly revealing. I love this woman.

New Phone = New Camera Settings

2010-05-01T21:20:00.000-07:00

A Dog Walk in Wilshire Vista

2010-04-25T21:11:00.000-07:00

Amalgamation: LA + LA = LA

2010-04-04T11:50:00.000-07:00

Two years ago I was told that I was conceived at the Chateau Marmont. (It was via a souvenir t-shirt for my birthday and a card that read: “Something very special happened here…” Gross, thanks, Mom.) Although I was born in London and spent my first six years there, we moved to LA for pilot season in 1987 so my formative years were spent in between prep schools and back lots and pool parties. I have lived in various places since I left LA at the tender, troubled age of 15, including a TB hospital-cum-boarding school in the British woods, a lakeside cabin on an Indian reservation and the most whitebread, homogenized suburb of Minneapolis called Coon Rapids (freals). But Los Angeles, a place so many people loathe, has always been home to me.

Recently, I was standing on the porch of a friend’s house in Coldwater Canyon, surrounded by the trees and pinecones and as I look up I say, aloud, “I love LA.” The guest I’m speaking with says to me, “well, this isn’t L.A.” And this is what fascinates me. We were standing within a mile of the actual, physical center of Los Angeles and someone is telling me that this isn’t really L.A. I’d been thinking about this more and more because I hear this comment more often than not no matter where I am in the county. Topanga, Echo Park, Downtown, Runyon Canyon, Culver City, Melrose. Well, maybe not Melrose.

Tell anyone who hasn’t been to LA that you live here and they might ask you about the surfing. Or how often you see celebrities. Or if you’ve ever witnessed a drive-by shooting. Plastic surgery. “Isn’t it totally fake out there?” or “Wow, the people are so laid back, huh?” How do these two impressions of a city co-exist if they aren’t both true? Well, they are true and they do exist. And that’s why I love it here, because I can be surrounded by a completely fantastic red carpet world one evening and spend the next morning hiking 20 minutes away.

It might be people who weren’t raised here who tend to deride the parts of LA that are generous and kind and beautiful in hopes of living out some perpetual fantasy of a mythical movie story LA that they came out here to report home about. But I think of Los Angeles perhaps as a chain of islands, surrounded by a desert sea and asphalt waterways. The variety of lives, cultures, influences, colors, shapes, weather, all come together to create what I know as ‘Los Angeles.’ There is no single defining characteristic. And that’s why it’s my home. Whatever that means.

Parting Shot

2010-03-21T11:51:00.001-07:00

Me. By Sylvia Sukop.

Canyon Gathering

2010-03-19T15:19:00.000-07:00

My friend Bonnie (Hi Bonnie!) is having a birthday gathering this weekend at her place in Coldwater Canyon. Above is the image that came with the e-vite and I thought it was a pretty great looking piece of clipart.

Kid Francois Love

2010-03-19T14:37:00.000-07:00

I lived in Bristol, England for many years and got to hang out with some pretty special and inspiring people. I try to stay in touch, but you know how it is. I just came across this video by Francois Marry, an artist and musician who showed up one day with this totally unaffected French accent and a Caesar haircut and just blew everyone away with his humility and gentle manner. The video below is so beautiful. If you're looking for an artist for fashion or album work...find him.

Growin' Up: The Sloane Club, London

2010-03-13T20:24:00.001-08:00

This is the first in a series I'm going to call "Growin' Up". I was lucky enough to have been raised traveling and everything that I am has been informed by these experiences. And my aesthetics have definitely been shaped by my youth and the wide world I got to see.

First up is The Sloane Club, which is like a home away from home for me and has been since I my first memory of it. Which was of me, dropping my stuffed monkey, Morgan, in the wet street as we hustled out of a black cab from Heathrow. When we were staying with family friends in Hammersmith when visiting London, we'd stay here. Eventually I came to realize that they kept luggage there for us, years later I returned to pick up a suitcase I didn't know was there. If I was ever stuck in London with nowhere to stay I knew that I could call the manager, explain my situation and have a bed for the night.

As I write this I'm remembering returning to the UK from a trip to Peru with some school chums when I was 16. I remember relishing in buying sweets from the tuck shop, I think I got some salami and cheese and a baguette which I duly stuffed into my face while watching some awful British telly. And I can't forget the raspberry coulis and Greek yogurt each morning for breakfast. Never had better yogurt, or coulis anywhere else.

I've found the mood board by the designer of the dining room above. I'm now recalling a variety of family disputes that took place over a plate of sausages (me), black pudding (dad), and well scrambled eggs (mom).

From the "Ethnic Section" of CVS...

2010-03-11T08:18:00.000-08:00

This turpentine oil smells like just that.

Drinkin' & Huntin'

2010-03-11T08:04:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure how I feel about the implied combo of drinking and hunting that this Miller High Life can suggests. But I bought some any way. And am picturing taking them down to the Echo Country Outpost to be consumed in the presence of some taxidermied critters.

Himalayan High

2010-03-06T08:27:00.000-08:00

An animated piece ft. looks from the Burkman Bros. F/W 2010 Collection. I wish my wardrobe was this entertaining.

via Valet

The Tap Upon Your Leg That Tells You 'Go'

2010-03-01T17:27:00.000-08:00

This has been one of my top 5 songs of all time for quite a while now and always will be. I just watched NOVA's Firewars documentary and was reminded of this song about the August '49 fire which was the first to claim the lives of smokejumpers. 13 died, 3 did not. I am moved to tears every time I hear it but more so each time I play it myself on the guitar. I can never make it all the way through. Not once.

"I stayed that night, and one day after, carried bodies to the river, wondering how I'd stayed alive..."

Early's Witney Point Blankets

2010-02-28T21:21:00.001-08:00

Coyote Grace

2010-02-26T20:59:00.000-08:00

My good friend Trev McKee took these photos of our friends Ingrid & Joe, from the band Coyote Grace. They're incredibly talented and charismatic musicians along with being well-traveled road warriors and fans of all things leather bound, rusted out and sanded down. Come hang out with us in LA at The Mint, Pico & Crescent Heights, at 9pm on March 5th.

Want/Need: Double Front Carhartts

2010-02-26T20:50:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to find a used pair of these, 30x32s, for about 5 years. No dice. They're the holy grail for me.

Idolatry: Crangi

2010-02-26T20:18:00.000-08:00

Maybe a little overplayed but still worth mentioning his style. The glasses, the watch strap, the tats, the Barbour, the scarf, the hair. Last pic from The Sartorialist.

Radical Simplicity: The Good Life

2010-02-16T01:22:00.000-08:00

When I moved to LA last October I thought it might make me desensitized to my activism, especially my environmentalism. Or maybe not desensitized, but distracted. By the flashing lights and the glamour. Or something. But it turns out that Hollywood life quickly drove me other way.

Since I moved into my apartment, a hardwood one bedroom in Wilshire Vista, just south of the Miracle Mile, I've tried to keep things simple. Radically simple. As an environmentalist and social activist, living on a small budget, an attitude of radical simplicity ensures I leave a lighter footprint, even in such an urban environment. Sometimes I feel like I'm not reducing enough... so I've decided to try to write a little bit about the work and energy and thoughts that come with this sort of lifestyle. It's much easier to reduce our "need" than it is to create enough energy to fulfill it.

Thriftiness is next to...
My reality is that, while I try to find beautiful, some times designer items to post, I don't buy them. I buy entirely thrift. Shopping this way is much more satisfying for me. Finding that one unique piece rather than pulling one of twelve off of a rack. I've been shopping like that for so long that, while I like to browse a new store or two, I can't even imagine what it would be like to buy something new. It just seems crazy.

One Can Harry's
I only have one trash can. In the kitchen. En route to throw something away I'm able to think before I throw. Can I reuse this? If not right now, maybe later? Usually the answer is yes.

Bring Back the Classics
I haven't bought a knickknack since about 2 weeks after I moved in. When I moved back here I realized that I had some boxes of stuff from my childhood stashed a friends' houses and most of my tchotchkes come from there. Small tin soldiers, toy cars, a few stuffed animals and some very odd posters. It's amazing how I kept so few things and they all fit so brilliantly into my current aesthetic.

The World Is Bound With Secret Knots

2010-02-11T21:49:00.000-08:00

The Life and Works of Athanasius Kircher
c/o The Museum of Jurassic Technology

Gratia Artis: Alfonso Ossorio

2010-02-11T21:39:00.000-08:00

Feast and Famine, as seen at LACMA.

Dream Girl: Ali McGraw

2010-02-08T23:34:00.002-08:00

Read this great piece on Ali from the most recent issue of Vanity Fair. I'm pretty sure she used to babysit me. Push me around the park in my pram. If I'm not mistaken. And I'm quite sure I'm not.

Reasons to Own A Cowichan...

2010-02-08T23:34:00.001-08:00

1855 Fiber's Captain's Slipover Sweater

2010-02-08T23:24:00.001-08:00

Polo Ralph Lauren for Winter Olympics 2010

2010-02-08T22:50:00.001-08:00

Movie Montage: The Way We Were

2010-02-06T22:03:00.000-08:00

My Watch Setup

2010-02-06T21:43:00.001-08:00

Nature's Blessings

2010-02-06T21:32:00.000-08:00

I've been using this pomade for a few months. It's not as a strong as a gel but it's all natural and keeps the hair shiny and together. It smells like the mountains and the packaging is pretty great. Okay, yeah, that's why I bought it.

Gratia Artis: Will Barnet

2010-02-06T21:22:00.000-08:00

I discovered Will Barnet at Goodwill, on a poster for a NYC show of his from 1981. The title of the show was "Women, the sea and solitude..." It stuck with me and a little while later I stopped back at the Goodwill to see if the poster, which was already framed, was still there. It was and now it hangs on my bedroom wall.

Backyard Bill

2010-02-06T11:02:00.000-08:00

Backyard Bill has a new website. Here's some photos and quotes from the first post. Makes me want to pack up and move east to help Adam with his antique shop...and the queer commune. Natch.

Who is your style icon?
Well, I guess I never really thought about it that way. I am really intrigued by concepts and representations of masculinity, and the power and privilege afforded them. I like to blur the lines, challenge them and nestle myself somewhere uncomfortably in-between — butch/femme/top/bottom. For me, fashion is more performance than imitation, like the performance of the everyday…though I don’t think performative and imitative are oppositional. So can I say masculine women and feminine men, because that’s my short answer? Either that or fetish porn.

What do you do or what would you like to do when you grow up?
I’d like to open an antique shop and maybe found a queer commune. I’m into collecting, free love and country living.

Challenge Butter

2010-02-04T09:45:00.000-08:00

Nathan Xander & Witchouse @ Echo Country Outpost

2010-02-04T09:21:00.000-08:00

Nathan Xander & Witchouse are playing at the Echo Country Outpost in Echo Park on Saturday afternoon (at 5pm. Thanks, Nathan!). Fell in love with the tunes and the aesthetics. Check out the video for The Alchemist below. See ya there.

At Pitti Uomo

2010-01-30T00:59:00.001-08:00

via The Sartorialist

The Chuck Wagon - Breakfast

2010-01-29T09:05:00.000-08:00

Instant oatmeal, chopped almonds, one fresh apple, soymilk, cinnamon.

Perfect cuppa... One bag of Yorkshire tea, steeped for 30 seconds max., soymilk, 1/3 teaspoon of honey.

Idolatry: Edward Abbey

2010-01-07T22:38:00.001-08:00

Gratia Artis: Gal Harpaz

2009-11-19T08:57:00.000-08:00

We're having a launch party at Code C in Sunset Plaza tonight and I went for a quick reccy a week or so ago. I was drawn to the art that they had up, a guy named Gal Harpaz. In one of his sets he uses wood that he's found and sort of decoupages photos onto it. When I checked out his site I found his beachside panoramas. He just hits all the right buttons for me.

Authorship: Shop Talk

2009-11-11T22:15:00.000-08:00

Idolatry: Tintin

2009-11-11T06:27:00.000-08:00

I moved back to LA and uncovered a ton of stuff from my youth in various boxes in various friends' parents' garages. Amongst the toys and ephemera was a collection of Tintin comic books. I picked one up this morning and remembered just how excellent his style truly is. Preppy, adventurous, not afraid to add a bit of color. His uniform always gets changed up so subtly that you might not even notice. Class. Herge nailed it every time.

Obsession: Environment Furniture

2009-11-06T22:48:00.000-08:00

So I went to the Green Blogger Convention today at the flagship Environment store on Beverly Blvd. here in LA. While the convention was 98% ladies and the schwag included something called "foaming body polish", the decor was decidedly rugged and it was right up my alley. The closer that I looked at items the more I realized that every single thing in there spoke to my aesthetic. The Wood Book, collections of hardbacks on California style, simple zippered "essential bags", reclaimed military tents-cum-messenger bags, old wood-cum-desks. It was all dead on. I might have to go back there for a reccy for an event I'm working on and am cooking up any excuse I can find.

It's always cool to be in a room where only a few people catch your eye... and it turns out the two people who caught my eye due to their impeccable personal style were the CEO and DoM of Environment, Davide and Camilla respectively. Well done both for making it such an incredible space that combines flawless aesthetic with a commitment to sustainability and nature.

Echo Country Outpost

2009-11-01T22:50:00.000-08:00

If you're out Echo Park way and are in the mood for some curated Americana, good company and an occasional party then look no further than the brand new shop/space, Echo Country Outpost.

I went to their sneak peek a few weeks ago and enjoyed a very, very cold beer with some old, old friends. I wish I'd had my camera but I've promised myself that I'd return soon to take pictures. The vibe there is one part teepee, one part trading post and one part rock and roll. I'm looking forward to seeing how this space evolves.

One Fast Move Or I'm Gone

2009-10-20T08:16:00.000-07:00

I wish I could get to the screening of One Fast Move Or I'm Gone: Jack Kerouac's Sig Sur. It's a new documentary about, well, Jack and his book Big Sur and it's cultural impact. Ben Gibbard and Jay Farrar did the music and I believe they'll be playing along with the film tonight at the ArcLight. At least I live in the town where this is happening...even if I can't make it out there.

Farrar made a simple music video for a killer song called 'San Francisco' from the film.

You can check out the trailer below.

Want/Need: Airstream Zippo

2009-10-19T09:16:00.001-07:00

Available at Airstream.com

Paul Taylor's 'Domain' in NYT

2009-10-18T10:36:00.000-07:00

So I made it LA and the perks are never-ending right now. The house where I'm staying gets the New York Times every day which is quite a treat, along with being a beautiful house just off of Melrose and San Vicente. I couldn't wish for a lovelier place to settle back in to the LA life. It's really quite overwhelming right now but I think I'll find a rhythm soon enough. Fingers crossed. There will hopefully be some trips to some shops soon, but cash money isn't worth as much here as Minnesota it seems so we'll see how that goes.

ANYWAY, the moral of this story is that this Sunday's NYT Magazine has a great profile of the abode of dancer Paul Taylor and I wanted to share a few images from his Long Island home.

This last piece is a crab shell with a piece of wood stuck through it that Taylor found in Jasper Johns' trash while he was cleaning out his studio. Nice.

Want/Need: Quoddy Tobacco Bison Deck Chukka

2009-09-27T22:51:00.000-07:00

via Secret Forts

Duluth Pack Factory Tour Part III

2009-09-26T13:38:00.000-07:00

One of the newest Duluth Packs. This started as a special request, designed with serious bushcraft in mind. I wish this picture was better but these ladies were hard at work. The lady on the right was showing the lady on the right the details of the pattern so she could become one of the few (the proud) to sew this puppy.

Funny Lady(s)

2009-09-24T18:52:00.000-07:00

Duluth Pack Factory Tour Part II

2009-09-24T18:27:00.000-07:00

Duluth Pack Factory Tour

2009-09-11T18:30:00.001-07:00

While celebrating my birthday/eating ice cream on Labor Day at the Minnesota State Fair I met the president of Duluth Pack who suggested I stop in for a tour when I was in town. As it happened, my good friends, Ingrid and Joe, aka Coyote Grace, were playing a show up in Duluth a few days later so I made an appointment with the very nice Molly and dragged my buddies to the factory. To be fair, if I was going to share a leather and canvas experience with anyone I'd want to share it with those folks, especially Joe, who, like me, has a strong penchant for the more rugged aesthetic.

If you don't know Duluth Pack, they're an all-American, local company that started in 1892 making some seriously rugged packs for canoeing and backwoods travel. And their still totally committed to that today. They haven't evolved into a modern gear shop, they've retained the simple and effective style and substance that they've always had. (Above is the first bag I saw on the front counter. They were repairing it as part of their lifetime guarantee.)

This guy was cutting through 40 layers of canvas to prepare it for sewing. He cuts all of the pieces and bundles them up and puts them in the pigeon hole of which ever seamstress specializes in the given bag. So there are 13 seamstresses each of whom specializes in only a few bags.

This is the first stages of a bag for the Minnesota Deer Hunters' Association. That circular leather patch has been embossed with their own logo. Below is all where the embossing gets done. For $99 Duluth Pack will forge you a logo and put it on your bag.

Duluth Pack is obviously made in the USA and aims to do their sourcing from America as well. They take such pride in their craftsmanship that 6 of 7 years ago (the ladies couldn't remember) another tag was added to the Made in the USA and Duluth Pack tags...a Made By ______ tag.

More to come...

Jason Isbell - Seven Mile Island

2009-09-05T12:36:00.000-07:00

Want/Need: Toms Cordones

2009-09-04T19:04:00.001-07:00

The New Knapsack

2009-09-01T19:16:00.000-07:00

I think that this bag will live on the edge of a grown-up bag and a practical knapsack. Simple. I got a strange look from my mechanic the other day when I was toting my camo skater backpack and also replied "No" when he asked if I was a student. I reckon this will give that "perpetual student" look.

Gratia Artis: My Most Recent Goodwill Find

2009-09-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

Madeline Island, Lake Superior, WI

2009-08-30T06:32:00.001-07:00

All interior photos were taken at the Knutson cabin. Many thanks for your generosity of spirit, Kim.

Together Again

2009-08-26T06:39:00.001-07:00

The Medicine Cabinet

2009-08-24T18:43:00.000-07:00

Sunday grooming got everything on the bathroom counter. So left to right...

1. Gucci II Pour Homme. This bottle's almost done.
2. Everyday Shea. Fair trade lotion.
3. ConAir clippers.
4. Kiehl's Facial Fuel, After Shave & Scrub.
5. Tisserand 100% Tea Tree Oil
6. Crabtree & Evelyn Nantucket Briar Hand Lotion.
7. Summer Spice Deodorant.
8. Dr. Bronner's in Tea Tree.
9. Medicated Gold Bond.
10. Alba Botanica 32 SPF Sport.

Tony Curtis with costumer Orry-Kelly

2009-08-23T21:13:00.001-07:00

Tobias and the Angel

2009-08-22T06:48:00.000-07:00

I spent a nice part of my youth running around this incredible shop in London. My mother and I would travel with the proprietor around the countryside, on cold, wet, British days, scouring markets for treasures. The rustic style of this place has definitely affected my aesthetic, it was shabby chic before there was Shabby Chic. I remember running down the street to the tuck shop for Fruit Salad sweets and Feast ice cream bars and pick up milk for tea. They have a wood shop out back, scattered with simple tools, where I watched tables made from scratch.

Want/Need: Vintage RL Yacht Jacket

2009-08-14T20:28:00.001-07:00

via Etsy

Movie Montage: Jeremiah Johnson

2009-08-14T20:17:00.001-07:00

Want/Need: Engineered Garments Shawlneck Jacket

2009-08-14T18:36:00.000-07:00

Perfection.

Paul & Julia Child

2009-08-14T15:42:00.000-07:00

I've been reading My Life In France, by Julia Child, and it's reminding my why I do truly love Europe. I want to write a bit more soon on the effect that Europe has had on my style and my personal evolution. I remember wandering the streets of Paris in the early morning with baguettes and gold-foil wrapped pads of butter stuffed in my pockets for lunch.

Gratia Artis: Elaine de Kooning

2009-08-14T15:17:00.000-07:00

Fairfield Porter #1, 1954

Wallander

2009-08-14T14:04:00.000-07:00

Based on a series of Swedish detective stories here are some images from the BBC TV series, Wallander. The production designers really took this to the next level, I think, completely embodying the enviable Swedish style. As an aesthete, every time he knocked on a door I hoped he'd be invited in so I could see the interiors. I wish I could find pictures of the taxidermied swans, light-based lawn art, the playing card decor at one of the bars. Actually that bottom picture sort of shows the playing card stained glass behind Branagh. The guy drinking the vodka was wearing a few great bracelets too, nice touch. The group shots are all from the police offices...for a detective story the design is much more Mad Men than CSI. And it's a great mystery story to boot. Check it out on DVD.

Art Attack: Spaghetti Bench

2009-08-11T20:29:00.001-07:00

Spaghetti Bench by Pablo Reinoso - Design High Louise Blouin Foundation and Carpenter's Workshop Gallery 2009

Movie Montage: Amelia

2009-08-09T12:55:00.000-07:00

Idolatry: Ludwig Wittgenstein

2009-08-08T21:01:00.000-07:00

I don't know why we are here, but I'm pretty sure that it is not in order to enjoy ourselves. -Ludwig Wittgenstein

I got pretty into Wittgenstein when I was in college. I studied History of Art and loved art theory. I did a whole course on Wittgenstein, art and understanding. My teacher was a bit of a mess, an academic of the highest rank, a drunk and a good tutor. But we all talked Duchamp and went for drinks after class in our ancient university building. I loved it. I was actually accepted to study for an MA in Aesthetics with the promise of a paper applying Wittgenstein's theories of frames of reference to criticisms of feminist art. And so Witt has a place in my heart, in fact, I've just picked up a biography to brush up on the man and his life. If you haven't read his Tractatus, you should.

Movie Montage: West Side Story

2009-08-08T19:42:00.000-07:00

Umit Benan

2009-08-07T23:03:00.000-07:00

This whole look just totally WORKS for me. This is the designer Umit Benan photographed by The Sartorialist.

You can see why he models for his own lookbook.

(Editor's Note: I'm so depressed right now. This guy is a year older than me. I'm a good-for-nothing.)

Bruce in London, '75

2009-08-07T22:32:00.001-07:00

It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City...

Idolatry: Bruce Springsteen

2009-08-07T22:07:00.000-07:00

There was a time in my life when I could not listen to Bruce Springsteen. Not at all. He was too much man, I couldn't relate. Or I felt like I couldn't. It was torture, it was like looking in on someone else's Christmas window when you know that you're going home to an empty house. I never thought I would be a Wild Billy, Crazy Davey or a boy combing his hair in the rear view mirror. I once led a drag workshop and played "Growin' Up" at the beginning. No one else got it, they wanted to know exactly how to glue on a mustache. I never did another one of those. So I cut him out completely until I got my act together. Now I can look at him, I can listen to him. I can hear him and I can settle in with him. I believe that I can ride with the best of them, a bottle of rose and all that. He's a man's poet, can't get much more amalgamated than that.

Speaking of Amalgamated...

2009-08-07T20:27:00.000-07:00

Beg/Borrow/Steal This Book! Now!

2009-07-25T07:23:00.000-07:00

So. This is just about the most inspiring and beautiful book I've ever come across. Found (heh) in the Salvation Army store up in Blaine this is a photographic and essay book detailing various types of found objects and uses for them. Published in 1981, this collection is so cool it makes my brain hurt. I wish that I could find a copy for everyone I know who is aesthetically-minded. Seriously, I don't make claims like this often and I gain nothing by promoting this book except knowing that someone else might get joy from an incredibly designed candleholder made from 6 forks and a spoon. Find it at Abe Books.

My New (Wave) Binder

2009-07-25T07:18:00.000-07:00

I've started writing for an eco-gossip blog and needed a folder to keep all of my notes together. I spotted this "new wave" (it says that on it) binder in the Goodwill. I thought it was too ridiculous to pass up. It used to have a Velcro closure but I sliced it off because it made it really clunky. It also comes with folders. Apparently it was made by Gitano and Stuart Hall. I think I'm okay with "ironic" this time.

2 = 2

2009-07-25T07:14:00.000-07:00

I picked up these 2 t-shirt in May from the National Council for Jewish Women's thrift store in Little Ethiopia in LA. T-shirts there are $1 each so I was pretty happy to add these colors to my summer wardrobe for a total of $2. My jury is still out on plain vs. printed Ts but some days I'm in the mood and these are pretty fun. Especially if you know what a JCC is.

Minnetonka Mocs Pair Deaux

2009-07-25T07:09:00.001-07:00

I've been wanting to find a driving shoe since, well, I was born. I was born to wear driving shoes. My mom had about 32 pairs of Tod's when I was growing up so the aesthetic was sort of burned into my brain. But I haven't had a pair so I was excited to find a pair of unworn Minnetonka Moccasin Driving Shoes for $4.99 at the Goodwill. In my size. And in black. I've been wearing black jeans of late and didn't have any black leather shoes. Well, now I do.

Spider John

2009-07-24T05:20:00.000-07:00

I saw this album in the library and thought the look was very cool. Glad the music was too.

The Hat That Got Away...

2009-07-12T19:43:00.000-07:00

Well, not really. I just didn't buy it. It was half off and at $1 I simply didn't buy it. The two reasons were: I'm about to move (no more stuff!) and it didn't fit me at all. But this is a mesh snapback cap from Yellowstone Park, with a corduroy brim and a suede (yes suede!) front panel with the two bears on it. This cap is just insane. As I write about this more I'm tempted to go back tomorrow and buy it because it was so unique. We'll see...

MEN - Simultaneously

2009-07-12T08:27:00.001-07:00

This band blows my mind apart.

Happy 4th.

2009-07-04T09:30:00.000-07:00

Photo by Jerry Reynolds

Etsy For Men

2009-07-03T06:01:00.000-07:00

So I was wandering around Etsy the other day to see what one-of-a-kind offerings they had for the boys and came across, more than clothes, toiletries. I'm a diehard Kiehl's and Dr. Bronner's man, known also to use Lucky Tiger products and so I'm obviously drawn to the more natural products. I think that for some reason I feel that the more simple and natural a product is the more masculine it is. Like, one step away from using tree sap for pomade or something. So I was happy to see some really interesting looking small scale items on there. I'm mad that I didn't post these earlier because some of them are Portland and I think Valet just posted on them. These have been on my computer for a month or two now. Anyway, I can't speak to the actual products but they certainly look nice.

This Guy Requested to Be My MySpace Friend...

2009-07-03T05:56:00.001-07:00

His name is Donny Danger and apparently he does custom wood working, mainly rock and roll related. Seems pretty cool to me.

Revolutionary Style

2009-07-03T05:51:00.000-07:00

Convenience

2009-07-03T05:50:00.000-07:00

Sundance Footwear

2009-06-13T05:44:00.000-07:00