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- The retail space located @ 365 Valencia on 14th and Valencia features clothing, accessories, books, art, ocean gear and other treasures.The Voyager Shop365 Valencia StreetSan Francisco CA 94110Open Daily 11 to 7pm.Tel: + 1 (415) 779-2712Skype: TheVoyagerShopThe Voyager Shop carries emerging and established brands from around the world including but not limited to:We offer accessible quality and a diverse range of products from some of the following makers:Denham the Jeanmaker - Premium Denim line based out of HollandWorkers - Japan based reconstruction work wear. Beautiful pieces from Okayama, JapanJohnBull - Beautiful full collection from renowned Japanese collectionYuketen - World class American Footwear with a modern flair.Camo - Beautiful Menswear line from ItalyHixsept - French Menswear line.Creep by Hiroshi Awai - Japanese inspiredComune - LA Based Contemporary MenswearSatcas Limited - Wonderful Indonesia Surf Inspired Line.Penfield - MA based outdoor wearCRATE Denim - LA Based denim lineDillon Montara - Mens accessories lineVOLTA - Italian Contemporary Sneaker BrandGeneric Surplus - LA based shoe BrandMaison Scotch - Dutch based contemporary collectionThvm Atelier - LA Based Denim brand. Beautiful, accessible fits and pieces.Free People - Large women's contemporary collection with modern flair and global touches.American Vintage - Wonderful French basics line. Dresses, jackets, skirts - all soft and beautiful.Illesteva - Italian made modern SunglassesRandolph Engineering - US made military sect sunglassesDeep selection of unique home waresVariety of print magazines, books, zines, and art products.Spartan offers a carefully edited collection of beautiful, practical objects and accessories, influenced by the changing seasons without straying far from a core inventory of reliable, classic items. Founded in Austin, TX out of a desire to celebrate the beauty of craft and great design and the daily pleasure they bring.Various other brands and items.Select vintage finds, and other treasures.Our web store is currently under construction, but we hope to be up and running shortly.Check out some of our stock online and our other stores @
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Posts
- May 19, 13
Matt Clough is a bag maker, an outdoors adventurer, and a humanitarian. After climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro as part of a quest to climb the highest summits on each continent, he was struck by the need to support education in Tanzania, and how a little money could go a long way there. Once back in the states he started a backpack company by the name of stone + cloth. Their bags are designed and made in California, and part of the sale of each bag goes directly to supporting the Knock Foundation, providing scholarships in education, as well as support to lunch programs, in primary schools in Tanzania. Matt was so kind to give us a fantastic interview about stone + cloth below. Read on. Better yet, come check out stone + cloth bags at Revolver and Voyager!
How long ago now was your trip to Tanzania that inspired your venture with stone + cloth? What was your initial inspiration behind travelling there to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro?
I was in design school at the time, and if I wasn't spending time in class, I was doing whatever I could to get outside and hike mountains. I had this dream of climbing the seven summits - the highest peak on every continent. My buddy presented me with the chance to take a free ride to Africa and climb Kilimanjaro, so I took it. It was my first opportunity to check one of those mountains off the list.As seen from the mountainWhat kind of physical and mental preparations do you have to make in order to undertake such a task? How long did you prepare to climb Kilimanjaro? How long was the actual climb?Climbing Kilimanjaro involved a few months of training. The toughest part was the low levels of oxygen at the higher altitudes. The summit is above 19,000 feet. On the last night, I was experiencing hallucinations and a terrible headache and many in our group had to turn back before the summit because of the harsh conditions on the mountain.Matt Clough, at the summit of Mt. KilimanjaroHow did you end up partnering with the Knock Foundation in order to insure that children in Tanzania would be provided with scholarships for education?
We are partnered with The Knock Foundation because they're well established on the ground in Tanzania, and are very dedicated to awarding scholarships to students. I met Kim, who runs the foundation, through a really good friend. The wonderful thing about working them is that I'm able to communicate with her on a regular basis.About how many children have benefitted from scholarships as a result of stone + cloth? Have you connected directly with any of the individuals who have benefitted from scholarships?
The Knock Foundation awarded over 30 scholarships this year, and we're proud to say that after our first year of business, we contributed to that and to their lunch program at Mrupanga Primary school. Going forward, we'll continue to support Knock with their scholarship program to support those students year after year. We look at this as a 10-20 year project, and we're just getting started.Why is it important that your backpacks are made in LA?
It boils down to two things: quality and relationships. We love being able to drive a few miles to the cut and sew shop and oversee production. It ensures our products are being made to the standard we expect, and it's really fun getting to know the people that make our products. For me, it's a really enjoyable part of the business.stone + cloth's Benson bagI like in your About section on your website how you draw the connection between backpacks being used in both mountaineering and education. What considerations did you make in order to make your backpacks versatile enough to be used for both?
The design of our flagship piece, the Benson, was designed to represent the rucksack that my porter, Benson carried for me on the mountain. Taking a few simple elements from that (the rucksack flap and drawstring) seemed like a natural way to weave my journey into the product. Since we're focused on education, I took a lot of inspiration from my simple Jansport I used everyday when I was in school. The result is what is now our best-selling product.Matt Clough and his porter, Benson, on KilimanjaroDid you have a background in backpack construction before you began stone + cloth? What has your education process been as you've developed your bag company?
When I was in college, most of my time was spent at the School of Design. I couldn't really sit still in one particular area, so ended up taking a year of Landscape Architecture, a year of Fine Art, and a mess of Industrial Design, Urban Planning, and Architecture courses along the way. I've always loved making things, but when I started this project, it began with me on a really old sewing machine figuring out how to put two pieces of cloth together.Where is the future of stone + cloth headed? What are your goals?
Our goal is to continue to sell high quality products at good prices, build a brand that people trust, and use our business as a vehicle to help other people realize their dreams through education.Get out and exploreWhat are the other highest peaks on the six remaining continents? Have you crossed any others off your list? Any plans to tackle another any time soon?Elbrus - Europe
Acongagua - South America
Carstensz - Australia, Oceania
Denali - North America
Vinson - Antarctica
Everest - Asia
I have not crossed any of the others off the list, but get out and hike in southern california whenever possible.What is currently inspiring you? Any future mountaineering plans?
Lately i've been really inspired by movement. I stayed on my buddies' boat for a few days two weeks ago and was in Colorado last weekend. It just seems that every time I'm moving, everything makes more sense.(All images here within courtesy of Matt Clough & stone + cloth- all images copyright © 2013 / All Rights Reserved)Climbing kilimanjaro involved a few months of training. The toughest part was the low levels of oxygen at the higher altitudes. The summit is above 19,000 feet. On the last night, I was experiencing hallucinations and a terrible headache and many in our group had to turn back before the summit because of the harsh conditions on the mountain. - May 13, 13
Greg Ito is a force. If you are looking to meet someone more committed to his practice than most well-heeled, seasoned artists, who has his hands in more pots than most professional multitaskers, who is an Art World Jack Of All Trades and Master of All, look no further. Along with his friend and business partner, Andrew McClintock, Ito edits and produces San Francisco Art Quarterly, an international arts and culture magazine, and operates Ever Gold Gallery in the Tenderloin, as well as devoting himself to his own works of art. I was stoked to have the opportunity to interview Greg about his work and visit his incredible live-work studio space. Read on to learn more about what Greg has been up to.
First off, how do you have the time to do it all? Do you sleep? You've got a lot going on between producing your own artwork, running Ever Gold Gallery and editing SFAQ. You must be a master doubletasker, or else really good at scheduling your time.
Well to start, my endeavors at the Ever Gold Gallery and SFAQ are shared with my business partner and good friend, Andrew McClintock, who is also the interim director at the Walter McBean Gallery at SFAI. I do find time to sleep, which always seems to be too short, but I manage to find time to spend in the studio outside of the current extensions of my art practice (the gallery and publication). Every year opportunities come up to exhibit, which is great, but I learned to not double up, or even triple up the work load. Poor scheduling leads to catastrophe and frustration. Biting off too much to chew is a common mistake. I used to say that I would juggle all of my endeavors, but you can't do that forever, one day things can fall apart. So now I like to say that I balance all the tasks that I have obligated myself to doing, allowing everything to coexist in my schedule, to flourish and continue to grow. But there is always room for improvement, so it's still a learning experience.
It seems as though your past work lived in abstraction (and pattern) as opposed to representation. Some of your pieces reminded me of mandalas or yantras. How did you arrive in this place? Do you privilege abstraction over representation? It is something I think about a lot regarding my own work. Somehow the dogma of Capital "A" Art School and being trained to look at art has made me feel that working representationally is somehow of less value than working abstractly, yet I can not work abstractly with confidence at all. Has this always been your method of working of arranging your world?
My older works do exist as paintings. The way I would describe the work is geometric abstractions of the relationships observed between the Sun, Moon, Earth, and eternal through a lens rooted in human euphoria, the spiritual, and the distant relationship found between these monumental celestial identities and today's contemporary society. We just don't pay attention to our surrounds like the ancients did, and I found this disturbing. Again these paintings are older works, that I have chosen to discontinue, because they no longer have any resonance in my current mode of making, and the satisfaction of producing the work is no longer there. Visually I still find them beautiful and people ask me why I no longer make them, but this transition is a personal decision, for I recently regained an intimate relationship with my work through a new approach. Representational or figurative work has always been difficult for me to grasp. Acceptance of artists who do make representational/figurative work is present, but it's just not what I'm seeking as an act of creating an image or object. This is kind of funny, because currently I've been making new work which is investigating the relationship between image and object. This allowed growth in my practice to include sculptural elements and installation more effectively into the work, incorporating the readymade, distancing myself from being labeled purely as a painter. I still look at everything through the eyes of a painter, but this does not constrict my approach to making art. The same concepts that fueled my paintings are still present in my current works but the conversation has also expanded exponentially I feel, allowing more freedom in the decisions I make in the studio. The founding concepts in my work continue to be the driving force for my forward momentum into the giant realm of what art is, can be, and will become. My years at SFAI helped develop these ideas, and I am grateful to that school, which has an incredible history in San Francisco, and California in general. Amazing artists have taught there like Mark Rothko, Clyfford Still, Ansel Adams, Diego Rivera. Some of the more recent and current faculty include George Kuchar, Paul Kos, Tony Labat, Carlos Villa; the list just goes on.In the bios and artist statements I've read regarding you and your artwork attention is drawn to your interest in our understanding of and measurements of time, the celestial, spiritual and how these ideas connect to our humanity. What is particularly fascinating about these concepts or phenomena to you? How does it relate to you personally?The good ol' artist statement. Yes, time is important me. My time on this Earth, what I'm doing with this time in the present, the time that was spent before me in history, where we are now from the times in history, and how we move forward into the times of the future. Spiritually moving through time, as well as culturally moving through time. Time in general is a strange subject. A moment in time that has been a very powerful influence on me is one that we experience everyday, twilight. Twilight is this ephemeral moment between day and night, the two halves to one whole, short lived yet epic. It is in these moments where I found clarity. I don't know really how to explain it, but it speaks to me, and it speaks to a lot of people. Watching the sunset is a shared experience between everyone on this Earth, now, before, and in the future. It just amazes me. I used to say, and I guess I still do, that twilight is the one moment where you can truly see time pass, with the gradients of color that effortlessly float through the sky then beyond the horizon along with the Sun and its immense presence. I think that our connection with time is one quality of being human, how we can address time, what it is, what it does for us, how we live through it, and knowing our time will end when we die.Who are your heroes? Who and what influences your work?Heros would include Orion, the one constellation I would see in the night sky while growing up in LA. The stars of Orion are said to be associated with Osiris, who is the the Sun god of rebirth and the afterlife of ancient Egypt. My influences would include all the artists i have met, seen, and read about in my life. My family is really important to my career as an artist. My grandfather was a carpenter, sign painter, and cartoonist. My grandmother was a seamstress. My aunty is an animator (hand drawn) and her husband works in special effects for big blockbuster movies. My other aunty was an old school designer when everything was done by hand before computers and now manages her husband, Peter Shire's art career. He is part of the Memphis School and owns Echo Park Pottery too. His brother Billy Shire owned a gallery in LA and it was one of the first stores on Melrose that began the madness around that strip. And my dad was the one who got me into drawing and building things. He bought me a tool set when I was young for woodworking, and encouraged me to paint and draw. I still have this "How to Draw" book he had when he was a kid. And my mom is one of the most encouraging human beings I know, who was a musician, and I remember my earliest years as a kid listening to her play the piano at the house. And lastly, my younger brother, who is graduating from Pratt in Brooklyn, New York with an emphasis in Sculpture, who will be doing some big things this year. He has already been showing his work and has a residency planned with Stillhouse.The Ever Gold began with a group of 5 artists who graduated from SFAI, including Andrew and myself. We were all friends who opened and funded the space collectively. When we opened the space we learned it was an old shop that bought stolen jewelry and made them into gold fronts (grillz). It was called Ever Gold originally, and we kept the name. We figured that having an art gallery in that crack infested area was a slice of heaven for the block. Soon after opening the gallery some of the partners decided to go elsewhere and work on other endeavors, and then Andrew and I were the last two standing. It was at that point we realized we had to change it up somehow to keep the gallery open. We elevated our programming and did more solo shows and worked with more specific artists who we believed in. We also couldn't run the space on our own money and was on the brink of closing until the Kenneth Rainin Foundation decided to support us through a rolling grant which has been in effect through 2013 into next year. Also increasing our art sales helped immensely by doing fairs and getting our name out there. We truly appreciate the Kenneth Rainin Foundation's support, because without them the Ever Gold could have faded away long ago, but instead we are still here and exhibiting some amazing work by a range of artists based in the Bay Area, New York, and Los Angeles.
How did Ever Gold begin? What was your inspiration behind starting the gallery? What is the story behind the gallery's name?If you didn't live and make work in SF, where would you be? Do you think you'd be making similar work in that other place?If I wasn't in SF I would be in Los Angeles. I moved to the Bay Area right after high school, and I've been here for 8 years now. Going back home seems to make the most sense. The only things keeping me here is Ever Gold Gallery, SFAQ, and my amazing live-work space that I built out 3 years ago. It's a 2000 square foot warehouse I live in with my cat, Luna. I have a woodshop with a gallery-eque space in it where I shoot installations and the work I make, an office area for computer work, and a clean wall for paintings and drawings I work on. I also have an art storage area with flat files, loft, and a materials section where I keep a lot of objects and stuff I use in arrangements. Then in the back is a kitchen, half bath, and my bedroom with a walk in closet and I put a claw foot bathtub across the room from my bed. Pretty crazy space, and when I first moved in it was completely empty with the exception of a toilet. If I were to move to LA, I'm sure the work will change because of the cultural landscape there and the activities I will find myself doing in my spare time, like going to the beach or the hills of LA. Also the ability to access fabricators and materials is mush easier, and the cost of living is so much cheaper. I'm trying to make it down there more often, which is great, and the past few trips has sparked some ideas for future exhibitions. In the end it's all Cali living, so as long as I'm on the West coast I'll be happy.Greg Ito and Luna in his studio homeRight now, it's work work work. I've been able to get into a pretty productive groove in the studio and with my other artistic endeavors here. I've been meeting a lot of people and scheduling more studio visits with artists to see their work and share mine. Also getting a lot of feedback from art consultants and collectors has been great for me just to get another perspective on the work. But as usual, sunsets, moon gazing, and staring at the sun are daily activities. I have been visiting the mall a lot to look at displays and window shop which gives me a lot of ideas for my installations and arrangements. I go to IKEA, Home Depot, and Lowes too for materials and find myself just staring at people shopping. It is so fascinating to me to watch the consumer in their natural habitat. I'm a consumer, too, but I think I have a different way of looking at things, but all artists do. We get weird.
What is inspiring you at this moment?What does the future hold for you, as an artist, curator and editor? You are young to have done so much professionally in the Art world. Where do you go from here?The future is so full of unexpected experiences I guess. I don't really know what will come out of it. I have been nominated and become a finalist for some awards here in the Bay Area but never got it in the end. No worries, next time I guess. I did a couple residencies and I'm just open to new opportunities. I'll just keep making work, and contribute to the art community through the exhibitions at Ever Gold and editorial through SFAQ. I'll just keep trekking and see what's going to happen as it comes. Fuck it, the world is just a crazy place and I'm living in it so I'll just keep my options open. More art and more art. Hopefully traveling, too, sometime when I find a window of free time.(All images here within courtesy of Greg Ito - all images copyright © 2013 / All Rights Reserved) - Mar 11, 13Alite Designs is excited to announce a new pop up shop at Voyager on Valencia Street! Entitled "Play Hooky with Alite Designs," this pop up would like to remind you that every now and then, a fake cough and forged doctor's note is necessary when it comes to L-I-V-I-N. Alite Designs will curate a special selection of outdoor bags, furniture, and accessories that are crucial when taking a few self-prescribed "sick" days.Alite will also launch a brand new Made in California line that includes a versatile, leather and canvas "Bike to the Beach" Bag and leather water bottle holder! Both of them were produced right here in SF!COME TO OUR OPENING PARTY at Voyager on Thursday, March 14th from 6:00-9:00pm! We'll have free beer provided by ASAHI and Lynchburg Lemonade on tap, corn hole games going down outside, sunny tunes on the PA, and the Alite crew peer pressuring you to take a few slags from our "To Hell With Work" flasks before passing out in our new Mayfly outdoor chairs. I mean, it is Thursday and all...The Alite "Play Hooky" pop up shop will be at Voyager from March 14th to May 12th.Play Hooky with Alite DesignsPop Up Shop Opening Party at Voyager365 Valencia StreetThursday, March 14th6-9pm...Bueller ...Bueller ...Bueller ...Bueller ...Bueller
- Jan 25, 13We are so stoked to be carrying a new line of jewelry, Aoko Su, at both Revolver and Voyager. Drawing upon both architecture and the natural world as reference and inspiration, Aoko Su jewelry is elegant and minimal, but strong and beautiful in impact. Recently I had the chance to interview Aoko Su designer Ashley Jerman about her career, travels, and inspiration. Here is what she had to say.Did you always know you wanted to make jewelry? What started your career in jewelry design? Who, what, where were your initial inspirations?
I haven't always known that I wanted to make jewelry, but I have always known that I wanted to be a designer. The first time I ever remember feeling inspired and compelled to make jewelry was when I was 16 or 17. I was in Manhattan when I walked by some gallery in Chelsea with bright feather earrings in the window. This was the first jewelry that I remember seeing that struck me as unconventional and I thought it was the best. I loved the idea of wearing something that had once been living as accessory and I started making earrings out of flowers that I had picked. During and after college I always had a job or two. I consistently felt underutilized at jobs that I worked at and that my way of thinking was alien. Two years ago I decided I had had enough. I knew that I wanted to work for myself, assessed what I'm good at, and here I am.What has been your trajectory? Are you classically trained or self taught? What is your advice for aspiring and up and coming jewelry designers?
I started taking jewelry making more seriously when I was 22 living in Montana. My friend and boss at the time, Jodi, showed me a couple of very simple techniques that made making professional looking jewelry seem accessible to me. After that point, I began consistently designing jewelry that was too complicated for my skill set and then figured out how to make it. My advice : the only thing that you can't do is what you think you can't do. That's it. I never let the constraints of my abilities affect what I want to make.
Reading your bio, it appears that you've lived in a diverse many places; Montana, New York, Seattle, now Richmond, Virginia. How have all of these places influenced you? Or is the act of being a nomad the main influence in your life and work?
I am inspired by manmade symmetry in urban areas and by the diversity of people that exist within them. Sometimes I will barely catch a glimpse of a woman that I walk by and see her hair pulled up a certain way and in a split second I will envision an earring on her empty ear. Then I'll go to the studio and make it. In contrast, I'm also influenced by the apparent chaos in the natural world and the order that lies beneath it. There is a sense of worldly-ness that is important to me to embed in my work; I think that is partially a product of traveling. I want my work to transcend place and time.Your jewelry design has been compared to architecture (natural and manmade) in review. Is architecture an inspiration for you? How does architecture impact your life?
Yes. I am most inspired by Art Deco architecture right now. It represents the machine age. The symmetry and muted ornamentation - by our standards today - are almost too perfect of a balance.
I read in an interview that you mine your own rocks and cut your own stone! Amazing!! How did this interest and skill set come about? Why is it important to you that this be part of your process?
It all started out of necessity. I made a necklace out of a piece of fluorite from my mineral collection and started to get a demand for more. I couldn't find fluorite cut like this ANYwhere and miraculously found a lapidary machine over the summer in Montana. My soon-to-be husband is a glassblower and an expert with cold-working techniques that can be used on both glass and mineral specimens to grind, form, and polish. Together, we found beautiful rough fluorite specimens, among other gems, cut them into slabs and then hand-shaped and faceted each piece. As far as mining goes, I have an ever growing love and amazement for rough mineral specimens found within the earth and the time they took to grow. To find a pristine, double terminated Herkimer diamond within the dolomite rock of the Mohawk River Valley is something of a miracle to me.What is the future of Aoku Su? Where do you want to see yourself, and your jewelry, going?
I want to establish AOKO SU as a name in the fashion industry. My next project is creating a line that bridges between garment and accessory.What are your current inspirations?
People and the myriad of styles that they wear on the street. I see potential for ornamentation when I see a striking woman.
Color exploration. I am becoming more enamored with colored stone every day. I love the brilliant hues of Pakastani tourmaline, and Mexican amethyst.
My blog is a direct reflection of images that inspire me.
(All images here within courtesy of Ashley Jerman/Aoko Su- all images copyright © 2013 / All Rights Reserved)
I haven't always known that I wanted to make jewelry, but I have always known that I wanted to be a designer. The first time I ever remember feeling inspired and compelled to make jewelry was when I was 16 or 17. I was in Manhattan when I walked by some gallery in Chelsea with bright feather earrings in the window. This was the first jewelry that I remember seeing that struck me as unconventional and I thought it was the best. I loved the idea of wearing something that had once been living as accessory and I started making earrings out of flowers that I had picked. During and after college I always had a job or two. I consistently felt underutilized at jobs that I worked at and that my way of thinking was alien. Two years ago I decided I had had enough. I knew that I wanted to work for myself, assessed what I'm good at, and here I am. - Jan 10, 13Farm Tactics - Shop in Shop at Voyager through January.Farm Tactics is a California-based company dedicated to designing and producing high quality, American-made clothing, featuring beautiful fabrics that are milled in California, Canada and Japan.Inspired by folk-based storytelling, Farm Tactics creates garments that tell simple narratives using textiles and colors.Perfect wares for Spring PsychedelicaOpening party January 11th - 6pm to 9pm @ Voyager - 365 Valencia!
- Jan 08, 13
This particular video pertains to radicalizing education, but it addresses a larger societal issue. Our culture is one that has favored Conformity, at the expense of Creativity, in the name of Industrialization (read: Capitalism.)
We ask you, dear readers, in what ways can you nurture Divergent Thinking, the essential capacity for Creativity, "the ability to see lots of possible answers to a question, lots of possible ways of interpreting a question, to think laterally, not just in linear, or convergent ways, to see multiple answers, not one" in your lives?
At Revolver and Voyager we hope to continue to explore new ways of asking questions, new ways of resolving problems, and creative new forms of expression. Let's resolve to remain flexible in 2013. Limber up in spirit, mind and body! But first, maybe we start with some desk-side yoga?
Now, if only this involved taking Shavasana straight across your desk at the end! NAMASTE!!!
- Dec 03, 12Chamula is sub brand of Yuketen. Native American and Mexican inspired designs. Beautiful folk pieces that are modern and soft.Chamula products are very warm and soft because they are made of Merino wool which comes from sheep grazing in the Mexican Mountains. Don’t confuse your grandpa’s itchy old sweater with Chamula! Chamula sweaters and knit caps feel great on your skin. Chamula products are made in exclusive small batch quantities. Mexican natives hand-knit each Chamula product one by one for a truly hand-made feeling. All production processes are done by hand such as spinning the merino yarn on small hand-built looms and hand-dyeing the rich colors so each product is one of a kind and very original. The indigenous design patterns appeal to both lovers of vintage styles as well as trendy shoppers. These rare qualities make Chamula the ideal garment for the winter!
- Nov 14, 12
We love First Rite!
First Rite just shared with us their video look book for fall 2012. Amazing items. In store now. Online soon. Going fast!
- Oct 30, 12A few weeks ago I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to visit the studio of San Francisco based bag and leather goods maker Joshu + Vela. J + V’s Noah Guy had just returned from what sounded like a dreamy Indian Summer trip to Montana and graciously invited me to tour his space and give me the rundown on what’s happening at Joshu + Vela. Check out Joshu +Vela's pop up shop at Voyager starting November 8th.ed. note: All N's are Noah and all M's are me, below and throughout.
N: So Robert told you we are going to do a shop at Voyager?
M: You’re going to do a pop up? When’s that going to be?
N: November and December.
M: I figured you probably were and that’s why he prompted me to get in touch.
N: So let me give you the grand tour. This is obviously the sewing room. This is the other room which is always in a state of flux because it is not totally sorted out, but it’s storage, because we have to keep all raw materials on hand before I can say I can do something, and it’s also assembly. These are unassembled bags, so they’re sewn.Most of what we do is three parts: leather, sewing, and assembly. These are sewn, the leather is cut here, and then we assemble using hardware and we use solid copper rivets. These are probably the most painful, most time consuming rivets that there are.M: Why is that?
N: Because they require five operations, and most rivets require one. But they are solid copper and no other rivet is as strong as this. Nobody has been using them for the past 100 years except for saddlery and electrician pole climbers. So they are really strong and also really expensive, they are between 20 and 30 cents a piece. At an OEM cost that’s pretty high.
And here we have solid brass parts and then solid steel. The steel is all mil spec (US military standard.) We try to use full metals wherever we can.
This will eventually be another sewing zone. We’re gonna get in a couple more VM-1 (??) This old Singer is a Singer cut-sew that we’ll be using soon I hope. Sometimes it takes a while to get these old machines totally ship-shape.
This is where we store all the leather because it’s dark. We get full hides. We have a lot of leather right now. And then we cut and assemble leather parts here. We’re cutting everything by hand.M: Where do you get your leather from?
N: It’s from Wicket & Craig of Pennsylvania which is US veg tanned, supplying the saddle-making industry.M: How long have you been in this space?
N: It will be three years in February.M: Have you been making bags that whole time?
N: Well, the first 8 months was a lot of setup. We started with about two machines, and quickly added 5 more, and had to get parts for them. It took a while. In fact, I’m still setting up. I have another machine on order.
It’s a process, the actual “making” of something. Actually, to be honest, the process comes in making more than one thing, and then making it for a not-so-ridiculous price.M: Did you start with one model and then you’ve expanded from there? Or did you start off trying to do several things, then realized you had to scale back before you moved forward?
N: Well, I’ve done this before but I’ve never owned my own factory so I had some experience going in. I just rented time in a factory before, and by factory, I mean five sewing machines.
I started with the zip backpack. Looking back on it, it was the most complicated style. We still don’t have a style more complicated. It was maybe a little silly, but in a way, because it was complicated and needed a lot of working parts and lot of moving parts, different machinery to perform different operations, it really got a lot of my machines on line working through that; the binders, the zipper stitchers, all the different parts, all the different leather components (we use two different weights of leather.) It’s still the most complicated, time consuming bag [to make.]We started with that one product, but quickly we added a tote bag, which is also sort of complicated, but not nearly as complicated [as the backpack.] And I had designed that bag before and I simplified it three times, through three iterations. It’s a process. A super long process.
M: So, right now, how many styles of things are you making?
N: Right now we have 13 styles.M: And you’re continuing to expand that? Will there ever be a point where you decide you are making enough different things?
N: The goal was to do seven. So we are going to do seven times two, so it will be seven men’s and seven women’s styles. Or seven unisex and seven men’s. We’re slowly expanding. We’re not adding anything more than what we’ve set out to do right now. We’ll probably be dropping some styles after Spring.M: Is your background in apparel?
N: It is, actually.M: Did you always know you wanted to be making bags and accessories? Or has that been the natural progression of your career?
N: I don’t think it’s been the progression, and I honestly don’t think that I’ve always wanted it, it was just something I’ve always done. I actually started making bags in August of 2001 and I have never made anything else but bags.M: Was that because it was something you needed? What drove it? What was the initial inspiration?
N: I think I was interested in it because it’s a physical product. There’s a few different reasons. One, it’s product based rather than apparel based so it’s a more manageable starting point. With clothing you can’t just make one piece and put it out into the market. The market has higher expectations. They wants lines, they wants collections, and they want it to change rapidly.
M: It’s season driven...N: Right, they want it to move. So it was easier for me to comprehend doing.I personally tend to buy used clothing so I related more to buying bags. I buy bags and shoes new. [Making bags] felt like a gateway to apparel. I’ve always been interested in men’s apparel. With women too, bags initiate change in look. The industry often describes women’s shopping habits as buying a new bag every season instead of expensive statement pieces as a way to refresh their look. And I think with men, men get particularly stuck. Buying something easy like a bag can help start you off in a new direction.M: How long have you been in San Francisco?
N: I moved with my family from New York in ‘89.
M: Whoa, so you’ve been here a while.
N: I’ve been here a long time.
M: Do you feel being headquartered in SF is vital to your business? Would you be doing this elsewhere? How does being located in SF affect, or how is it conducive, to what you do?
N: That’s a good question. I ask myself that all the time. Sometimes the answer is it’s not at all necessary because it’s a city that, without sounding judgemental, leans on the tacky side dress-wise. Then the other thing is at times it feels like if you’re not doing tech, what are you doing here? But then, I love this city. I love the accessibility to the rest of California. As a city, it’s beautiful. We have the wind, which we all hate, but it brings in fresh air.
As far as being critical to this business, I’m not sure. I think it’s nice. I like it. There’s an element of uniqueness; there’s maybe nobody else doing exactly what I’m doing here. In other cities in the U.S. maybe there’s something similar. But having been here a long time, I really like San Francisco. I hope that the tech people don’t push us out.
M: Me too. As a fairly recent transplant I’m still trying to figure out everything that San Francisco is. The thing that really drew me here, aside from having some family in the area and my mom having lived here in the 70’s and early 80’s and having an intense love affair with SF, then moving back to the East Coast, but always missing it... that really instilled in me this intense curiosity about this place, but after spending some time here, it was just the beauty, the sheer beauty that drew me in.
N: It is beautiful. And that’s part of it, but it’s also a city where people come to find themselves, and that can be either really boring, and painful, as people are always leaving, but it can also be really cool because it can mean a lot of good, creative energy.
M: Definitely.
N: New York has creative energy too, but it’s also tempered with this strong desire to succeed. They have that which is not as prevalent here. It’s still prevalent, but it’s different.M: Back to the bag making, how long does it take to actually make a bag?
N: That the thing I’ve been working on for three years, trying to figure that out. I still don’t know. The first bag, the zip backpack, at first I was estimating it at 3 ¾ hours.
M: That’s straight through?
N: No, if it was straight through, from start to finish, it would be longer. It would be maybe 4 ½. That’s why it’s so hard to create a guesstimate. You save time by running a bulk of bags. It’s hard for me to figure out what’s the critical number. Is it 50? Is it 30? Is it 100? At what point does it become efficient?
It may sound weird and business-like, but my bags, to some people, are already expensive, but the zip backpack, for instance, is underpriced for what it is. One of the main elements is the cost of the labor. Sure, the materials are expensive, but it’s the cost of labor, the hours that go into making a bag, that’s what makes it really spendy. Since I’ve started doing this I’ve gained a new appreciation for expensive Italian goods because I now understand why they are expensive.
So it does take a while. Even as we get more efficient I think the making of the zip backpack will still be over three hours, maybe we’ll get it down to 3 ½, but again, I’m never really sure. It’s different than doing custom business where you might know exactly.M: Your products are not bespoke...
N: Bespoke meaning custom for one customer, no. That’s not our business. We’re small run, bench made production. Still hand made, but in small runs.M: How many people work with you?
N: Currently there is five people working with me. It’s a really good crew right now.
M: Is that the largest number of people you’ve worked with?
N: It’s the largest number. I’m thankful. It’s a really good crew. We’ve got two people on sewing, two people on assembly and cutting, and now one person helping me with web stuff.M: Collaboration also seems to be a big part of your business model. You’ve done bags with Tartine, you’ve done bags with Four Barrel. How did those collaborative opportunities evolve and why is it important to you?
N: I wasn’t looking for it. It evolved naturally. It just happened one day. But since I’ve been doing it I really like it. There’s a lot of great things about it.
One, it’s sort of relieving not having to be fully responsible for a design. And two, it’s exciting. I feel more like a designer when having to think about a particular clientele and what they want. Considering both the store owner and manager, and the people who go there. It’s fun and it’s also a less expensive product which is also really exciting and interesting. I think the Four Barrel bag is 50$ and the Tartine bag is 45$ and my average bag is over 200$ so it’s exciting to make something that is still nice but much more affordable.M: What are your aspirations for Joshu + Vela? What is your future? Where are you headed?
N: Right now I think the future is working first with Robert and Voyager and having the store-in-store in November and December. It will be my first time doing retail and my first time building out, creating an environment.
I really see that as being the future for the line. It will provide a lot of things. Hopefully eventually it will allow for me to have more reasonable prices. It will allow me to do small runs of unique fabrics, prints, and what have you. And that’s what I really want to do: small run, interesting styles. Instead of working so much in the wholesale business, on a one year swing, or six month swing, I want to release capsules of styles more quickly. Right now I can’t. I can design and produce something in weeks, but if I have to wait for the wholesale calendar it’s like eight months or something.
That’s where I want to go. And I want to do more collaborations. Get people in here with new prints and new styles and be able to bust out 100 of something and move on to the next style or next print.M: Lastly, what is the significance of the name Joshu + Vela?N: Joshu+Vela: my middle name, Joshu, and my original partner's middle name, Vela - who quit the business very early on - before we even rented space.M: Those are all my questions, anything else you’d like to add?
N: Oh, and I guess the other thing, since I’ve been talking so much about the logistics of the business side of this, is that I want to work with more fabrics and dyes and surface treatments, as well as prints. Working more with the artistry of fabric and fibers.(All images here within courtesy of Noah Guy and Joshu + Vela- all images copyright ©2012 / All Rights Reserved) - Oct 17, 12
This Saturday, October 20th, Revolver will participate in the Urban Air Market at its inaugural event in the Lower Haight. Haight Street from Webster to Pierce will be closed to auto traffic. Instead, the street will be lined with booths featuring 200+ independent designers selling clothing, accessories, jewelry, and other items. We've interviewed Danielle Cohen, director of Urban Air Market, about the event and she gave us the scoop on what it's all about. Come check it and us out!
Where did the inspiration for the Urban Air Market come from? Can you tell us what influenced you to begin developing this event?Urban Air Market began as Capsule Design Festival under it's previous event director, Harris Rosenbloom. When I took over, I changed the name and changed the focus to sustainable design- but kept all of the great aspects of the original bi-annual year show.I am on a mission to to provide people with fun opportunities to buy special things made by artists and designers. I guess the inspiration comes partly from the fact that I am an art and fashion lover. But I also believe that during our society's age of Walmart and mass production, we should all be thinking about our impact on the environment and our community.Featured vendor Meg A. Meyers' home decorWhat are the goals of the Urban Air Market? How many people are you hoping will attend?Urban Air Market is a showcase to celebrate local, independent design, and it's also a great way to meet new people and an awesome place to shop. Because it's free to attend, it's always difficult to estimate how many attendees we have. Our last count was about 3,000 visitors throughout the day.The shopping experience of Urban Air Market is a bit more old school, like when everyone bought their shoes and soap directly from the person that made it, and their food from the farmer who grew it. People really come together as a community at the marketplace. My long term goal is that we can all get back to that with festivals and neighborhood events like ours.Cute dresses by RebeFun socks: always a good look, compliments of ArgozHow have you gone about curating the vendors involved in the market?We have an application process through our website, so a lot of time vendors find us that way. I also go around to a LOT of fashion events and take note of the ones that stand out. What's also great is that our vendors tell their friends when they had a good time and word spreads that it's a great show to participate in.Jewelry by Siri HansdotterCan you give us a few highlights of people/designers/retailers to look out? Anyone you are super excited to be working with?Asking me to highlight my favorite vendors feels a little bit like asking me to choose my favorite child! I love the vendors that have been doing the show year after year, since it was Capsule, and I love the new vendors that launch their brand for the first time with us.Plimsolls and slip ons for summer casualsWhere do you see the future of the Urban Air Market headed? Is this an event you want to happen with more frequency, in different neighborhoods, etc?
We are expanding into a new neighborhood for the first time with Saturday's show in the Lower Haight and in November we will have a mini-design showcase as part of an SF Indie's DocFest, so yes things do seem to be happening with more frequency. I think with the right partnerships and the right team, I could produce Urban Air Market in multiple neighborhoods or in other cities. In 2014 it will be our 10th anniversary and I'd like to celebrate it in a BIG way.Where did the inspiration for the Urban Air Market come from? Can you tell us what influenced you to begin developing this event?Urban Air Market began as Capsule Design Festival under it's previous event director, Harris Rosenbloom. When I took over, I changed the name and changed the focus to sustainable design- but kept all of the great aspects of the original bi-annual year show.I am on a mission to to provide people with fun opportunities to buy special things made by artists and designers. I guess the inspiration comes partly from the fact that I am an art and fashion lover. But I also believe that during our society's age of Walmart and mass production, we should all be thinking about our impact on the environment and our community.What are the goals of the Urban Air Market? How many people are you hoping will attend?Urban Air Market is a showcase to celebrate local, independent design, and it's also a great way to meet new people and an awesome place to shop. Because it's free to attend, it's always difficult to estimate how many attendees we have. Our last count was about 3,000 visitors throughout the day.The shopping experience of Urban Air Market is a bit more old school, like when everyone bought their shoes and soap directly from the person that made it, and their food from the farmer who grew it. People really come together as a community at the marketplace. My long term goal is that we can all get back to that with festivals and neighborhood events like ours.How have you gone about curating the vendors involved in the market?We have an application process through our website, so a lot of time vendors find us that way. I also go around to a LOT of fashion events and take note of the ones that stand out. What's also great is that our vendors tell their friends when they had a good time and word spreads that it's a great show to participate in.Can you give us a few highlights of people/designers/retailers to look out? Anyone you are super excited to be working with?Asking me to highlight my favorite vendors feels a little bit like asking me to choose my favorite child! I love the vendors that have been doing the show year after year, since it was Capsule, and I love the new vendors that launch their brand for the first time with us. Some new and returning vendors at the October 20th show to look out for:Culk Ink (screen printed tees)Meg A. Meyers (home decor)Rebe (dresses)Argoz (socks)Daily San Franciscan (jewelry)Blu Kicks (Shoes)Jasper Hearts Wren (kids)*photos attached and named with associated designer/vendorWhere do you see the future of the Urban Air Market headed? Is this an event you want to happen with more frequency, in different neighborhoods, etc?We are expanding into a new neighborhood for the first time with Saturday's show in the Lower Haight and in November we will have a mini-design showcase as part of an SF Indie's DocFest, so yes things do seem to be happening with more frequency. I think with the right partnerships and the right team, I could produce Urban Air Market in multiple neighborhoods or in other cities. In 2014 it will be our 10th anniversary and I'd like to celebrate it in a BIG way.Where did the inspiration for the Urban Air Market come from? Can you tell us what influenced you to begin developing this event?Urban Air Market began as Capsule Design Festival under it's previous event director, Harris Rosenbloom. When I took over, I changed the name and changed the focus to sustainable design- but kept all of the great aspects of the original bi-annual year show.I am on a mission to to provide people with fun opportunities to buy special things made by artists and designers. I guess the inspiration comes partly from the fact that I am an art and fashion lover. But I also believe that during our society's age of Walmart and mass production, we should all be thinking about our impact on the environment and our community.What are the goals of the Urban Air Market? How many people are you hoping will attend?Urban Air Market is a showcase to celebrate local, independent design, and it's also a great way to meet new people and an awesome place to shop. Because it's free to attend, it's always difficult to estimate how many attendees we have. Our last count was about 3,000 visitors throughout the day.The shopping experience of Urban Air Market is a bit more old school, like when everyone bought their shoes and soap directly from the person that made it, and their food from the farmer who grew it. People really come together as a community at the marketplace. My long term goal is that we can all get back to that with festivals and neighborhood events like ours.How have you gone about curating the vendors involved in the market?We have an application process through our website, so a lot of time vendors find us that way. I also go around to a LOT of fashion events and take note of the ones that stand out. What's also great is that our vendors tell their friends when they had a good time and word spreads that it's a great show to participate in.Can you give us a few highlights of people/designers/retailers to look out? Anyone you are super excited to be working with?Asking me to highlight my favorite vendors feels a little bit like asking me to choose my favorite child! I love the vendors that have been doing the show year after year, since it was Capsule, and I love the new vendors that launch their brand for the first time with us. Some new and returning vendors at the October 20th show to look out for:Culk Ink (screen printed tees)Meg A. Meyers (home decor)Rebe (dresses)Argoz (socks)Daily San Franciscan (jewelry)Blu Kicks (Shoes)Jasper Hearts Wren (kids)*photos attached and named with associated designer/vendorWhere do you see the future of the Urban Air Market headed? Is this an event you want to happen with more frequency, in different neighborhoods, etc?We are expanding into a new neighborhood for the first time with Saturday's show in the Lower Haight and in November we will have a mini-design showcase as part of an SF Indie's DocFest, so yes things do seem to be happening with more frequency. I think with the right partnerships and the right team, I could produce Urban Air Market in multiple neighborhoods or in other cities. In 2014 it will be our 10th anniversary and I'd like to celebrate it in a BIG way. - Oct 16, 12
Revolver and Voyager is super stoked to be carrying a new range of leather goods from Singapore Artisan Leather brand Obbi Good Label. We've got several styles of wallets and belts from this fine purveyor of all things leather. Johnny (Scasi) Low of OGL was very kind to answer some questions about the inspiration behind what he does and how Obbi Good Label came to be what it is today.
Tell us about your journey: how did you end up producing leather goods? Was it always an interest? Why leather as opposed to some other form of apparel?
In 1998 I was a product specialist, helping an IT company to produce a range of luxury leather related items for use with PDAs (Palm Pilots, Handspring, etc.) My job was to build the brand from scratch, ally with the factories, merchandise the best quality leather and hardware, design the functionality; literally just what I’m doing now, but with someone else's money.
Over the years I have built strong labels and products working for various companies. I traveled frequently from 2003 to 2009, learned a lot about the business trade and met a lot of people. In 2007, I met an ex-colleague who asked me why I didn’t create my own brand and make leather related products again since the brand I built in 1998 had grown into a well known IT label. I heeded his advice and since I’ve always helped other companies to build their brands, why not do it for myself? That’s how Obbi Good Label was born.
In the beginning it was tough. Due to Obbi Good Label being in its early stages, I had to work with minimum quantities, so no suppliers and manufacturers would entertain me, Therefore, instead of relying on others with many years of leather craft skills, I started making leather goods myself, creating very small quantities.
It’s always been my interest to make leather products. There’s no boundaries in making things in leather and leather goods show wonderful patina after use. And this is an old fashion way and the leather lasts.
It is mentioned in your About Us section of your website that music is a big influence in your creative life. What are you listening to these days? What musicians/groups are exciting you?
Yes, music has always been a big part of my life, especially in my era when there was no internet, just good old music from radio, cassette tapes and CD’s. The main influence is the people making music, all different races and walks of life singing a tune, giving me music that has no boundaries.
I’m still stuck in the early 80-90’s era, and have been listening to the same albums. It’s like the “repeat track” mode. Lately, I started listening to Depeche Mode again after I saw their BBC interview.
All musicians and groups excite me, it really depends on the mood. Especially when you are working on a special project and need some elements of certain types of songs... maybe some bossa nova when making the ladies range??A key element to what you do and the products you produce is time, age, and wear. A well-used wallet or leather good tells a story. This seems to contradict the ultrafast lives we seem to live nowadays, with so much of what we do being mediated by the rapidity of technology. Why do you suppose customers are attracted to a product that takes time to break in? Is it important to remind your buyers that age is a natural element of the aesthetic of what you produce?Our works and products are our report cards. Every well worn product is shown whenever a customer uses it. My customers appreciate the breaking-in process and are also eager to show the world how well their OGL product has gathered patina. Eventually the posting of how well the products have worn on the internet will remind others that classic items will not and cannot be replaced. Only technology will be superseded by better technology.
We don’t do hard selling, but we make sure every piece of work we make must be able to age well.
What is the best/craziest story you've heard about an Obbi Good Label wallet? Where have your wallets travelled to?
Well, the most craziest story should be the current wallet tour that started last year. A Long Snake In Lay wallet will be used by 15 participants in the span of one and half years. Every participant will be posting the wallet version of “Where did the snake wallet go?” You can see the stories here: http://www.indigoroots.com/index.php?topic=424.0Obbi Good Label produces many custom, bespoke goods. This personalization must take a certain amount of dedication and craft. In an increasingly commercialized manufactured world, not many designers produce bespoke goods. Why is customization important to you? What kind of bespoke projects have you created?
The reason why most designers refuse to do bespoke is because of their operations. The ready-to-wear or used collections are normally the types that will provide better sales returns, and in order to meet deadlines and supplying quantities, they have to outsource, which makes it even more difficult in the coordination for bespoke. And when you have to do bespoke by yourself, you have to let go of the daily work and concentrate on that particular project, which is very time consuming.
Customizations is actually part of our skill improvement programs. It’s where we start making things that we have not yet tried, and therefore we take the opportunity to learn and improve our skill. We will not do away with bespoke because it has become part of our processes in the workshop. We love challenges.
We have made everything. Most recently, I was tasked with making a vintage-inspired ladies tote bag from a picture of Drew Barrymore carrying something similar in a movie, but I had no dimensions and no indication of the brand label. Literally there was no single references. But the end result of what I created was satisfying, both for me and the customer.What are your goals for Obbi Good Label? What is inspiring you now?
In the short term, we will be focusing a bit more on the ladies line “The Obbies” and creating more range in the “Brave” series while maintaining our evergreen line.
In the long term, we hope to reach out to all major cities carrying our products, not oversaturation, but developing one key partner in each city.
Our Brave series has had an overwhelming response, we are very happy and content with today’s success, and that has inspired us to work harder.
Thank you.
Johnny Low “Scasi” - Sep 19, 12
In our continuing effort to highlight the incredibly talented people who contribute their energy to Revolver and Voyager, we bring you an interview with our very own Taj Robinson. Taj is a world travelling lady who landed in San Francisco by way of Texas, New York and Thailand. Having resided here a few years now, she's made hay while the sun shines, creating and collaborating upon several venues for experiencing art while making art of her own and working on a soon to be released publication. She was super gracious to provide some information on her efforts and tell us about her voyaging and what she loves about SF.
How long have you been in SF? What originally attracted you here?
I first came to San Francisco in January of 2008. This is going to sound a bit corny, but I was looking for a new start. I visited one of my best friends who was living here at the time and just knew that I had found what I was looking for. I had just moved back to Texas from living abroad, and the city really spoke to the pace I was looking for. Not quite as calm at Thailand, not as familiar as Texas, and not as concentrated and busy as New York. It felt fresh and clean which excited me. I also found a schooling program that allowed me to focus my studies in a way that had been missing prior.
In truth there was one moment that happened when I knew that this was the place I wanted to be; we took the the scenic 49 mile drive and I fell in love with the climate here. The plants are so cool, straight out of Dr. Seuss.What were you doing in Thailand prior to returning to the states and moving to SF? Were you able to connect with an artist community there? Has living abroad affected your own art making?
In Thailand I was studying in a small fishing town and going up to Bangkok on the weekends to visit my boyfriend and dj here and there. He was working on a project called Bangkok International Art Festival and through this I interacted with a bit of the art scene in Bangkok. Those interactions definitely had a lingering effect on both my personal work and collaborative projects. Personally, I learned how to take photos while walking around the streets by myself as a foreigner, and still try to look at things in that way, like everything is new. Then with Unmarked Exhibitions we hope to work with a collective in Bangkok called Be Our Friend in the coming year, as well as a few friends that are still working in the art scene there currently.
You came to the Bay Area as a student, but you've been prolific in your output in the art community in SF. Can you tell us about the kind of projects you've worked/are working on? Kitsch, your upcoming book, etc.?
eeee. Thanks, prolific is a very nice word. Let's see. During school I met two other women, Nikki Mirsaeid and Myrina Tunberg. We were living together in a two bedroom apartment, taking turns with who stayed in the living room, and we all had this aha moment, that what we were doing was silly and if we just tried a little bit more we could have a much better situation and be having much more fun. We started looking for warehouses and people who would help us build out the space and create a community to live in it. We met those two people in the form of Dave Huebner and Johnny Abrahams, found the space located at the corner of 17th and Capp, and gathered a group of five other friends and artist to live and work in the space. Kitsch lasted for two years, housed a total of 22 artists in its 5,000 square feet, showed the work of 70 artists, and had regular music performances and screenings. But as is the nature of spaces like this, it came to an end. We started to get more attention for the entertainment commission because of a lack of sound permits, the crowds became a little too big, and our landlord decided against renewing our lease. However, from this experience two other projects were spawned: ALTAR and Examined/Active. ALTAR is a non-stationary curitoral project between Nikki Misraeid, Liane Al-Ghusain, and me that will come to climax for the first time on January 4th, 2013, with our debut church show, and Examined/Active is documentary project focusing on the current realm of active art spaces and artists working in the field of investigative living as well as operational land art. For me, I feel that both are a reaction to Kitsch. Examined/Active stemmed from a desire to have our space documented along with the efforts of art spaces that were located on the same block (primarily The Lab, Secret Alley, and Engine Works.) I felt that there was a community that very few people were actually experiencing but that was creating pretty great thoughts and ideas on living, producing, and experiencing art. I also felt a need for it to be recognized as coming out of, but as separate from, the alternative space movement, for the ideals and ethos are not the same. Then there is ALTAR and the fact that it is not located in any one spot. This is part by choice and part by necessity. It is heartbreaking to see the space you create in only last two years, so for now being non-stationary is our current solution as to not be heartbroken again.What are some of the spaces outside of SF that you visited for Examined/Active? Which was the most inspirational for you?
The first section of Examined/Active was a trip to the High Desert completed by Jean Yaste and myself. We went to Joshua Tree, Phoenix, Tucson, Bisbee, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Marfa, and Terlingua. The first book will come out as a grouping and directory of these spaces in the High Desert. Some of them that really stood out to me are A-Z West and High Desert Test Sites in Joshua Tree, Marfa Book Company and Crowley Theater in Marfa, Texas, and the Central School in Bisbee, Arizona. When we were at each spot we met and talked with the stewards for a while, took photos of the space, and sometimes got to take part in an event. You can see all the spots that we visited on the website examinedactive.us and we will hopefully have the book available soon at Revolver and Voyager.It is interesting how you said that you felt a need for the spaces you've visited for Examined/Active to be recognized as coming out of, but separate from, the alternative space movement. Could you elaborate on this?
When we were working on Kitsch, I had a hard time when asked what it was that we were or what we did. The only name that seemed to fit was “alternative space”. But I didn't feel like that fit what we were doing, or what any of the other people I knew were doing. I had read about the alternative space movement in the 70's, seen videos of happenings, watched it evolve through documentation into what it was that we were doing, and understood why some of the titles created then still seemed appropriate. However, I feel that the concerns that these spaces face in contemporary culture, the roles they play, and the common subjects of the work are quite different. It feels like a bit of a brush under the rug to call it the same thing as something that happened forty years ago. They are similar, one is a continuation of the other, but one of the goals of the project is to talk to people who are living it now, around the country, and see what it is that they call their work. What is it that they think they are doing? Through doing this I think we can collectively redefine and reexamine what it means to be an “alternative art space” in the current art realm.What is your overall feeling about the San Francisco Art "scene"? Is San Francisco a good place to make/see art? What is to be celebrated? Where is it lacking? What kind of things would you like to see happen here?
San Francisco is a good place to make and see art. However, there are things that seem to be stopping it from being a great place to make and see art.
To focus on the positive first: The Bay Area is very supportive of its artists. There are grant projects such as Alternative Exposure through Southern Exposure, you can find plenty of space and fiscal sponsorship through the efforts of places like Intersection for the Arts, there are great residencies such as The Headlands, MoMa SF does a wonderful job at including San Francisco based artists in its events and collection, and pretty much anyone is willing to work with you on anything. The city is full of people who want to being doing things, and are doing things. People who mix the genres of fine art, tech art, music, food, publications, design, retail, you name it, to create a hybrid art community. All of this creates a very supportive environment to create and view art in.
On the other side of that, there does seem to be a glass ceiling over the heads of San Francisco artists. I feel that this is a result of a few issues. There is a lack of documentation of the arts, a lack a critical discussion of shows and the accessibility of this information when it does happen, and a lack of international emerging representation. In short, San Francisco needs a new PR team. There are efforts of many here to connect with the outside art scene, to bring in internationally emerging artist, and to write about what is happening here so that it can be experienced by more than just the few that physically attend the events. However there needs to be more, much much more. I would highlight the efforts of Kadist and Art Practical.
How would you describe your role at Revolver/Voyager? What kind of skills are you bringing to the table? (I don't mean for that to sound as intense as it probably reads!)
As I mentioned in my rant above, San Francisco is a very hybrid community. I feel that Revolver and Voyager are as well. I first started at the store because of people that I had met while interacting with Kitsch. Then other people that I had worked with here and there on creative projects joined the family, and slowly more and more people from the community came to get involved. Revolver has become, in a way, its own little art space. I enjoy the fact that we carry jewelry and clothing lines in the store by people who I have had lasting friendships with and have collaborated with, people who I saw cutting their fabric patterns at Engine Works. I love that we host events like the Mission Night Market where other friends present their work and at which I had a great time creating an installation. While I was traveling for Examined/Active I was able to stay in touch through the blog and show people some of the cool projects we were finding on the road. And most recently I am excited about creating some photographs for a potential pop up under the theme Sex in the Woods. I've also been busy knitting scarf tubes under the name Let’s Talk About Gloves that are now available at Voyager and I can personally be found in the stores Monday through Thursday with the half chihuahua, half mini husky named pee wee. He’s becoming quite famous.(All images here within courtesy of Taj Robinson and Examined/Active- all images copyright ©2012 / All Rights Reserved) - Sep 05, 12
I've heard certain people bemoan the casual condition of people's dress in California, specifically in San Francisco, but I've found that where we may lack in formal attire, we more than make up for in our embrace of color and texture. Maybe it's the hangover of the psychedelic 60's and 70's, or the recent throwback to the neons and hyper colors of the late 80's/early 90's. Or perhaps it's simply a reflection of our epic blue skies and the lush colors found in the natural landscape and local flora, but I see much more play with palette in SF than most other places I've ever lived. My inspiration post for Revolver blog readers today revolves around cultures with rich histories of intoxicatingly colorful textiles, rich with warp, weft, and stitching that will make your eyes pop out of your head.
Guatemalan textiles piled high
Hmong tribe fabrics woven in Vietnam
Indonesian Batik pattern:
Pashtun embroidery from the Afghan/Pakistan border
Japanese Boro held together by many meticulous Sashiko stitches
- Aug 25, 12
Just 30 miles outside the Golden Gate, many San Franciscans don't even realize they are there. I had never heard of them until my landlady's son made mention of them. He told us that on clear days they were visible from our house on the hill, our castle in the sky, here in the Excelsior district. But as it was August and we were in the midst of full-on foggy season, I had to wait to catch a glimpse...
From the first time I spied them, they totally captured my imagination. I could easily and readily see myself living out my lifelong Island of the Blue Dolphins fantasies in some such magic place. They are the Farallon Islands and their history is rich and fascinating. From the Spanish word farallón meaning "pillar" or "sea cliff", the Farallones, today, exist as National Wildlife Refuge. The islands were once responsible for San Francisco's growth as fur trappers and eggers ventured to the Devil's Teeth (as the Farallones have been sweetly nicknamed) to reap nature's rewards, meanwhile throwing many seal and bird species' futures in jeopardy. Now closed to the public (and rightfully so; the island's native species have been pillaged and plundered over the centuries), the closest we can get is a ride on whale watching tour out of Sausalito. So close, yet so out of reach! Their mystery lives on.
Even more disturbing than overhunting and poaching is mention in both Wikipedia's Farallon Islands article and Rebecca Solnit's Infinite City's Poison/Palate chapter and map that the area surrounding the Farallones was at one time home to nuclear waste disposal sites!
We can paint a better picture of what these islands are and how vital the Farallones' ecological health is by watching documentaries (such as this one by Robert Talbot, marine photographer/cinematographer & preservationist; HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!) and reading books (such as this one by Susan Casey, writer/researcher & great white enthusiast). While you stop to ponder the Farallon Islands, I leave you with these images from the Farallones' past and present:
Rainbow over the islets with the North Farallones in the distance
"Eggers" took nearly a million eggs a year in the early years of San Francisco from the bird-covered Farallones Islands 27 miles west of the Golden Gate. A war broke out in 1863 between factions who desired sole access to the eggs, resulting in two casualties. But these weren't regular old chicken eggs; these were the nasty eggs of seagulls and murres. Yum.
1957
Oct. 7: San Francisco State College coed Myra Thompson failed in her attempt to become the first person to swim from the Farallon Islands to San Francisco. She was pulled out of the water only 2 miles short of her goal. She had swum through the treacherous waters for 241/2 miles before she had to give up, exhausted. The 22-year-old had been in the frigid water 18 hours. Her handlers in the escorting boat reported that she had swum strongly until within sight of the lights and bonfires at the foot of Taraval Street on Ocean Beach but then became exhausted and incoherent and was forcibly removed from the water.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Attempt-at-Farallones-to-San-Francisco-swim-fails-2499161.php#ixzz24bAysLRUBedlam Boy, an elephant seal, moves up the terrace toward the house.
Fur seal pup on the Farallon Islands
Photo by Jenny Erbes, courtesy PRBO Conservation Science.
- Aug 02, 12
The Bold Italic Shop is popping up at Voyager!
The Bold Italic is opening a pop up store for August and September at the newly expanded Voyager on Valencia St., San Francisco.
Come out to our OPENING PARTY on Friday, August 3rd from 6-9 p.m. to get first dibs on the merch. We'll be serving FREE BEER, and the folks who designed the shop products will be there to chum it up.
We'll have tons of new SF-designed products not yet in our online store, from exclusive items made just for our readers to cool products we've curated from around town. Here are just a few of the bold items we'll have for sale:
Accessories!
Hats from Paul's Hats; Jewelry from Salty Fox, Kyler by Joy O, Folia Design; Bags by Joshu+Vela, Alite, Rickshaw Bagworks; Sunglasses by Capital EyewearPosters and Prints!
By New Bohemia, Lisa Congdon, Volume Inc., DrywellNotecards!
By Hello! Lucky, Jayde Cardinalli, Jeremy Fish, Yellow Owl Workshop, Juan LeguizamonKickstarter Products!
By Mission Bikes, Oblique, Matt ChisholmThere will also be items by Yosh Han, Anzfer Farms, Kylea Borges, PaletteCase, and many others.
Opening Party this Friday, August 3rd from 6 to 9pm.
R.S.V.P. so we can get a count of who's coming.
Voyager is open from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. everyday.
- Jun 27, 12
We ladies here at Revolver and Voyager are stoked to be carrying a new line for women, San Francisco-based First Rite. Picture impeccably structured garments for women with an independent streak. This would be the go to label for Amelia Earharts and Katherine Hepburns. First Rite's owner and designer, Nikki Garcia, offered us some insight into her creative process, what makes First Rite work, and why she makes San Francisco home and HQ for her label. Read on, readers.
It's not super often that I get to interview a designer based in San Francisco! How long have you lived in SF? If you're a non native San Franciscan, what drew you here? What keeps you here? What is your favorite thing about SF?
I have been in SF almost 5 years now; I planned on moving here to study fashion design and then move elsewhere, but I fell in love with the Bay Area and California in general. I love the laid back vibe, that I can bike everywhere, and that so many outdoor adventures are so accessible.
When and how did you become interested in fashion?
I have had an interest in fashion my whole life, but decided to seriously pursue design after I finished my Bachelors in Business. I wanted to do something more creative and hands on, and had been altering thrift store treasures for a long time. I moved to SF to attend FIDM and learned everything I needed to know to create a garment from beginning to end.How did First Rite come into existence? Please tell us about the inception of your line.
While I was still in school I knew my end goal was to start my own business, so I began making and selling clothes in my free time.The line happened very naturally. The garments were getting a good response, I loved doing it, so I set it all up as a proper business and launched First Rite in Spring 2010.
What considerations come into play when you are designing for First Rite?
I think a lot about what I like to wear, what my friends like to wear, what fabrics are comfortable, and what will feel timeless and easy to wear. When there are pieces that I find myself wanting to throw on every day, I feel like I've accomplished my goal.Some of the items in your range are highly technical garments (I am thinking of the beautiful blazer with almost origami-like fold detailing in the front. It's also so beautifully lined.) Are these garments difficult to produce?
They are time consuming to produce; that jacket alone is comprised of something like 30 pieces, but it's not difficult. I really enjoy making the patterns and sewing the initial samples, and my sewers are professionals that blow me away with how fast they can catch on and finish a project. It can be challenging when I try something completely new, but in the end I learn a lot to move forward with. I put a lot of time and work into each garment to be sure they come out exactly as I pictured.
The aesthetic of First Rite is definitely overall femme, but so many of the designs are beautifully androgynous/subtly masculine. The garments look like clothes meant for adventurous women. Why is this ambiguity important? How do you achieve the balance?
I'm not a girly person, I prefer trousers and a blouse to a dress for dressing up any day. This aesthetic naturally carries into the line. The balance comes in the cut of the styles and drape of the fabric. I love to combine structured, tailored pieces, with softer and loose fitting styles.
What is currently inspiring you?
I am currently experimenting with different dye procceses and fabric painting techniques for my next collection. It has been a good experience for me because I'm not as focused on a controlled outcome like I am with the process of patternmaking. It's been fun developing ideas with the dyes as I go. I'm also loving mix and match prints in dark and neutral pallettes, loose silky layering, and the idea of quilting in clothing.(All photographs here within provided by Nikki Garcia/First Rite- all images copyright ©2012 Nikki Garcia / All Rights Reserved) - Jun 27, 12
There's this amazing thing that happens sometimes, especially in small cities, especially in a city as magically weird as San Francisco can be, where you stumble upon something or meet someone by chance and everything just opens up, wide open, right there. You realize how interconnected things can be, how your chance meeting in that place with that person has a greater significance, that you've known the same people, that you've drawn upon the same influences and shared the same subcultural secrets, that you and they are part of the same forever tangled web, the same karass, if you will. It was exactly this type of chance meeting that led me to Jack Halloway, Creator and Director of The Garage Sale Project. Here he tells us all about The Garage Sale Project and his San Francisco experience.
The Hydrodynamica Project show at The Garage Sale Project
How long have you lived in San Francisco?
This is my fourteenth year living in San Francisco.
What drew you here?
Budget rocknroll and burritos.
What keeps you here?
My community.
How does San Francisco inspire you?Tough one…..
I'm going to put on this new record by SF band The Mallard, and think for a spell.
The record by the way, is entitled "Yes On Blood". It's been very inspiring.
What is your favorite thing to do in SF?
I like eating at diners and coffee shops where old people sit and read the paper over watery black coffee.
It's getting nearly impossible to find those in this town anymore... Diners and old people. It's pretty sad.The Garage Sale Project in Juxtapoz MagazineFor uninformed readers, please tell us about The Garage Sale Project. How and when did it start? What was your inspiration?In 2008 I found myself sitting on piles of photographs along with a heap of cool objects I'd gathered over the years but none of it was inspiring anymore. I wanted to get rid of it all and move on. My dilemma: I needed to show my work to achieve true catharsis, but where could I do this? White walled galleries were too serious and espresso bars were not serious enough. I wasn't trying to be an artist but I keep a strict style book…. I needed a space that would show the work well. I made solving this problem into something fun...an "installation" piece. A fake gallery and sale showcase…all behind my crumby little garage door. I'd call it The Garage Sale Project, have a photo show, invite a few friends over and serve them cheap drinks like other joints did. I'd sell off my junk, make a little dough and move on. That was the plan.. "ONE NIGHT ONLY." I told friends and promoted a little... People didn't get it. "A what? In your where? Huh??" My "show" opened to about twenty friends on a cold and rainy December night in 2009. I pulled out my portable record player and blasted scratchy records by The Zeros and The Kingsmen. I sold nearly all my junk and gave away the rest. As for my photos, I never even thought to price them. They just hung there and I was satisfied. I accomplished my goal and other people enjoyed the experience apparently. Word got around and a few other friends asked about doing shows… I said, "Why not?" And so two and a half years later I'm still here doing... "ONE NIGHT ONLY."It's like a Medicine Show for art that rolls into town now and again….. ha...Flyers from past Garage Sale Project exhibitionsHow does the Garage Sale Project operate?On a broken shoe string, strong will and childlike wonder.
I have no operating budget and the only overhead is what we create per event. Shows come together organically, when I have time and funds available.
I was encouraged by some friends to apply for a grant once early on and was disappointed I didn't get it. In the time it took me to complete the grant package I could have worked a week and made enough money to pay for several shows.
I decided then, I'd go my way. On my dime, my rules. I'm not interested in jumping through hoops for a few bucks. When I need to get things done now I just do it. Creativity and drive make up any short comings in funding. Where there is a will there is a way.Happy CustomersIs it an effort to showcase local or lesser known artists?It's an effort to boost anyone on the fence over to the other side if that is where they want to be. The other side being the white walled side of things. This isn't a gallery. Galleries represent artists. I only present them. If I were to say I collect anything… it would be people, or… personalities really. I'm a personality collector. That's what I'm most interested in and The Garage Sale Project is just an outlet for whatever those personalities dream up.An opening at The G$PWhat have been your favorite shows to date?I can't go picking favorites!Hey, look over there…..SAVE THE ADOBE BOOKSHOPSAVE THE ADOBE BOOKSHOPSAVE THE ADOBE BOOKSHOPSAVE THE ADOBE BOOKSHOPSAVE THE ADOBE BOOKSHOPWork Hard Dream None; a video installation by Nicholas TorresAny upcoming shows you'd like to tell Revolver blog readers about?I'm working with SF artist and designer Jeff Canham to organize a giant garage sale of the past decades worth of his work… He is rad. It will be off the hook when it happens..…There is the first installment in my "Budget Adventure Series" called Moped to South America (yes, they did it. Six months… two mopeds... from SF to Tierra Del Fuego!) and coming up next…. I'm working with these crazy photographers who design photo booths…. and they are going to create a series of photo booth art experiences here in The Garage. Maybe the entire garage will be a photo booth and we will create the show over the course of the evening…. Yeah… I think that's what will happen. Sounds fun, right?There is a strong aural/musical element that compliments the Garage Sale Project. How has this come to be incorporated into the G$P? How do you go about curating it?Every experience has sound associated with it…. even if it's silence. I love sounds that get in your bones and rattle around inside you. What hits my nerves the most are the rough and airy sounding recordings of old blues and Gospel records, the raucous, fuzzy, trebly and reverb soaked sounds of early garage bands, and loud, fast and raw sounds of 70's punk. Every one of these genres was born from what is commonly known as "Early Blues "… basically the sound of a person stomping their foot and singing their heart out. The music was simple because they were only working with what was inside themselves…. the power comes from the delivery. That is how I feel about The Garage Sale Project….. I'm only working with what I've got inside and I'm doing my best to bang out simple songs from the heart. Once I've expressed what I wanted to get across, I'll stop.Flyer for Jack Halloway's premier exhibition at G$PAside from running the Garage Sale Project, you are a photographer. What projects (personal and professional) have you been working on?I like shooting people just living and doing everyday things. I try to capture an intangible essence of a situation and show the beauty or humor in the everyday. It doesn't always happen. Ha. Recently, I shot a series of portraits for this book on California art communities to be published this fall in Japan….should be cool… Currently I'm going through hundreds of images from three weeks on the road…. Milan, New York and Las Vegas. People are fascinating. Ok. I'm done… I need to flip the record and get some coffee.Jack Halloway's premier photozineJack Halloway(All photographs here within provided by Jack Halloway/The Garage Sale Project- all images copyright ©2012 Jack Halloway / All Rights Reserved) - Jun 13, 12
Revolver is super excited to carry a new line of jewelry in the shop: Brickhouse Metalworks, the creation of Sonni Brickhouse. Sonni is/was based out of Athens, Georgia, but has recently embarked on a transcontinental adventure that has brought about new inspirations, techniques and collaborations. She took the time to tell us about her work and the voyaging she's been enjoying. Stop by Revolver to check out her goods.
How did you come to be interested in jewelry design/making? Are you formally trained?
I started making jewelry in Valdosta, Georgia. It's very far south in GA. I was formally trained by Al Park at Valdosta State University. I moved to Athens, GA in January 2010 and continued with their program that was an all encompassing jewelry/metalwork program. I learned casting, hollow form fabrication, raising, forging, and mechanisms there. I knew as soon as I took my first saw blade to a sheet of silver that I wanted to be a master jeweler and metalsmith. That's what I'm working towards in my life now.
Bronze cast pea pod from 2010
You are based in Athens, GA. What about Athens gives rise to such creative folk? Does Athens influence your jewelry and metalwork?Athens is a very liberal bubble in Georgia, it's where all the artists flock to because of the university. It's also a music hub- REM, Widespread Panic, The B-52's and many other musicians are from there. In my world, music and jewelry go hand in hand. A lot of my clients come to Athens for the music and my jewelry finds a place in their life. I'm inspired by positive grooves and good music. Without the subculture that goes with the music, I wouldn't be where I am today.Silver champagne chalices- The King and QueenI hear that you make your own chain! Was this a difficult skill to pick up? Why is it important to you to make your own chain when possibly cheaper or easier options exist?I find that the devil is in the details sometimes, meaning the small things are what can make and break a piece. Especially when my pieces are so small, there's not much to look at, so I notice every little thing that could be better. I strive to keep my work as authentic as possible and I don't cut corners for my own satisfaction. If in doing production work I realize I can't weave 1000 feet of chain for 100 necklaces and keep my prices down, [I won't]. So in those cases I use manufactured chain, but my custom heady pieces I feel an obligation to make everything down to the alloy of silver or gold I use sometimes."Cupcake" pasties- made from color vinyl records, silver and CZ stonesWhat are your current inspirations?My current inspirations come from a very special community of glass blowers all around the country. My boyfriend is an amazing glass artist and we have been making work together recently. This community is often referred to as degenerate artists by the academic community because they have no formal training. They are pioneers in their medium and style of lamp working. But there is no short of creativity or talent in this community. In fact, glassblowing is what brought me to San Francisco. My boyfriend Eusheen was teaching a borosilicate lamp working class at Revere Glass School in Berkeley. That whole community has taken me in even though I work in a different medium.First collaboration with Eusheen; he made the marble.How do you find working in San Francisco different than working in Athens? Has your creative process or inspirations changed with your change in environment?Right now my environment is changing constantly. Eusheen and I are on a mega road trip and we drove out to San Francisco from Georgia so I find a constant in my work. My inspirations are coming in from everywhere but I still manage to find my constant in the processes themselves. That alone makes me feel at home."The Pendulum" necklace- Sonni wove the chain for this one and used gold solder for all the connections.Do you find that collaborating with your boyfriend has opened new venues for your jewelry?Since I started working with Eusheen an entirely different world has opened up to me. It's so underground I can get down in the nitty gritty that formal society might not like with my work and I know I can sell it to a very open community. I have been making stash boxes and jewelry you can smoke with and stuff and that has been shunned by the Fine Art community, but now I can make whatever I want and I have two polar opposite crowds I can cater to. It's very rare and I feel totally blessed to have fallen in this position.Stash compact made of copper and silver, for your secrets.What are your aspirations for Brickhouse Jewelry?As far as Brickhouse Metalwork, I want to take it as far as I can. Eventually I want to settle and open a retail store where I can have my workspace there and make custom pieces on the spot. I have been so enthralled with weddings lately. I realized the possibilities are endless and I want to make wedding bands that are customized to the couple along with wedding accessories and bridal party gifts. My commissions have really paid off and all I want is for my work to have a place in someone's life, and what a better way for that to happen? I love that my work is a symbol for eternal love between two people. It makes me gush inside and it gives me the drive to continue.Collaborative cuff Sonni and Eusheen made.(All photographs here within provided by Sonni Brickhouse/Brickhouse Metalwork- all images copyright ©2012 Sonni Brickhouse / All Rights Reserved)-How do you find working in San Francisco different than working in Athens? Has your creative process or inspirations changed with your change in environment?-Do you find that collaborating with your boyfriend has opened new venues for your jewelry?-What are your aspirations for Brickhouse Jewelry?-How do you find working in San Francisco different than working in Athens? Has your creative process or inspirations changed with your change in environment?-Do you find that collaborating with your boyfriend has opened new venues for your jewelry?-What are your aspirations for Brickhouse Jewelry?-How do you find working in San Francisco different than working in Athens? Has your creative process or inspirations changed with your change in environment?-Do you find that collaborating with your boyfriend has opened new venues for your jewelry?-What are your aspirations for Brickhouse Jewelry? - Jun 06, 12
Started in 1995, You Must Create is an English label with two eponymous shops in London. Drawing on diverse sources of inspiration, YMC creates beautiful and bold clothing for the chic and cheeky set. Their designs are clean, a bit vintage inspired, a bit workwear inspired, a bit outdoorsy, and decidedly fun. YMC's designer, Jody Fraser, answered a few questions for Revolver about his processes and inspirations, past and current.
In your "About" section on the website, you've included the sentence "YMC were and will always be defined as much by what they are against as what they are for." This contradiction makes for an interesting point of departure for creating. What is YMC against? What is YMC trying to achieve? Where are the places where these dichotomies meet?This comment highlights how we are reactionary in our design process. We react against the norm, we are always looking forward, we reject what is perceived as a current trend. My natural instinct when I am designing is to try to reinvent the unexpected.
You've also included the sentence "Favoured designers are those anonymous souls behind the functional clothing of the factory worker, the soldier, and the ourdoorsman." This is a highly utilitarian vision of what fashion can be. Surely not everyone following your brand is a prole, soldier of camper. How do you tow the line between function and appealing to the savvy YMC devotee simply interested in designs with special detail?These functional designs have always had an influence on youth culture and design. It is impossible not to take from the past, but what is important is that things are not taken too literally; we like to twist things to create something new. I do think our customer appreciates microscopic detailing as the art to this sort of clothing is creating the right balance between style and functionality.
There is something classic and deeply satisfying about clothing inspired by military wears. Why do you suppose this is? Is it because form is carefully considered in developing military clothing and equipment? For you, where does it aesthetic value come from?The functionality of military and workwear has always been appealing to me. Everything is there for a reason, therefore nothing is over designed which to me is eternally important.I love the Radio Buzzy section of your website! It is a fantastic inclusion of rare gems. How much does music influence what you do at YMC? Do you consider yourself a crate-digger? I can imagine you have a pretty extensive collection of vinyl. Does this type of more multimedia inclusion draw any unsuspecting followers to YMC?Being a 40-something British resident there was no avoiding our music and youth culture scenes. When I was growing up music was always my first love and then my interest in clothes naturally followed. The tribal uniforms of the different youth scenes have an never ending appeal in fashion.I prefer 'vinyl junkie' rather than crate digger! There is nothing better that spending a day at a flea market or record fair; it's my passion. I have been collecting now since I was 13 and have a shed / office at the bottom of my garden dedicated to my collection. I think our fan base has a similar mindset to me.....music and clothes to some people are all part of a bigger lifestyle. For instance the musicians we seem to attract have always been regarded as having sartorial elegance....Paul Weller, The Horrors, The Black Lips, etc.Your S/S 2012 manifesto mentions a diverse number of influences: Swallows and Amazons, WW1 military tunics, the Lake District and Home Counties, Belmondo movies of the late 60's, Milanese and Torinese scooter boys and girls of the Eighties who in turn inspired football casuals and the Pet Shop Boys, and now you, to name a few. These influences are worldly in their appeal but also seem especially significant to English culture. Do you feel that YMC is a decidedly English label or is your scope larger than all that?I like to think we have universal appeal but there is no denying my roots are in English youth culture. Growing up, American culture also had a big influence. I'd like to think I'm a cultural spoke and am open to ideas from all places.What are your current/newest inspirations/aspirations?
S/S 13 I was listening to a lot of early 60s surf and girl group sounds as well as rare glam and post punk. Bar the glam, I'd say everything I was listening to has had an influence on the collection. I suppose I create a soundtrack in my head as I'm designing which runs along to my imaginary movie!!
(All photographs here within are copyright of You Must Create- all images copyright ©2012 YMC / All Rights Reserved)-Your S/S 2012 manifesto mentions a diverse number of influences: Swallows and Amazons, WW1 military tunics, the Lake District and Home Counties, Belmondo movies of the late 60's, Milanese and Torinese scooter boys and girls of the Eighties who in turn inspired football casuals and the Pet Shop Boys, and now you, to name a few. These influences are worldly in their appeal but also seem especially significant to English culture. Do you feel that YMC is a decidedly English label or is your scope larger than all that?I like to think we have a universal appeal but there is no denying my roots are in English youth culture. Growing up American culture also had a big influence, I'd like to think I'm a cultural sponge and am open to ideas from all places. - Jun 05, 12
Han Kjøbenhavn is a Danish clothier based in Copenhagen that produces simple, innovative and aesthetically beautiful garments that can really withstand the elements. With Copenhagen's weather being not so dissimilar to San Francisco, their designs are perfect for remaining classically stylish in the fog. Jannik of Han took the time to answer some questions about Han Kjøbenhavn's motives and mission.
First off, for our non-Danish blog readers, can you please tell us how to pronounce Han Kjøbenhaven phonetically? What is the significance of the name Han Kjøbenhaven?
It is pretty straight forward, you pronounce it like this: Han Kjø-ben-havn. The "ø" is only used in the Danish alphabet and has a pretty unique sound. It's difficult for non-Danish people to pronounce it.
"Han" is Danish for "he" and "Kjøbenhavn" is they way Copenhagen was spelled in Denmark back in the day. It captures the classic aspect that we use whenever we create something.
Han Kjøbenhaven began in 2008 in Copenhagen. What was the initial inspiration/concept behind the beginnings of this brand?
Using the heritage principles as a platform to evolve a different scandinavian look. And using unpolished local people to tell the brand's story.
What inspires you today?
Our Danish furniture heritage is something that we love and use when creating something. The work of Arne Jacobsen, Hans Wegner and Finn Juhl is impressive down to the tiniest detail. The way they work with materials, lines and space is something everybody should strive to do.
And as mentioned earlier, we love unpolished honest people. Using Imperfection, flaws and vulnerability as a contrast to the clean scandinavian mentality, that's what Han Kjøbenhavn is.
Many of Han Kjøbenhaven's designs include a high attention to detail in order to produce a very utilitarian product (for example; using military nylon rip-stop, heavy weight thermo padding, waterproof tapered seams, etc.) When designing for Han Kjøbenhaven what considerations are taken in order to balance function with form?
On a functional level, details need to serve a purpose. And when creating stuff we have to take the unbelievable shitty Copenhagen weather into consideration and try to make something that can deal with that. If we succeed with that then the product should be fine for all other countries as well.
Do you feel that Han Kjøbenhaven represents Danish fashion/design? If not, how does it differ from what you (or other audiences) perceive as being typically Danish? If so, in what ways does Denmark shape Han Kjøbenhaven?
Many of the younger Danish brands have their roots in the streetwear, while we create our stuff from a more classic platform. That said, I would'nt call us a heritage brand, but we think that the quality of the product is as important as the design itself.
I notice that Han Kjøbenhaven sources many of its textiles from Japan (Japanese selvage denim and wool.) Is this coincidental or is it indicative of the quality of Japanese textiles? How did this sourcing come about?
It's not coincidental; we always source the materials regarding what's best for the specific style whether its Japan, Oman or Portugal. But again we are not just doing it because there is a trend among consumers that everything has to be Japanese or something. There are bullshit materials coming out of everywhere so you just have to selective and try hard to find the best out there.
The short films available on the Han Kjøbenhaven website are really incredible. They are so cinematic, moody, and darkly funny in a way, while effectively showcasing the clothing. How did these videos come about? And how are the characters casted? There are some really grizzly looking dudes in this vignettes!
Thanks!. We street cast the people and let them be themselves by creating a story where they fit in. The cast and the story is always the priority while the products just have to complement it.
What's new/next?
We are just finishing up our AW12 short film as we speak. That should be very entertaining.
We are also looking for spaces to open up a new store and hope to have something ready in the new year.
(All images here within courtesy of Han Kjøbenhavn- all images copyright ©2012 Han Kjøbenhavn / All Rights Reserved)
- Jun 05, 12
Hello and welcome to the second installation of profiling the incredible talent that makes Revolver possible. This time around I had the chance to talk with up and coming artist, Hilde Lynn. For now you can find Hilde setting the stage at Revolver and Voyager, and I suspect hers is a name you will hear aligned with the heavy hitters of the arts community, both in San Francisco and abroad. Keep your sights set on this one.
How do you align yourself in the context of the "Art World"? You are pretty much a native Californian, do you feel like a "Californian Artist"? Are you a "Performance Artist", an "Interventionist Artist", "Feminist Artist", or do you choose to eschew such labels?
(All images here within courtesy of Hilde Lynn- all images copyright ©2012 Hilde Lynn / All Rights Reserved)Hmmm. Well, there's this elusive thing I hear about called the "Art World" and with that comes an "Art Market" which in turn seems to dictate the History of Art. Ufff. Idealistically and intellectually, I think art making in the contemporary sense should have very little do with stacking your portfolio and securing investments with blue chip art, but I'm also not a business person and I'm not old. I'm well aware that doe eyed creatures like me make naive criticisms of systems we'll eventually reproduce so I'll save that for another time. I will say this though, I think money is a lousy way of keeping score of things.In terms of how I am branded or can be branded, I'm not really so sure. Yes, I'm a Feminist. Yes, I live in California. Yes, I am a cosmopolitan. Yes, I'm of the Millennial/Facebook generation. Yes, I interact with my audience and "perform." Yes, I went to San Francisco Art Institute and I have a long lineage of artists who have preceded me. I guess at some point someone will need to make a few hashtags or catch phrases to make me memorable to a larger audience. My friend from school and I recently made this powerpoint presentation called "The Art You Like and (How it Emotionally Resonates.") I went through dozens of works and artists that you're basically forced to memorize during art school. It becomes like a mantra to name drop and cross reference. We were dying laughing when we'd say out loud how we actually remember each artist. For example, Paul McCarthy just said "Ketchup and shit. He's a male genius." Vienna Actionism was something like "my sexual nightmares." Terrence Koh's salt installation was "Cocaine mountain." I've thought a lot about the process of learning and the tons of neuroscience that is now proving that we remember through emotional conditioning. Learning is a delicate and almost uncontrollable process. I think that is why the process of naming and branding can be so problematic for something like art.I fantasize about shaving my head and getting a snake tattoo around my skull. Maybe art students of the future will just remember me as "that medusa chick."You have spent a great deal of time in Scandinavia. Do you feel like a "Scandinavian Artist"?
Ha ha. No, I don't consider myself a Scandinavian artist. However, I did live in that part of the world during very formative periods of my life. I moved to Oslo when I was 22 and basically "grew up" ideologically as well as politically. I lived in Russian back in 1994/95 just after the USSR crumbled and I witnessed the failure of communism but living in Scandinavia and seeing a social democracy that (for the moment) is in tact and thriving really changed the way I see the world.
How has living in Scandinavia impacted your art?
Here's an example:
I studied for six months in Gothenburg at Valand Academy of Art. It was the middle of the winter, it was dark, and I knew absolutely no one. I sat in my studio for days and days not really knowing what to do with myself. It felt like depression (maybe it was depression?) You see, Swedes close like flowers in the winter. It was impossible to make friends so I began obsessing over my limited social interactions during those short winter days. I thought a lot about performing "Swedish-ness" and wondered if I could ever jail break their social codes or if I was destined to be the clumsy foreigner always on the outside.
Meanwhile, I found out that Greta Garbo is considered to be the patron saint of Gothenburg. Her international fame and Hollywood career was due largely to her ability to control her facial expressions with extreme precision while maintaing an air of nuance and mystery. Her personal life was also very interesting to me as she achieved a high level of success and then just basically walked away from it all one day to become a recluse in New York City. Paradoxically, I felt like I was living the inverse of her life. I came from California into Sweden and was forced into solitude. I felt like I could control very little of the way I was perceived because I did not know how to read into Swedish social cues. They are much more nuanced than Americans, I can tell you that! At the end of Garbo's career, many people were speculating that she was too sophisticated for American audiences as she was not a sex icon per se nor was she a comedic actress in the obvious sense. She performed her last screen test shortly after WWII had ended and she was told that she was too old and unreadable to American audiences, so she quit, just like that.
I watched this screen test over and over. I found her face evocative with this intoxicating ability to transcend culture. I began to memorize this performance and try performing it myself. She was impossible to keep up with so I slowed it down and noted every single movement and emotion that came across her face. I was reading Paul Ekman's Emotions Revealed at the time so I had tons of ideas about the different psychological states she would throw herself in and out of. I finally got up the nerve to film myself performing Garbo. I thought it looked great. I thought "I look pretty fucking Swedish there. They gotta love me." When it was screened at a show, people rushed up to me and complimented me on how much I remind them of Marilyn Monroe. Basically, my entire hypothesis crashed. No, they could not take me serious. No, I could not play with readable nuances the way I wanted to. It was all exhilarating and frustrating simultaneously. I decided to let it be. Ironically, I made zero friends when I lived in Sweden but my four closest friends in San Francisco are Swedish. They tell me all the time that I am not an American. I don't think I'll figure that one out anytime soon.
Your artistic practice tends to manifest itself in performative and interventionist ways (I'm thinking about "Take My Scars" and "Stinky Pinky's Nail Salon") Can you elaborate on these projects for our readers who are not familiar with your work? Any new projects brewing that you'd like to divulge?
Those are my two largest collaborative projects to date.
Charles Papillo and I started Take My Scars for two reasons. 1) We were obsessed with Nev Campbell in The Craft (She was our mascot.) 2) We were obsessed with the idea of advice hotlines; Who the fuck are these people that dole out advice and who are the people who actually take it? Charles and I give each other advice all the time so we thought maybe we could give advice to strangers. People called for an array of reason, some serious, most not. We also got to use some of our alter egos as characters. The advice varied based on who we were when we gave out the advice. We recorded all of the conversations and eventually we'll make some music with it.
Stinky Pinkies, I did with Quintessa Matranga. It all started because we were becoming friends and doing girly stuff like painting each others nails. We thought it was amazing how good you felt during the process and how happy you felt after. We treated each nail bed like a little canvas so each nail was different. We were taking a class at the time with Sharon Grace who helped develop the internet back in the 70's. She was obsessed with ways to eliminate alienation and human suffering. Sharon totally inspired us. We decided to open up a guerilla-style free nail salon to basically make people feel good. It worked! What we would do is basically a group painting. We had two people sit down and cross arms so they'd be touching. Quintessa and I would get to paint both "customers" at the same time. Everyone loved it. We were surprised at how many men were down with the idea. People really opened up. We got serious, gossiped, joked and cheered on everyone who sat down. People told us about their issues, deconstructed politics, bitched about their jobs, pontificated about love and we did the same. I learned so much and feel very grateful to have had so many interesting encounters with my community. (I'm mildly obsessed with Barbara Streisand as a person so if you google my name and her, you can see the ten portraits of B I painted on someone's nails.)
Your practice seems to drive home the idea of human interconnectedness and seemingly aims to create a space where people are forced to interact with one another and let down their guard in ways they wouldn't necessary be able to in the context of their usual, day-to-day lives. Do you feel like your art is successful at achieving this? How do you create an environment in which participants in your work agree to shed their inhibitions? Have you ever run into an instance where someone was an unwilling participant?
The complicated thing about one's own subjectivity is that you can never really know if you're 100% effective or not. I'm not sure if people understand the mechanisms I tamper with in order to get people to connect. Thus the reason that I want my art to at least be enjoyable and mildly entertaining. So maybe if the audience doesn't go home and think about their own human connections, at least their nails will look sexy.
Last year I tried to create a public forum for people to develop a platform for discussing pornography as a cultural institution outside of morality. This was an epic flop. People can't seem to separate from pornography emotionally. I'm still thinking about this one.
When I want someone to shed their inhibitions, I am forced to shed my own. I think I got this basic concept at a very young age. I have a brother who is 13 months younger than me. I was always the "brave one" to do things first. My mom would ask me to try something and I would and then she'd say "Look Erik, Hilde is eating it and she likes it." He'd look at me and usually decide that if something was good enough for me then he should at least give it a shot. I uphold this principle in my practice. I won't ask people to do anything that I wouldn't or haven't done myself. People have tried to accuse me of exploitation in the past and I love being able to remind them that I'm right there with my subject.
I did another project with Quintessa Matranga a couple months ago called "Young at Love." We had ten women come into my studio to make out with their hands for the camera. I went back to them a few weeks later and asked them to "teach me how to love you in two minutes or less." I wanted to make an audio recording of them going through this process verbally while watching them perform this masturbatory action . I thought the juxtaposition would make for an interesting portrait. One of the girls allowed me to film her French kissing her hand but would not talk to me about love. It was crazy-making. She was really stubborn. Due to some strange technologic fluke, we had to cut her out of the project entirely but I found it interesting that charm, intellect, begging and pleading were of no consequence. Its hard to work with humans sometimes.
What do you feel is the greatest sacrifice artists must make in order to achieve their art? What has been yours?
I'll probably always be poor and frustrated.
I'm poor now and its frustrating. (Mind you I just graduated a week ago so I probably don't know what I am talking about)
Who are your favorite artists?
My favorite artists are my friends. Charles Papillo, Johanna Friedman, Elin Bengsston, Quintessa Matranga, Roxy Farhat, "Cookie" Kakan Irandoost, David Ohlsson, Dit-Cillin, my brother Erik Lynn and on and on. I was very close to George Kuchar and he has greatly influenced the way I treat my work and the people around me.
Bigger-named people who I don't know but I really like include Rineke Dykstra, Nikki S. Lee, Candice Breitz, Trisha Donnelly; the list goes on...
What inspires your art these days?
I think the better question is "What are you obsessed with these days?" Right now I'm really kind of obsessed with the IDEA of being in love. I wonder if the currency of romantic love is sustainable in any practical application. We'll see where this one takes me. Ha!
What's next?
I want to get to Berlin and make a film with my friend Hanne. She says she wrote a role that I was born to play. I'd like to be an actress for a while. Until then you'll find me interloping around SF.
- May 04, 12
Style Forum 10 Year Anniversary Showcase and Party
Join us tomorrow May 5th from noon to 8pm at the W Hotel San Francisco for the 10 Year Styleforum Anniversary Party and Showcase.
San Francisco will be well represented with vendors and makers including Tailor/Stitch, Goorin Bros, Jack Knife, Revolver, Brooklyn Circus and other highlights from Men's apparel including Yuketen, Leather Soul and others.
Meet other enthusiasts to love discussing everything from the best wool suits to foot wear to the wear of indigo dyed items over time.
We'll be show casing some of our favorite items from Hixsept, Dillon Montara, Denham the Jeanmaker, Apolis, Metsa Yuketen and other brands we stock and we'll be doing something interactive as well for people to enjoy.
More info @ Style Forum's Anniversary Details Page
- Nov 29, 12
We're pleased to share with the world our Summer 2012 Lookbook. We had a great time shooting this in the back roads of Big Sur. Featuring some new brands and classics from our favorites - we hope you like this spring/summer pairing set against a wonderful backdrop of Californian geography.
Download Revolver Summer 2012 Lookbook (PDF) - Apr 04, 13
Black Crane is a gorgeous line created by Momo Yamaguchi. Based in Los Angeles, Momo and her husband Alexander Yamaguchi (who has his own line of menswear also available at Revolver) have created a life that is reflected in their designs; beauty, simplicity, a deep appreciation for nature, and elegance reign here. Momoko took the time to answer some questions for us about her processes, influences, and inspirations.
Black Crane Spring 2012
You began your career in environmental art and architecture. How did you make the transition to clothing and jewelry design? How does your background in environmental art and architecture influence the way you work with jewelry and textiles?My husband started his own clothing line called Alexander Yamaguchi about 10 years ago. Designing and building a space is not something you can do by yourself and it's not as simple of a process as clothing. As I watched my husband produce his own line, I wanted to create what I want to wear.....It was very natural start for me.
I profoundly adore Carlo Scarpa, an Italian architect who is a true prodigy of details, reflecting the intrinsic beauty of joints and connection. When I design my collection, I find myself enjoying keeping the whole design very simple, but always placing settle details, specially on the threshold for different fabrics.Cutting Space
What influences do you draw upon in your designs? What are your inspirations?The world around me.
I love watching people on the street and hiking to find a great deal of beauty in the nature.
The inspiration is the endless.Concept DeskShow SpaceYou are based in Los Angeles. How does California, and more specifically, Los Angeles influence your work?I believe my collection reflects my daily life in LA. It is very simple, casual and relaxed.Momoko's Home
What is the significance of Black Crane? Where did the name originate from?Originally my brand name was Black Pupil to indicate my Japanese roots, but I had to change the name due to a trademark issue.
The crane symbolizes happiness in Japan and I think it is simply elegant.Pattern Room
What's next for Black Crane? What are your goals for your line?What's next..... I would love to explore by using more different materials.
My goal is to create the line that people would think as timeless pieces.Drawing Desk(All photos courtesy of Momoko Suzuki and Black Crane)Black Crane is available at Revolver.
You began your career in environmental art and architecture. How did you make the transition to clothing and jewelry design? How does your background in environmental art and architecture influence the way you work with jewelry and textiles? - Apr 25, 12
The 55th Annual San Francisco International Film Festival is underway as I write. If you happen to be a cinephile (we are!) or even just a casual film appreciator, there are selections and programs for everyone. Showcasing everything from narratives to documentaries to avant-garde shorts, the San Francisco International Film Festival is comprehensive in bringing the best films the world over to the San Francisco Bay Area. I had the opportunity to speak with Rachel Rosen, Director of Programming at the San Francisco International Film Festival, and she filled me in on the history of the film festival and some of the many thrilling events included in this year's fest. Swing by Revolver to pick up your SFIFF mini guide.
Can you give us a brief history of the San Francisco International Film Festival? How many years has the film fest run?
The San Francisco International Film Festival is the oldest film festival in the Americas. We’re celebrating our 55th anniversary this year. The festival was started in 1957. It showed a lot fewer films back then, but basically, its core mission was remarkably similar to what it is 55 years later which is to bring a great showcase of international films to the San Francisco Bay Area.
There was a founder of the film festival whose name was Irving “Bud” Levin. He had put on some screening series in the city and then he came up with the idea of having an international film festival here.How were the selections made? Is there a curatorial theme behind the choices?
Well, themes emerge as we’re programming but, again, the real idea behind putting the program together is to have the broadest possible selection of excellent films from around the world to bring to San Francisco. So we’re looking to remind audiences, or offer audiences, a selection that includes all kinds of films so we don’t shun Hollywood mainstream cinema if it’s great and we have everything from that down to avant garde shorts and shorts by young filmmakers, all kinds of documentaries, all kinds of narrative features.Do this year’s film fest differ from years past? If not, how are they similar?
Every year there are variations which is what keeps it exciting. So in each crop there are subtle variations; I would say this year we saw a bit more good comedy then we’ve seen in past years. It’s hard for me to trace back a “why” to that. Because of the production cycle of filmmaking, it’s hard to say whether things are getting better and so we are able to laugh about them, or things are getting worse and we need to laugh about them.
The other thing I would say for this year is that we always showcase a lot of Bay Area work in the festival, but somehow the participation of Bay Area talent is really well integrated into the festival this year. For instance, last night [Monday, 23 April] we had a really great program at the Castro Theater. We always do something with silent film and live music. Just by happenstance, the musician we wanted to work with, Merrill Garbus, from tUnE-yArDs, lives in the Bay Area. And we would have wanted to work with her no matter where she’s based, but it was an extra treat that she’s local. Similarly, we give a bunch of awards and tributes during the festival and the screenwriter that we’ve chosen to honor this year, David Webb Peoples, happens to be a long-time East Bay resident. As I said, we would have wanted to honor him no matter where he was from but it’s great that it’s another local talent.As you’ve mentioned, there are several live events that tie into other realms of filmic experience. (There was the tUnE-yArDs performance alongside Buster Keaton shorts Monday night, as well as the Master Classes and Salons, the lecture by Jonathan Lethem this past Saturday, and the upcoming performance by Yo La Tengo that will complement and provide live soundtrack to the documentary about R. Buckminster Fuller.) How did these live events come about? It must take a huge effort to create such comprehensive programming.
The programs that involve a live element are always the most rewarding and take the most effort to put together, but I think they are most exciting because you never know what’s going to happen. They are once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Festivals always have a live element to them, or most of them do, and we certainly do by having as many filmmakers as we can come and talk about their films before and after their screenings. But these programs, mainly in our Tribute section and our Live and Onstage section, are really designed to create a unique experience for the audience: a once-in-a-lifetime thing. They involve a whole extra level of production. There were multiple musicians on stage [Monday] night for the Merrill Garbus performance. And Sam Green’s documentary, The Love Song of R. Buckminster Fuller, not only involves musical accompaniment by Yo La Tengo, but it’s what he calls a “live documentary” so he does the narration himself, live, during the performance.
Some of [the programs] are more low-key. One thing we’ve been doing for the past few years is having Porchlight at the film festival. If you’re not familiar with it, Porchlight is a storytelling series that takes place around the city in different venues. The one we do at the festival, the theme is, and all the stories have to do with, filmic experiences, so that we can both draw upon locals who have been involved in film productions and get tons of our visiting filmmakers to tell stories.That sounds like such a cool event. I saw Beth Lisick, one of Porchlight’s SFIFF hosts, read two weekends ago as part of Sister Spit in Oakland. She’s wonderful.
She’s great, really great. I’ll say that we had a Porchlight two years ago that kind of went awry. it became very uncomfortable and very strange. Even at the time that it was happening, I was really glad that we were doing it because of that element of danger; things can go really great or really wrong and that's part of what adds to the excitement of the evening.Rachel Rosen, director of programming for the San Francisco Film Society, with Benoit Jacquot, director of FAREWELL, MY QUEEN, the Opening Night film at the 55th San Francisco International Film Festival, April 19, 2012.Photo credit: © Pamela Gentile, courtesy of San Francisco Film Society
What are some of the stand out films yet to screen? What are the films you would absolutely recommend that viewers not miss?
Of course this is always a really hard question to ask a programmer because I like so many of the films in the festival. It’s a relatively long running festival so most of the festival is yet to come and there are some really great things to see. Kind of in line with what I was just saying, a lot of our special events are still to come. We have Judy Davis who is going to be here on Wednesday, 25 April, doing a live, on stage interview which will be followed by a new film that she’s in. I think she is one of most interesting actresses out there so I really look forward to those programs where people can get the experience of hearing someone and seeing them that they don’t normally get.
And I also would recommend one kind of obscure program that people might not think about which is we give an award each year which is called the Mel Novikoff award and it’s [for] someone who works more behind the scenes to promote audience’s appreciation of world cinema, so it could be a journalist, or an archive, [etc.] The guy that we’re honoring this year is not well known in the mainstream. His name is Pierre Rissient and he’s been in the film business forever. He’s been an assistant director to Godard. He’s been both an official and unofficial advisor to Cannes Film Festival. He helped start many careers by discovering and promoting filmmakers' work. So I think his onstage conversation is going to be really interesting. I mean, this is a guy who’s been out on the town with John Ford and Fritz Lang. For people who are into film history, he’s a great raconteur so I think there will be some good stories at that event.
How and why were the Centerpiece and Closing Night films (Your Sister’s Sister and Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey) chosen?
The Centerpiece film is just a pleasure to watch so it was a pretty easy pick. Lynn Shelton is a director who works in a certain mode; it’s semi-improvisational. For me, personally, sometimes I find that mode works, and sometimes it doesn’t, even though I always find those films interesting to watch. This film stars Mark Duplass, Emily Blunt, and Rosemary Dewitt. They are all just really fantastic to watch play off each other. I think the performances are really what shines in the Centerpiece.
The Closing Night was a really easy choice. It’s a documentary about a guy named Arnel Pineda who at one point was living on the streets of Manila and was in some cover band, sort of about to give up on his musical career, when he was discovered on Youtube, and chosen to become the new lead singer of Journey. Not only is it an incredible story, but it’s an incredible story about a local band. Even though obviously they are internationally-renowned, we think of Journey as a San Francisco band. That and the fact that part of what the film is about, it covers their first major tour with this new singer, the sort of the unintentional internationalization of the band and what that means for its fans and how it gets new fans out of it. For all those reasons, that just seemed like a great Closing Night film for the festival.
Plus, the band is all going to be here. They’re not going to play, but Arnel is going to be here and the rest of the band is going to show up. That’s going to be a fun extra added bonus for the closing night.
Whoa! Has the band already seen the documentary or is it the first time they will be seeing the film?
They’ve seen it already. This will be only the second public outing for the film, but it won’t be the first time they’ve seen it.Is there anything you’d like to add for our readers about the San Francisco International Film Festival?
It’s a great opportunity for people who are interested in film to experiment a little bit. I always encourage people to take a chance because seeing a film at a festival is a unique experience. Some of these films may open eventually, but some of these films will never come around again. The atmosphere of the festival, with enthusiastic audiences and filmmakers in person, will make it a memorable experience, whether you end up loving the film or not.The film I’m interested in seeing is the Christian Petzold film, Dreileben- Beats Being Dead. Its set in Thüringen, where I lived for some time.
That’s a really interesting film. It’s an interesting idea, too- because it’s part of that trilogy. I really like his work. I think there’s a lot of really great German work going on right now, a lot of really interesting German films. Well, once you’ve seen that one you’re going to want to see the next two (Don’t Follow Me Around by Dominik Graf and One Minute of Darkness by Christoph Hochäusler.)Closing Night of San Francisco International Film Festival at the Castro Theatre.Photo credit: © Tommy Lau, courtesy of San Francisco Film SocietyPhoto credit: © Pamela Gentile, courtesy of San Francisco Film Society - Apr 24, 12
Garter + Derringer is a premium denim company, owned and operated by brothers Alek and Amaury Esposito. Talk about sibling synergy; Amaury designs and Alek handles the business side. Based in Manhattan, Garter + Derringer is authentically a product of New York City, just like the brothers themselves. I caught up with Alek and Amaury to discover what Garter + Derringer is really about and how these brothers have built a successful line around one of the most difficult garments to make and do right: JEANS.
Is it hard to work together as siblings? Have you always gotten along?
Alek: That’s a good one. It can be hard at times because we can both be very opinionated and sometimes stubborn, but we have learned to agree to disagree at times because the company has to always comes first. We both understand it's always business- never personal. After all, we are working towards the same goals and I feel like all siblings have their ups and downs growing up and most grow out of it. We are no different.
Amaury: Alek says it all. Most importantly, nothing gets held back.
Are your backgrounds in fashion? How did you arrive in the world of apparel design, specifically denim?
Alek: I have worked very little in fashion, but I have always shopped the market. I have always been a fan, especially appreciating quality denim and superior fit. I am more interested in the day to day running of a business. That has always been my end goal- to learn the ins and outs and have something to call my own. In this case, our own.
Amaury: When I was 18, a friend and I attempted starting a Hoodie line; it did not work out. I decided to go to work in the industry before trying anything like that again. I landed at Helmut Lang where I stayed for 4 years. I opted out of college so I like to think of my time there as my education, and I’m glad to say I had some unbelievable teachers.
As for denim, there was always a love and adoration for it, but with that also came a great fear; denim is no joke. By the time I was ready to step out on my own it was a full-blown obsession and I was ready to embrace the fear.
What inspired the creation of Garter + Derringer?
Amaury: We went to elementary school in East Harlem in the 90’s, where everyday was a fashion show, and the critics were harsh. Iif you didn’t have those new Jordans or ANYTHING Ralph Lauren or Tommy Hillfiger then you just weren’t doing it right and chances were, you were going to hear about it. I think that definitely left a lasting impression on us both. We like nice things.
As for starting the line, I’ve always known I wanted to start my own line. I’m far too opinionated a person to just critique others (plus, that’s unhealthy.) I had to put something out there of my own. So after working in the industry for a while and gaining some much required knowledge and experience, I felt that I was ready. There was an uncontrollable urge and will to start this. And here we are.
Alek: Yeah, when I was coming out of elementary school and into junior high in 96-97 it was Tommy, Polo, and Nautica and that was all that mattered! That was fun and all, but I'm glad we've come to the point where if you're trending-you're not. These days you have to make it your own.
What sets Garter + Derringer apart from other denim?
Amaury: This is always the toughest question. Well for starters, our shank buttons are made with 24k gold. Just kidding! We put a lot of emphasis on quality and fit, and since all our denim is produced in New York City-our home, it allows us to keep an extra close eye on making sure the consistency is always there, sometimes I feel as if I live in a factory.
Our denim is very minimal and classic, no bells and whistles. When you ask for a 5-pocket jean, that’s exactly what you’re going to get. There’s no gold. It’s really a no frills approach.Garter + Derringer is headquartered in New York City. Would you say Garter + Derringer is a NYC company? How does your location influence what you do at Garter + Derringer?
Amaury: Manhattan is the the center of it all. The Garment District houses a large amount of the world’s top fashion brands, and although many have split from the neighborhood over the years for lower Manhattan, it’s still the epicenter. It’s where the magic happens. Garter + Derringer is very much a product of Manhattan. We've lived our whole lives on this Island. It represents so much of what we love and what we're about. There's so much energy on these streets it’s impossible not to be influenced and inspired. We are privy to some of the best street style in the world. To see it, all you have to do is walk out of your door. I sometimes walk the streets for hours on end, never getting bored. There's always something interesting, always something new and cool- two words that resonate very deeply in fashion. And that’s what we’re all about: staying new, the impossible cool. It’s what we strive for every day.
Alek: That sums is up for me as well. It's also a place where a lot of women are going straight from the office and out to dinner or drinks without going home and changing. It's more of a seamless transition here than anywhere else; you never know where you'll end up and I feel like denim in the workplace is a lot more common and acceptable these days, which is great.
Have you had any "We've arrived!" moments at Garter + Derringer? The kind of moment when you know that you're on to something...
Amaury: I can’t say that I’ve had that moment yet. My gut tells me indeed we are on to something and it’s close. We’ve set the bar high; knock us out of our chairs when that moment arrives. Still waiting to be floored, please!What's next for Garter + Derringer? What's inspiring you today?
Amaury: We’re going to continue doing what we’re doing while growing as a company. As a designer, there’s always that sense of urgency you get when you know you’re on to something and want to rush into things and start producing everything. We realize that can be very dangerous. I wouldn’t say we're going to play it safe, but let’s just say I wouldn't expect to see any special deliveries of neon jeans anytime soon. We're reasonably young as a company and as people; so everything is next, just a question of when and in what order it will come.
As for what's inspiring us today, any and everything. Time is moving fast and people are willing to put up with a lot less BS. It's got to be better each time around. Complacency is the enemy.
Alek: I totally agree and the 2012 consumer is much different than let's say the '02 consumer. I feel like even the average shopper knows what a quality garment looks like these days and would rather pay top dollar for it than to cheap out on something that will have to be replaced a year from now. You go into a store and see more people looking at the seams of garments and touching the fabric, even checking the country of origin label. Consumers aren't clueless these days. You have blogs and magazines and endless resources that weren't as readily available 10 years ago. More and more, people are shopping for timeless wardrobe staples that will be with them for many seasons to come. We are trying to give them that. - Apr 19, 12
CAMO is an exciting, fashion forward brand designed in Biella, a town in the Piemonte region of Northern Italy. Locally minded, CAMO sources the finest materials from Italian producers in order to create its beautiful range. At first glance CAMO's designs may seem like strictly menswear, but the pieces are extremely comfortable and versatile, easily incorporated into unisex styling. I was very fortunate to interview CAMO's proprietor and designer, Stefano Ughetti.
Read on to learn more about Stefano's thoughts and processes regarding his company.
Why the name CAMO? This is a pretty loaded word - clearly you are not making military wears but we're curious as to how you see camouflage playing into your line?CAMO is the abbreviation of “camouflage”.It is pronounced in the same way in all the languages of the world and it is often used to indicate a specific pattern of any product. CAMO is not just “fashion” but an idea and a reality with a specific identity so to be recognized in any element. Usually it is compared to the army camouflaged patterns, but in our case this has nothing to do with the war. The items of the CAMO collection use tissues born with specific purposes, then modified by us, so camouflaged under other meanings, telling our inspirations and our will to astonish and play remaining inside the borders and the rules given by society.It seems that you started your career in textiles, then moved over to industrial design, before finding your way back to textiles and fashion design. Can you describe the moment when you realized that fashion design is where you needed to be?I realized that I wanted to do this thanks to my wish to communicate my personal thoughts even if I didn't have fashion education. For this reason I started before opening a store, Superstar, founded in 2005. Now Superstar is our creative office where we work entirely concerning CAMO project.How important is Italy in your product? Do you think you are making an Italian Product?All CAMO products are made entirely in Italy, both the fabrics and the production.I searched for little laboratories not only in the Biellese area but beyond it as well. They are usually family-owned businesses and specialize in a very unique product typology, this way the manufacturing is characterized on a very high level and I can develop a special way of working with them based on a useful exchange of views. The product is not dictated but, rather, is created by discussing all of the details that I propose.All of the materials you source are made in Italy. Is this a conscious, political decision? If it wasn't to start, do you feel strongly about maintaining this model now?Local production and fabrics are very important for me cause it's decisive for quality work.I am thinking of my company/brand like a restaurant: I would order best local product and I would farm my kitchen garden, but, if in my country there is not ananas (pineapple), NO ananas in my menu, then.
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Posts
- May 24, 13
a quote from the beautiful Monmarte interview with Erik Heywood, owner of Book/Shop.
“Some people like to read on a screen. Other people need the variety and artistry, the sight, smell, and feel of actual books. They love seeing them on their shelves; they love having shelves for them.
They love taking them along when they leave the house and stacking them by their bedside. They love finding old letters and bookmarks in them.
They like remembering where they bought them or who they received them from. They are allergic to cheap bestsellers; they delight in the out-of-the-way and the rare, the well-made and the hard-to-accomplish. They take care of their books, they hesitate to crack spines. They want to read in a way that offers a rich experience, more than the words only: the full offering of a book. They are particular about covers, they want to surround themselves with poetry.
They can’t pass a bookstore without going in and getting something, they keep a library card and use it.
These are the people I’m working for.”
a few offerings from Book/Shop, i want them all…
- May 23, 13
Pretty much my fave blanket/rug ever is in the webshop right now. If no one claims it soon, I am taking it home (don’t tell Patrick).
- May 22, 13
I finally was able to see Apiece Apart’s s/s13 collection in person this week – stunning, crisp, classy, with a hint of badass. Flowing meets tailored, architecture meets poetry. High 5s Starr and Laura. Major high 5s.
- May 21, 13
For my indoor garden. You can take the girl out of Texas…
water colors by michelle morin
illustrations by katie scott
- Mar 27, 13
- Mar 26, 13
With the lengthening of the days, I have been so taken by the layered colors of the light against the hills and trees on my dawn and dusk runs. These prints by Israeli Artist Zipora Fried capture this light so beautifully.
- Feb 22, 13
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Posts
- May 08, 13
Vendor: Burkman Bros
Type: Shirts
Price: 140.00Short sleeve button down shirt from Burkman Bros. Solid navy dotted with a red Ikat pattern, and red trim at the sleeve.
100 % Cotton.
- May 08, 13
Vendor: Burkman Bros
Type: Shirts
Price: 140.00Burkman Bros pop over short sleeve shirt in Blue & White Ikat pattern.
100% Cotton.
- May 08, 13
Vendor: Burkman Bros
Type: Shirts
Price: 85.00Ikat stripe henley t-shirt with bounded sleeves.
100% Cotton.
- May 01, 13
Vendor: 10 Deep
Type: Shirts
Price: 44.00Razzle dazzle geo print perfection. 100% cotton.
- Apr 26, 13
Vendor: Reigning Champ
Type: Outerwear
Price: 242.00Ultra light weight heather printed polyester
Water resistant membrane coating on back of fabric
Packable into right front pocket
All seams bound with bias tape
Freedom sleeves
Elastic bound cuffs
Elastic cord & rubber locks on hood & bottom hem
Waxed cotton locker loop at back collar
Handcrafted in Canada
Fabric: 100% poly
- Apr 17, 13
Vendor: Shades of Grey by Micah Cohen
Type: Shirts
Price: 49.00Navy Banadana printed tee with round neck collar.
100% cotton.
Model is 5”11 / 155 lbs. Wearing size small. - Apr 17, 13
Vendor: Shades of Grey by Micah Cohen
Type: Accessories
Price: 44.00Printed cotton scarf in blue. Perfect for the summer chill. Simple clean, elegant.
100 % cotton. Unisex.
- Apr 17, 13
Vendor: Shades of Grey by Micah Cohen
Type: Shorts
Price: 99.00Wear an adventure in these Shades of Grey Flat Front shorts in Orange Flower pattern. Get tropical in the sunshine.
100% Cotton.
Model is wearing size 30.
For complete tropical immersion, pair with matching shirt.
- Apr 17, 13
Vendor: Shades of Grey by Micah Cohen
Type: Shorts
Price: 99.00Navy & white Ikat pattern shorts by Shades of Grey. Trouser pockets in front, back button pockets. 100% cotton.
- Apr 17, 13
Vendor: JungMaven
Type: Tank/Tops
Price: 42.00Unisex tank by Jungmaven. Durable with rounded hem. 55% Hemp, 45% Organic Cotton
- Apr 17, 13
Vendor: JungMaven
Type: Tank/Tops
Price: 42.00Unisex tank by Jungmaven. Durable with rounded hem. 55% Hemp, 45% Organic Cotton
Model wearing size Small.
Want a darker tank? Check it out in Navy.
- Apr 12, 13
Vendor: SIFR
Type: Shoes
Price: 165.00Wimbledon White sneakers with espadrille sole wrap. Designed with love in Singapore, handmade in Indonesia.
100% Leather.
Soft. True to size. US Sizing.
- Apr 12, 13
Vendor: SIFR
Type: Outerwear
Price: 145.00The Lazy Blazer makes another appearance this season in Navy Cotton. A Sifr favorite, the garment is light weight enough for a cool summer night, or layer on for colder climates. The Lazy Blazers are here to stay.
100% Cotton. Model wearing size Small.
Proudly made at sifr's family facility in Indonesia.
- Apr 12, 13
Vendor: SIFR
Type: Pants
Price: 130.00The Lazy Pant is a sifr favorite. This time in Nany cotton for a summer feel. Pair these with a crisp white shirt and easy shoes. Side slit pockets and hems for that minimal look.
Model wears a size Small.
Proudly made at sifr's family facility in Indonesia.
- Apr 12, 13
Vendor: SIFR
Type: Shirts
Price: 135.00Jacquard white shirt with very light pattern. Simple left breast pocket & pearl buttons.
Model wearing size Small.
- Apr 10, 13
Vendor: Reigning Champ
Type: Sweatshirt
Price: 130.00Diagonal fine loop terry
1x1 rib bound hood and front pocket
1 button self placket
Serged seams
Handcrafted in Canada
Fabric: 80% cotton/20% polyester
Style: RC-2040
- Apr 10, 13
Vendor: Reigning Champ
Type: Sweatshirt
Price: 120.00Handcrafted in Canada using the signature Reigning Champ midweight terry.
Flatlocked seams
Double layer angular ribbed side gussets
Handcrafted in Canada
Fabric: 100% Cotton
- Apr 10, 13
Vendor: Reigning Champ
Type: Sweatshirt
Price: 120.00MIDWEIGHT TWILL TERRY - CORE PROGRAM
Flatlocked seams
Double layer angular ribbed side gussets
Handcrafted in Canada
Fabric: 100% cotton
- Apr 10, 13
Vendor: Reigning Champ
Type: Sweatshirt
Price: 120.00Reigning Champ Cotton Crew Pullover - Navy
Flatlocked seams
Double layer angular ribbed side gussets
Handcrafted in Canada
Fabric: 100% cotton
- Apr 10, 13
Vendor: Reigning Champ
Type: Outerwear
Price: 242.00Ultra light weight heather printed polyester
Water resistant membrane coating on back of fabric
Packable into right front pocket
All seams bound with bias tape
Freedom sleeves
Elastic bound cuffs
Elastic cord & rubber locks on hood & bottom hem
Handcrafted in Canada
Fabric: 100% poly
- Apr 10, 13
Vendor: Reigning Champ
Type: Pants
Price: 115.00Reigning Champ Cotton Pants - Heather Grey
Flatlocked seams
Textured 1x1 ribbed crotch gusset
Front slant pockets
Contrast natural drawcord at waist
Handcrafted in Canada
Fabric: 100% cotton
- Apr 10, 13
Vendor: Reigning Champ
Type: Sweatshirt
Price: 154.00Flatlocked seams
Bright nickel metal zipper closure down front
Fully taped around the back neck and down centerfront
Contrast natural taping and drawcord
Textured 1x1 rib lined hood
Textured 1x1 rib bound pocket entry
Double layer angular ribbed side gussets
Handcrafted in Canada
Fabric: 80% Cotton/20% Polyester
- Apr 10, 13
Vendor: Reigning Champ
Type: Sweatshirt
Price: 154.00Reigning Champ 100% Cotton Full Zip Hoodie - Heather Ash
Flatlocked seams
Bright nickel metal zipper closure down front
Fully taped around the back neck and down centerfront
Contrast natural taping and drawcord
Textured 1x1 rib lined hood
Textured 1x1 rib bound pocket entry
Double layer angular ribbed side gussets
Handcrafted in Canada
Fabric: 80% Cotton/20% Polyester
- Apr 10, 13
Vendor: Reigning Champ
Type: Sweatshirt
Price: 154.00Reigning Champ 100% Cotton Full Zip Hoodie - Navy
Flatlocked seams
Bright nickel metal zipper closure down front
Fully taped around the back neck and down centerfront
Contrast natural taping and drawcord
Textured 1x1 rib lined hood
Textured 1x1 rib bound pocket entry
Double layer angular ribbed side gussets
Handcrafted in Canada
Fabric: 100% cotton
- Apr 04, 13
Vendor: Denham the Jeanmaker
Type: Jackets
Price: 275.00The Tailor is a sport-coat with a slightly rounded work-style silhouette. Designed in tandem with the new Drop Crotch pant to create an optional 2-piece suit. Crafted in an old school sport style poly-blend inspired by classic track suits.
THE TRUTH IS IN THE DETAILS
- 1/2 a 2 Piece
- Pre-Curved and Darted Sleeves
- Signature 7-Point Pocket
- Printed Handkerchief Included
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Visit us!
- 365 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA
