Thursday, July 16, 2009

The Dirty Dozen: Secret Forts + Ryan Huber of Context, pt. 2.

The second installment of the Dirty Dozen with Ryan Huber of Context. Read on.






7) What are 3 things in your closet that you can't part with? What are three things in your closet that you've had for 10 years or more?

RH: Three articles of clothing I can not part with are:
1. KMW for Context Black Selvage 1980s- our first denim collaboration and one of the most unique fabrics I've seen. You have to feel it to understand it.
2. Apolis Activism Military Woven light blue. I get compliments every time I wear it.
3. Vintage Life Gards Jacket. WWII US Navy Coat. I purchased it at Strongarm Vintage in NY. John Gluckow has one hell of a collection.

7 a) 10 years or longer:

RH: 1.) Grandpa Melzer's red plaid Woolrich shirt. I swear it still has a faint scent of tobbacco. The elbows ripped and I had our denim repair specialist add dear hide elbow patches. The leather is from a deer her grandfather shot.
2.) Danner Rain Forest 8" boots. Before I wore Russell's, I was addicted to the Danner Rain Forest. This boot is perfect for motorcycling.
3.) Grandpa Melzer's Everlast Boxing Boots circa 1950. He wrote his initials on the bottoms. They fit me perfectly.


8) You and I have a mutual fondness for Apolis. Tell me a little about how you came to find the label
RH: We were the first to place an order with Apolis. My friend Jason Fisher suggested we check them out. I met Raan and Shea at Project Vegas and loved their approach. While chatting with Shea, the frame work in their booth fell to the ground. I helped them pick up some of the mess. This first experience helped shape our business relationship. We are constantly working off of one another.


9) Do you drive or ride a bicycle?

RH: My father and I are rebuilding my 1982 Honda CB 750f. I blew a rode two seasons ago. I can not wait to get back on it. My bicycle was stolen a year ago. Due to the network of bicyclists that shop the store, I was able to recover it. It was built by my friends at Revolution Cycles. It is a 1978 Peugeot three speed with a coaster break, Brook's Saddle, and cork grips. Its perfect for tooling around town.

10) You have a partner in Context. Were you friends before the shop? How has the direction and identity of Context changed over the years?

RH: Context has always been about friendship and family. While attending UW Madison, I was working in a huge brew pub. Sam ran the bar and we quickly realized there was common ground between us. Rock and Roll drumming, motorcycles (he has a 1976 R90/6 BMW), beer, and denim. Sam's brother Ben is also a partner. Our focus on service stems from a long history service based industries. I am comfortable sayting that Context is now a world class men's store. We have lots of room for improvement. I am looking forward to presenting our FW09 collections. It will be our best season yet.



11)What music are you playing in the shop on these wonderful early summer days?

RH: We play a heavy dose of rock and roll: Chuck Berry, The Zombies, The Jam, and some psychedelica Dungen, Dark, Boris, and Can. Wefunk radio out of Montreal is our go to for soul and funk.

12) If you're like me, you collect things. What's one of your most important relic/mementos?



RH: My grandfather's old fishing jacket and good luck charm.




and lastly, your shout outs?

Thank you to the men
who help make Context a success:
Aaron Davis- web designer
Phill Lee- photogragher
William Ottis Howe- shop keeper
Ian Hovis- the intern

Many thanks to Ryan for being the first to answer the Dirty Dozen. And click over to All Plaidout for a further look into Context. Do that right now.

1 comment:

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