I used to live in San Francisco, maybe 15 years ago or so. Having just made a brief trip back for the weekend, it was great to see a shop like UNIONMADE(become a fan on Facebook) filling a void in San Francisco's retail landscape.If I had to stock my Secret Fort for a long winter, I wouldn't have to go much further than a stop into UNIONMADE. Focusing in on American Heritage products, UNIONMADE has opened only this past weekend at 493 Sanchez st. (@18th). Start with coffee from 4 Barrel and take a stroll over to 18th and up toward the Castro and take your time. There are great things along the way: Bi-Rite Creamery, Tartine Bakery, Delfina restaurant, Dolores Park...and once you get your fill of some of SF's edible best, make your way into UNIONMADE to cap it all off.
It was a real pleasure to meet and talk with Todd Barket, proprietor, about all of the last minute mayhem right up to the opening.
It's a warm place, with friends of Todd and Carl's dropping in to wish good luck and help out around the store. Being a bit of a furniture maker myself, UNIONMADE'S furnishings, handmade by Carl Chiara at their home up north on the Russian River and out of sustainably grown timber from a local lumber yard, nod respectfully to Donald Judd. And check out the vintage Pashley in the window.
The shop offers American goods of both new and old provenance. You'll find the likes of Filson travel bags, classic Woolrich shirtjacs, SNS Herning sweaters, Rogues Gallery flannels, Alden footwear(including a custom styles exclusively for UNIONMADE), Hill-side ties and scarfs to name a few with more to come. Newly opened, it's a place that will continue to evolve, though the foundation is seemingly all there.
Both Todd and Carl are the nicest of guys (with an extremely sweet, newly adopted Greyhound) and have a real handle on things there at UNIONMADE.
If you're in the area, make it a point to stop in, have a chat and take a look. Help support the independent retailers who are doing things right.
UNIONMADE
493 Sanchez @ 18th.
SF, CA
94114
tel:415 861 3373
(Thanks Todd and Sam for hospitality and best of luck.)
*spotted: related post @ ACL
16 comments:
Great looking shop! Any idea who makes the socks in photo #4, and are those boatneck striped sweaters SNS Herning?
Looks like a beautiful shop.
18th & Sanchez sure has changed since I was a kid (at 15th & Guerrero).
Those socks! I want 'em.
Those look like Fox River socks: http://www.foxsox.com/Catalog/search.aspx?type=subcategory&code=SOCKS
The boatnecks are SNS Herning and the socks are indeed Fox River!
What about those fold-down tote bags?
Those are my favorite finds, for sure.
Looks like the perfect SF shop...have to check it out....who makes that grey and khaki fold over tote?
hell naw. im a black man and this sheet is straight up honky! this is a whitebread fantasy. you some fake ass boating crackers. this is whites only type of style. american heritage is code for kkk cloths. i aint never seen a negro on these pages and i aint neva seen a negro in this shop. you think we dont know what you stand for but do. you can suck on dis 12 inch yacht you sabago ass mofo's/
Great, Great Pictures. Very cool shop
Damn. Looks near perfect. Good find. Good work. I'll be sure to visit when I finally make a trek out to SF in the spring...
Is that the "Archive Tilt" Font ? Nice
the fold over totes are Chester Wallace made in Portland by a friend of Todd's.
and @Anonymous(11/18, 3:51pm) I'm fucking speachless man...seriously?
"this is a whitebread fantasy"
YUM Wonderbread bacon sandwich.
To Anonymous guy:
Are you serious ?! I don't even live in the US and you just took back your country to the mid-30's !
You should go to : www.streetetiquette.com and see the "black man" dress like this. Those guys look amazing.
Stores like this piss me off. They sell products to yuppies that haven't worked with their hands a day in their lives, and make them feel like they could be working class too, but than go back to their glass offices and hang their "Union-made" coat on the scandinavian designed hook on the wall. All this for a $300 price tag.
james, what type of store doesn't piss you off? Curious.
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