R.I.P. : Manganaro's Groceria, est. 1893.

Feuding for more than thirty years, the Manganaro brothers have run two competing and neighboring businesses since the 50's on Ninth Avenue. And no matter which side of the debate you side on, the closing of Manganaro's Groceria, opened in the late 19th century, heralds the death of an institution and perhaps the final chapter of a fascinating New York story. Click HERE to read the WSJ article.

(Manganaro's, then Petrucci's, c. 1880's)

Johnny Cash : Live at San Quentin, 1969.

'San Quentin'

'Wanted Man'

'Jackson'

'Boy Named Sue'

The Man in Black : Johnny Cash, b. 2/26/32.

The Man in Black. Born seventy-eight years ago today. Legend. A man with whom I had the incredible honor of meeting on several occasions in my younger days.

Head to Toe : Here Comes the Rain Again.

Stay dry out there.

Guaranteed Fresh : Ramellzee + Toxic + Basquiat.

At the Rhythm Lounge, c. '83.

Yo Joe: Portraits of a Boyhood Obsession.

The other day and for whatever reason, a friend and I were talking about the GI Joe aircraft carrier, a mutual object of desire as kids, which lead me to looking it up which lead me HERE.

The Big Three : Jones, Roach & Blakey.

This Just In : Apolis, Standard Issue, S'11.

My good friends at Apolis have let loose their Spring Standard Issue looks today and as usual, it's great stuff. Military-inspired. Utilitarian. Clean and modern. Sharp updated classics. It's a Spring collection focused on fit and fabrication with manufacturing largely kept local to the Parton's sunny(jealous) Southern California HQ.

Head to Toe: Buttoned Up, Buttoned Down.

At Work: Total Loser, Barry McGee.

Rewatched recently while under the weather.
Beautiful Losers, 2008. Dir. x Aaron Rose and Joshua Leonard. A longtime favorite of Secret Forts. Saw so many TWIST(TWISTER, TWISTO, MR. TWIST, etc.) tags go up in San Francisco in the early '90s just to see them disappear by morning.

Coming Attractions : The Hill-Side, Spring '11 Video.

Back in October of last year, the Corsillo brothers got some friends together, packed a few bags full of The Hill-Side's forthcoming Spring '11 line, enlisted the talent of our man, photographer Antony Crook and enjoyed cocktails and an incredible meal prepared by our friends at The Hope Street Supper Club. In addition to shooting the lookbook, which you'll see in a week or so, video was shot. Sandy provided a steady hand, pushing Antony on a skateboard used as a dolly. So without further ado, Secret Forts is stoked to present your first look at The Hill-Side Spring '11 lookbook video. Enjoy and look for Spring to start hitting stores sometime next week.

Head to Toe: Batten Down the Hatches.

On the subject of the Deck Jacket, a cold and blustery day calls for battening down the hatches. Hold fast. Spring off the starboard bow.

Of Material Interest: The Navy Issue Deck Jacket.

There's the pea coat and then there's the oft replicated, iconic Navy issue deck jacket, introduced in the late 40's and refined over the following years to include the storm flap and metal 'lobster clip' for easier closure and resistance to corrosion from the elements that the exposed zipper was prone to. Constructed from a densely woven 13 oz. gros grain deemed 'jungle cloth' or cotton 'bedford' cord and wind-proofed with a layer of organdy between the jungle cloth and wool lining.

Head to Toe: The Warm-Up.

An unseasonably warm day in the forecast. So lighten up.

Erased de Kooning Drawing, 1953.

Incoming: The Apolis Indigo Wool Chore Jacket.

From the start, Apolis has been a serious favorite here at Secret Forts and over the past few years, I've had the pleasure to come to know the Parton brothers and consider them among the most righteous of dudes. I started crushing on this indigo dyed chore jacket back in March '10 when I had the pleasure of working with Shea when he blew into town for a few days. Recently, I returned home from a trip out west to this beauty awaiting me.

At Work: Francis Bacon, 1966.

Interviewed by David Sylvester, 1966.

At Work: Lucien Freud, British Figurative Painter.

Lightweights.

Cagoule, anorak, parka, simply a hooded jacket. Call it what you will, but it's a favorite here at Secret Forts. While in the grips of an already seemingly interminable winter, it might be a good time to let your mind wander a bit. Towards Spring. Crisp mornings, cool evenings. April showers. And not a single mountain of dirty snow anywhere. You'll still need a jacket however, just not the down filled, blanket lined sleeping bag you've been trudging around in. Here, some new stand outs and some old perennial favorites.

R.I.P.

Anarchitect: Gordon Matta-Clark, 1943-1978.

Of Material Interest: The US Army Tanker Jacket.

AKA 'Jacket, Combat, Winter'. Introduced in '41 and worn by soldiers throughout the Second World War, From Generals Eisenhower and Patton to PFC. Tank commanders to grunts. From Bastogne to San Pietro. Bill Mauldin's 'Stars and Stripes' cartoon GI protagonists Willie and Joe wore them. And Taxi Driver, Travis Bickle. Knit ribbed funnel collar, cuffs and waist. 12 oz. cotton twill Olive drab. Early 1942 jackets with patch pockets, later designed with slash pockets. Wool blanket-lining. Total classic.

Pictures of Pictures: Kippenberger's Hotel Drawings.

Martin Kippenberger, German artist. Born 1953. Died 1997. Made hundreds of what have come to be known as his 'Hotel Drawings' on whatever stationary and drawing implements were at hand.