On a recent Saturday, I paid Dana Lee a visit in her new studio at the enviable south end of Crosby st(nearby is Ted Muehling, Saturdays, Derek Lam, Quality Mending Co. and next door is Tyler Hays' BDDW showroom). She's been there a while, moving studios a few times within the same building. This particular move is up to the top floor, the benefit of which is the presence of the skylights in her new place. Its a big move, bigger space and in a way, represents the large strides she's taken with her collection for FW10. I've always been a fan of hers, first A-Z, and now her eponymous line. With FW10, she's gone for it. All made in North America, one thing about Dana I've always appreciated was her fabric choices and fit. She has a knack for elevating the basics. And as I've taken note of over the past few seasons, outerwear. With this collection, she's been working with Cory Gomberg (of Greige and most recently, Bureau) and the combined talent has resulted in her strongest collection yet. I'm always excited to see what she's up to so I spent some time, looked through the racks, tried a few things on, landed a "modeling gig" and got her to answer some questions. Below, Dana talks about finding inspiration in plates, how FW10 came together and what we might expect for Spring...
Tenue de Nimes, the Amsterdam-based denim concept shop, offers two videos of the same thing, a shoe, being produced in two very different ways.(They seem to be on a streak of producing highly-watchable videos. If you haven't yet, have a look at their short interview with The Man, mr. Nigel Cabourn.)
First, a visit to Grenson, in Rushden, Northamptonshire to have a look at the roughly 250 step process in making the traditionally English, Goodyear-welted Grenson shoe. With much of the work done by hand, Grenson still produces footwear much the same way (not entirely, of course.) and to the same standards as it has since 1866. The pride taken in their Goodyear welt is evident. And you'll notice a pair of 40 year old Grenson's in there for repair. Goodyear welting allows the shoe to essentially be rebuilt from the sole up and worn for a lifetime. It's a really interesting look at the modern state of the British Heritage brand.
The second, from Tenue de Nimes blog, follows a pair of shoes, beginning to end, manufactured by MOMA. Now, although their line isn't my thing(*NOTE: I make exception for their desert boots and a few others. They look rather good and I wouldn't be surprised if J.Crew's MacAlister boot wasn't manufactured in the same factory. Anyone know?), the very stylized video had my complete attention. It hums with effeciency. Certainly a different feel from the very personal, hands on Grenson approach, but very cool none the less. You'll notice the main difference between the two, aside from Grenson's roughly 120 year seniority, is the sole construction.
It's an interesting side by side comparison in manufacturing and qualities inherent to each step along the way. No pun intended.
From 1953, Robertson at 31. Of Scottish/Montagnais Indian descent. 6' 205lbs.Log driver, timber cruiser, cook, government surveyor, trapper, bulldozer operator, hunting party guide ... "He has been known, when the mood takes him, to pick up a stove and heave it through a cook-shack wall." Real deal.
Always on point, SUPREME ushers in the coming heat with some serious heat of their own. SS10 is full of striped pocket tees, more Zip Zingers (a particular fellow blogger should be especially stoked on those pictured), Ripstop Crushers, chino workshorts, clean s/s oxfords, dope outwear(as usual) and you know I love the nunchucks. Looking forward to cruising the city streets this summer on one of those decks. If there'r even any left. Get over to Lafayette st. or N. Fairfax while the gettin's still good.
When it was announced a while back, I was stoked to hear that Frank had been nominated as one of GQ's Best New Designers of 2010. Like most of the other nominees, Frank is anything but new to design. Having done his requisite time at RL, Frank took the helm of men's design at J. Crew a few years back and in the meantime has, with the help of his able design team, the pitch perfect Creative Direction of Jenna Lyons and the CEO-ness of Mickey Drexler, steered J.Crew into a whole new direction. There may be some debate, and when I say "may" I mean "is", as to whether what J.Crew is doing is anything other than co-opting what many feel is something that belongs to the initiated few and mass-retailing it across the country. I know this due to the amount of comments, left here and elsewhere, whenever a J.Crew post pops up. And I can't say that, at times, I don't see that side of the argument. The fact remains that J.Crew has surfaced on radars where, a few years prior, they hadn't even blipped. Knowing Frank and Jenna a bit, it's a very genuine excitement that gives genus to what they do over there. Frank has an earnest and totally legit love for the same things that we all do. He just happens to be the head of Men's design at J.Crew. We all have our opinions on the matter. Feel free to leave yours in the comments if you like. Congratulations to Frank for the nomination. Well deserved.
My first encounter with the slapdash work of Steve Keene, like most I would imagine, was the cover of Pavement's 1995 classic "Wowee Zowee". The man is nothing if not the definition of prolific. Painting dozens of the same image at a time, stroke by stroke, each painting (usually on 1/4" or 1/2" ply) is a subtle and unique variation on the next. I have a couple. I think a lot of people have a couple. It's difficult not to. With the volume of work Steve has created (noted on his site as presently 140,000. Up from the 36,000 in the 1998 film below), they are everywhere. As described on his site Steve says, “I want buying my paintings to be like buying a CD: it’s cheap, it’s art and it changes your life, but the object has no status. Musicians create something for the moment, something with no boundaries and that kind of expansiveness is what I want to come across in my work.” The film was made by Brett Vapnek over a decade ago, but I would imagine Steve has yet to slow down.
Late one night years ago, on a trip to France for a friend's wedding, in bed with my now wife, while she slept, the television was on and it's there that I found myself watching Jacques Tati's brilliant "Jour de Fete".
Tati, born 1907, after a stint as a professional rugby player and success as a mime, would move into film, starring in all but his last film, and for the better part of his career, as Monsieur Hulot, the bumbling outsider to the rapidly advancing post-war cultural march toward modernity.
"Jour de Fete" however, the most singularly rural of his chosen settings, came two years following his first film, "L'École des Facteurs", a short from 1947 in which Tati first debuted his easily distracted postman in training.
There's much to like about the man and his films. Do yourself a favor, if you haven't already, and acquaint yourself with Tati's films.
On a recent Saturday, I paid Dana Lee a visit in her new studio at the enviable south end of Crosby st(nearby is Ted Muehling, Saturdays, Derek Lam, Quality Mending Co. and next door is Tyler Hays' BDDW showroom). She's been there a while, moving studios a few times within the same building. This particular move is up to the top floor, the benefit of which is the presence of the skylights in her new place. Its a big move, bigger space and in a way, represents the large strides she's taken with her collection for FW10. I've always been a fan of hers, first A-Z, and now her eponymous line. With FW10, she's gone for it. All made in North America, one thing about Dana I've always appreciated was her fabric choices and fit. She has a knack for elevating the basics. And as I've taken note of over the past few seasons, outerwear. With this collection, she's been working with Cory Gomberg (of Greige and most recently, Bureau) and the combine
d talent has resulted in her strongest collection yet. I'm always excited to see what she's up to so I spent some time, looked through the racks, tried a few things on, landed a "modeling gig" and got her to answer some questions. Below, Dana talks about finding inspiration in plates, how FW10 came together and what we might expect for Spring... 
