Nestled in the Downtown Arts District, on the same booming little block as socially motivated men’s lifestyle brand, Apolis, and exotic sausage house, Wurstkuche (go if you’re in the mood for craft beer and rattlesnake), Poketo is a gifter’s paradise. Born out of the belief of “Art for your everyday,” the downtown gem is a design-conscious, function-focused, curated retail space that “Takes art off the gallery walls and into people’s lives.” And that it does.

Every wall, nook, and cranny of Poketo is a work of art in itself. From the beautiful, rustic wood display cases to the rare, handmade, wearable goods, you’ll find yourself examining the shop’s shelves for much longer than you’d anticipated. There is simply so much to look at, covet and appreciate. Poketo is the brainchild of husband-and-wife duo, Ted Vadakan and Angie Myung, wanderlusters who share a mutual appreciation for craftsmanship and local artist collaborations (of which they’ve done many). The innovative brand has even been commissioned by creative powerhouses like SF MOMA, Arcade Fire and Target to create exclusive collections in Poketo’s signature imaginative, playful yet refined aesthetic.

Whether you’re a hunter, gatherer, surfer, outdoorsman, crafter, adventurer, wanderer, photographer, painter, poet, chef, avid fly fisherman, or dreamer, this little mecca is a place to shop for all creative-brained, art-appreciators and people who strive for something a little offbeat, quirky, and different in their lives and living rooms. Visit the Poketo blog to follow Ted and Angie’s travels, and to learn about upcoming events and workshops.

words by Jane Helpern
photos by Zach Marshall 

by bobbyhundreds

words by Jane Helpern
photos courtesy of Jiro Schneider

but believe it or not, we’re here at work on our Fall 2014 collection.  It’s always best for the Design team to take a “Hell Week” somewhere off the grid — outside the noise and distraction of home and office — to build the line as a team and to focus.  Usually we’ll escape to Hong Kong or New York, so this time around we figured… why not Mexico?

Our neighbors to the South are not so unlike us.  For some inexplicable reason, there are Office Depots in every neighborhood?  Seen more of these stationery suppliers than Starbucks…

…yet without the demand…Not a lot going down at Office Depot in Mexico today…

Equipping our temporary Mexican branch of The Hundreds.

Jayne settling in.

Fall 2014 is an interesting one for a number of reasons, but for starters, we’re breaking up the thematic direction of the collection by delivery.  The overarching theme is Music and the affiliated subcultures whose style of dress were distinguishable before the Web washed everything flat.  We spent the better part of the day refining that story – because it all begins with a story – pairing everything up with the appropriate color palette, and then hammering out graphics and trims to drive the point home.

Got a little antsy being cooped up all day with the waves beckoning and the pool outside calling our name, so took the crew out to the marina downtown for dinner.

Lorenzillo’s has been peddling live lobster since 1638.  Some of the best seafood in town, but that’s to be expected when you’ve been doing this for almost 400 years.

by bobbyhundreds

by bobbyhundreds

Te lalavas guey.

by bobbyhundreds

by Jane Helpern