I’m in New York. No Ben and Bobby didn’t invite me or even tell me they were opening a store. So anyway I’m here and decided to stop in on some old friends. Real friends that don’t charge you when you frantically call up needing 500 post cards double sided glossy overnighted on Christmas eve. Josh Cooper and Laurence Chandler run Proof 7, a full service printing facility on Varick Street. Lotta people think Josh looks like Claire Danes.
These are die’s made for custom emboss printing. If one Spanish guy loses a finger there are printing details that will never happen again.
This looks complicated. They don’t use it anymore.
Josh makes the important decisions.
At Wieden + Kennedy Peter Yue was the man in charge of the cutting machine. I’m not sure he could handle this one.
This machine was very fancy.
From here you can see the girls sunbathing by the pool of the new Trump Tower. That is exactly what it looks like.
This is that seed paper that you can literally put in the ground and plants will grow out of it. This is also what will be all over the ground after fashion week next week.
Larry was all about the Sour Diesel… until the Corey Haim came out.. the killer weed…
Some examples of what they can do. Oh, did I mention they have a high fashion line as well? Rochambeau. It’s in all the stores you probably have never been to, which they are OK with. Someday when you can afford it, and you want to grow up it will be there.
Billy Blast did 15 years in state prison for a double murder. Guess which one of these people he is?
Whats great about these kids is they have an actual trade and run a fashion line on the side. Everyone is losing money these past few years, if they say they arn’t they are lying.
I can’t believe how bland this post is… I mean I have not had more fun then when I hang with them and this wasn’t even close to funny. I didn’t even mention David Gensler?!
Beaverton is usually what comes to mind when you think of visiting a sneaker manufacturer’s headquarters. No one ever says “before I die I need to hit up the Vans mothership.” If given the chance I suggest you do.
Nestled between the Yamaha US base and the Mitsubishi deathstar, Vans rests in an ominous parking lot full off roof racks and rear window sticker collections.
That is clearly on the wall.
I didn’t read the placards, but it’s in a glass case and its skate related.
I remember when Vans entered the snowboard boot market. It was a great winter where Burton had competition with N Boots, 32, and the Escalade of snow footwear Airwalk. That’s why I like this picture. I wonder if Mike Tyson remembers his abandoned house?
Parra did some stuff for them.
As well as the king of hipster artists, Necksomething.
Nate enjoyed an adult slushie.
Even producing cool has its cube farms. I really wish my shower would stop leaking, is sounds like someone has been pissing for a week.
Precious has a pro model? Vans signed Sasquatch? They finally made something to fit in my big mouth? Matt Tucker at the buzzer.
This is how sneakers are born. And THIS is how babies are born!
I learned that this is a special knife exclusively used for cutting sneakers in half. It also does wonders on bedsores and goiters!
This is awesome. Original fabric dated 1991 and vintage Vans that Nate found in some storeroom in a shop in Miami.
All Matt cares about is stacking chips and switch 5-0 grinds.
What Matt calls “pushing around” most kids get sponsored.
This ollie was so upsetting to one onlooker she went to Rite Aide and told the clerk she did not feel attractive enough to watch Mother Tucker skating at Cherry Park. Summertime in the LBC. I don’t have a job and I’m going to New York tomorrow.
I just returned from a week in Portland OR. Whilst I was up there I stopped in on a few of my friends and potential future employers. One person you never want to miss a chance at speaking to is Jelly Helm. My history with Jelly began when he was my teacher/proffessor/cult leader of the unknown yet prestigious WK12. I’m going to pretend I only have the amount of time it takes to walk from baggage claim to the taxi to explain Sir Jelly Helm to you.
Jelly’s resume to get him into advertising won an award. Even his name captures attention, if you meet 1000 people in a day you will remember Jelly, and Chemo Pony. Everything he has done since then has made you drink a Coke, or wear Nike’s. This is something he is working on, I’m not sure exactly what it is but if I was to guess its a new reality based Mortal Kombat video game. Jelly has retired from helping mega-companies make more billions and instead is using his professional problem solving through creativity ability to solve real problems. Like curing Malaria, and finding out who sings that song at the end of the movie Little Monsters?
Jelly’s brain is the machine, the studio is the factory that the machine works in.
The Ace Hotel bit Jelly’s interior decorating steez. Jelly is our generation’s Mozart, he won’t get credit for it until he dies.
Then Driscoll Reid showed up. This conversation is over.
Every year my family has a pig roast. They kill and dress a pig, burn a fire in the ground, dump the pig on it and bury it. The next day a perfectly cooked pig comes out of the ground.
Mike Warzin is to humble to tell the world he created THIS. Like all of it, the song, art direction, even the 6th finger on Fog Raw!
This past week was crazy, no sooner do I get back from Portland I had to go to the largest gathering of the ruling elite, I like to call it the Wasp Nest! So if you don’t like money or cars you won’t be into this as much. But I do think you will like this video… I’m pretty sure I’m the only one that has it so watch the video then go back to tube8 or Hulu or whatever. Oh this car above here? It’s the Morgan EvaGT, I think it belongs to Mr. Burns. The EvaGT s an efficient four seater coupe aimed at the young sporting family. There, I found the voice for this blog… late 20′s Ivy league.
OK, here it is. Since I was the only dirtbag blogger on the premises I knew exactly what would turn the web on fire. The Italian guy with the remote door activators didn’t speak English so I said “I SAY GO, AND YOU MAKE THE FUCKING DOORS GO DOWN, CAPICE?!” I think he understood cuz this clip was the result.
The Alfa Romeo Pandion is a fully drivable highly provocative sports car prototype done in typical Bertone fashion. It was designed, engineered and constructed in just 4 1/2 months. The 2020 8C coupe replacement was requested by Alfa Romeo as a tribute to their 100 year anniversary.
Here’s a few mil left out in the rain.
I got this chrome on this bugatti / I’m strong in this bugatti / 2 v8′s aint no such thing as driving calm in this bugatti
I Bentley you never seen these headlights before. Cuz the shit came out like last week.
The Porsche 918 Hybrid is a big deal.
But what Car and Driver won’t teach you is that Magnesium burns like super fucking bright and awesome. SO if you take a lighter to these rims… LASER SHOW! (no, i’m serious, do it)
Oh hello 2010 Mercedes Benz SLS AMG GT. I bet you favorite band is Chromeo!
Fine, we get it, you have a massive wing. Whatever dude.
OK serious time. All you people that like Nike I.D. are gonna love this. This is a 1 of 1 Ferarri something and such. It took 14 months to complete, and cost 2-3 million. But you get to pick out everything, the color, type of wood in the steering wheel. The owner wanted to remain nameless but it rhymes with Mernie Badoff.
Streetwear is what you wear when you walk on the street. But you know what streets where invented for? Fucking cars. The Concours d’Elegance is on some unattainable old money level. I met a guy that bought a car for 4.5 million, it was the 5th car he bought that weekend. I heard alot of jokes like “What recession?!”
I’m extremely jealous of girls past relationships. So i can’t listen to Brian Adams, I can’t drink at the Coffee Bean, despise fireman, and I refuse to see a movie with Colin Farrel in it. But being angry at a car company, even when their product is so rad and doing well with the new redesign is new for me. Someone’s ex-boyfriend used to do some dumb shit for Faguar. So name drop the the ex gets you into the luxury suite where the free drinks are!
5 of these later and it was on straight steal shit mode. I didn’t even want anything, but I did not feel leaving this party on my own was necessary, I would like to be REMOVED.
Outside things are looking alot brighter.
Who do I see telling girls he is Poseidon and inviting them to swim in his ocean, why Eugene Jefferson of course!
The only thing I love more than actually being rich, is flaunting it. If you thought milkshakes brought boys the the yard, what does the Goyard cooler bring?
That’s a rumble seat. They used to matter.
Then Jay Leno made some derogatory jokes about woman that made me feel uncomfortable.
This is where the 9 Jagatini’s make my memory cloudy. I know this is T.J. Bristol. And I know we partied all night, but I’m not sure if he is my friend after all of it. But I am sure I know all the words to Kid Rocks COW BOY song.
Before my self induced black out, T.J. was explaining these people are so rich they spent a million dollars to move that tree there from the other side of the golf course. Oh right, this is a super fancy golf course that cost a pantload to play at, and probably has black people rules sans Tiger woods. Oh that reminds me, Tiger Woods walked on this course, so by default all these people are sex offenders. (look at the camera embarrassed, that joke was fucking horrible. Look at that little kids hat?!)
Ha Ha look, he’s hitchhiking. And he looks like Jesus, hahahah we brought our joke book. Eugene’s beard gets us in everywhere. For real, you want all access VIP grow an epic beard.
I imagine they smiled like this when they first bought it in 1910.
Nice hat box, why are you blasting MGMT like it’s 2008 in this bitch?
Dawn heads up the marketing over at Incase. You know, the only accepted Apple accessory? I have been hassling her for over three years for free stuff, and then pushing whatever ideas I could get in front of her. I think I came close to working there at one point. So Dawn is in town for the Janette Beckman event over at the Incase/Arktip/Project space on La Brea, and M Cafe is in town to make us salmon, so we went and she told me all the new things she is working on.
Here she is showing off the new case that’s not in stores yet. The big deal is the camera window, something about a light gasketflash ring or something. Yes, if you were wondering I was the first to get a Jordan logo lasered onto my incase… case.. in the Nike Kitchen.
Limited to 100 prints, signed, Rick Rubin 1985 $950 framed.
I asked Janette what her favorite photo was, and she said this one of Paul Weller and Pete Townsend. Then I asked which was her most published and she said it was this one.
Oh hey Eugene Jefferson what are you doing in fucking hipster Silverlake?
Oh, just hanging? That’s cool. Did I forget my sunglasses? Nope, I got them. Who is this girl?
Oh, she is just your regular 24 year old that was born into an Amish family but after her family decided to abort the Amish lifelstyle the brotherhood shunned her family. She grew up Amish so that means so woke up earlier than you and worked harder than you. Now she’s not Amish anymore but still works harder than you, so she owns 6 buildings in Silverlake. To put it more concise, this chick owns a block on Sunset. What the fuck are you doing with your life?
Eugene takes me inside to another assortment of entrepreneurs. This is the Spirit Hoods office. Spirts Hoods are not ghosts you see in Compton. They are a new brand that is more then green, they are BLUE! Each hood purchase donates to the animal organization of the faux fur theme you buy.
So last weekend we were pulling clothes for a Sprouse Brothers Got Milk print ad, when we came across some interesting bracelets in Nordstroms. Googling the site we got a phone number and spoke to the designer himself who waited till 9pm in his downtown office for us to arrive.
M. Cohen handmade designs are the accessories you will be freaking out over before next summer. He is straight from Isreal, and only been in business one year… and I’m pretty sure you will see a flagship store on Melrose or Robertson soon.
All handmade, a change from the usual iced out jewelry that has become the norm. These peices just came back from a LeBron James shoot.
He does everything out of this studio. From creation to distribution.
You can’t have just one. He has created his own look and layering style. All pieces are unique due to the handmade part, and with the average price being about $375 these M.Cohen bracelets can become an expensive habit!
I’m not one to wear any accessories, but suddenly I feel like Johnny Depp dreaming about a pirate.
You saw it here first.. well.. unless you went to Nordstrom’s, or Barneys… or Kitson… Or Johnny Depps house, or hung out with a Jonas brothers play cousin…
In an old house in West Hollywood that was covered in vines…
… lives Greg Chait, a disgustingly talented creator. A maker. A common quote people in the design industry say is “I only make stuff I like.” or “I only design things I would want to wear.” Greg said something similar, except the things he likes are fucking light years ahead of ordinary taste levels.
First, let’s start with how I brilliantly came to meet Greg. As he does not do a lot of press, the the press he does do is about surfing or his old house in Venice. So last summer, the girl of my dreams told me about this cashmere poncho she saw at Barney’s in NYC, that cost $2,100. Fast forward to Christmas, and I want to blow her away with my immense brain power and Barneys connections to make it happen. I called Pete at Uncle Pete’s, he called the Barneys connect… SOLD OUT. Not surprising a day before Christmas. Oh, and there was no website for the brand and I knew nothing about it. A bit of research and internet know how lead me to an article in the L.A. Times on this cashmere designer that lives in a tiny house. That’s the guy I need to talk to. There is no other info on him or how to contact him, so I write to the guy that wrote the article explaining my emergency. He sends to Greg, we talk, and has a one of a kind baja sweater made up for me in 24 hours. The more I learn about The Elder Statesman the more intriguing it becomes.
This rope is a blend of Greg’s cashmere from Mongolia and fiber made from the fur of the almost extinct Churro goat. The Churro was hunted almost to extinction because, In 1863 Colonel Kit Carson, under General James H. Carleton along with 700 troops, marched into the heart of Navajo country. Carson began a systematic campaign of destroying all Navajo means of livelihood. Some called it the “Animal Holocaust.” Anyway, I’m just saying this is super rare and has a good story to it. This is what’s left from a his last production of a very limited bag that I saw at Maxfield. They are unavailable and will most likely never be made again. The only thing rarer would be a cloth made entirely out of spider silk… would take like 4 years and over 1 million Orb Weaver spiders.
After Greg left Ksubi as one of the partners his long time love affair with Cashmere was realized. “As a kid I would walk into a store and always manage to pick up the most expensive item. You can just tell when something is made well.” Says Greg as he unrolls his one of a kind flagship. The 24 pound cashmere blanket quilt. Greg buys raw cashmere from Mongolia to make his own yarn, and patterns and then just does it. Is there anything to things that are sold by weight? This is his personal blanket quilt, other 24 pounders sell for around $10,000.
Maybe the 16 panel Cashmere blanket is more your steez. At around $6000 Greg tells me these are not just blankets for professional cuddlers, these are heirlooms that can be handed down for generations. I can see my kids fighting over the house… the jet ski… and the blanket! Can a butter soft blanket last a generation? Greg explained how these are tough as nails, the over sized stitching is functional and not just for effect. Then his sheep dog walked over and laid down on it.
Another example of how every blanket is different.
So Mr. Chait likes to travel. So much that my first attempt to to this feature was in January, he just got back. This is a traditional Guatemalan dress. Except instead of being made out of whatever local textiles the village has, this one is… you guessed it… 100% super fucking cashmere.
If BP made cashmere instead of oil… the Gulf of Mexico might look something like this.
This is where Greg really gets gangster. Taking traditional items and making them so luxurious that if your standing in a room of 100 people, 5 of them will know. But they will be the right 5 people. The other 95 will wonder why you wore a wife beater to their kids quinceanera. Corgi, I know you want one of these (if you don’t have one already). Tank tops start at $350.
Hipsters would love these cashmere shorts… but then they would be called “Richsters”
This is an experiment in creating texture without making the garment to bulky.
Perhaps you want a cashmere scarf hand embroidered by an old Armenian man on a 100 year old Lebonese Machine… like really by hand, no template, no computer or lasers.
If you were worried about not being able to find a super rad cashmere hat, you can relax.
He also works with denim. Only the best selvedge. Yes he makes jeans, but everyone does that, how about a selvedge denim vest?
Or a selvedge denim shirt with cashmere hand embroidery?
This is a giant piece of denim fabric from Japan. As the story goes, cotton fabric was so rare 100+ years ago that Japanese farmers used it as currency and then would sew all the little pieces together. This is not in his line, just something he collects.
Finally, this season The Elder Statesman offered sunglasses. They just can’t be re-branded Mosely Tribes. So Greg Goes to Germany and finds a 200 year old company that carves them out of naturally shed buffalo horn, by hand of course. Oh, that wire around the lense? Thats just 18k rose gold. These sold for $3000 and guess what… SOLD OUT!
From here you can see the girls sunbathing by the pool of the new Trump Tower.
Japan
United States
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