No. 4 - Capsule

No
4
—capsuleshow.com
—December 2012
Fresh!
O
IN
GOOD
CO.
01
02
n the hunt for some new brands?
Check out these newcomers to the
upcoming menswear shows
MWC
Since 1974, MWC has been supplying
military and police forces around the globe
with high quality timepieces expertly
crafted in Germany and Switzerland.
mcwwatches.com
03
MAJESTIC SELECT
Proving that the Japanese do vintage
Americana better that the Americans,
Majestic Select is inspired by the inherent
drama and heritage of American baseball.
majesticjapan.com
JO GORDON
Brightly-colored hats, scarves, gloves, and
shawls made in Scotland from lambswool
locally spun in long-established knitting
mills. jogordon.com
04
05
STERLING 1958
British outerwear, made with the utmost
quality and steeped in British tradition,
founded by Savile Row trained Cecil
Douglas Ellis in 1958. sterling1958.com
06
FOURTH AND MAIN
Created for and by London’s creative culture,
offering well-crafted menswear classics
that are presented each season in Fourth and
Main Journal, a beautiful biannual art mag.
fourthandmain.com
PERCIVAL
With the eccentric British gentleman as muse,
playful prints, contrasted linings, unusual
buttons and unexpected colors punctuate
British-made quality workmanship, timeless
styling and clever detailing. percivalclo.com
07
08
12
Bobby Waltzer The Bowery, @bowerybob
Artist. Designer. Thinker
Style advice or mantra Doesn’t matter what
it is, just how you wear it
Favorite city to visit New York, a constant
process of re-discovery. New places seem
like visits in different cities.
Favorite restaurant If I’m going all
out—wd50
Favorite book Chaos by James Gleick
Coveted item I’d like to own an industrial
building on the water. That’s a big item.
Style icon Patricia Field—I have many
but she is one
Favorite thing you own A drawing made for
me by Sol LeWitt or an old watch that was
my grandfather’s
09
13
Favorite gadget Lapel flower
Coveted item Pair of alligator shoes
Purchased 1993
Style icon Harald Glööckler & Alfredo Pauly
Favorite thing you own "Lou Rawls, Live"
1978 - Long Play Vinyl Special
Tyron Ricketts & Stephan Heim Berlin
heim-ricketts.de, @tyronrcketts
Style advice or mantra Don’t always listen to
your inner hipster
Favorite restaurant Adana Grill, Kreuzberg
Favorite gadget Donkey Kong Jr.
Tabletop Edition
Style icon Papa Smurf
Favorite thing you own the night
Gordon Richardson Twickenham/ Isle
of Wight/ Mallorca
Creative Director, Topman
Describe your personal style Rock
and roll gentleman
Favorite restaurant Petersham Nurseries,
Richmond London
Favorite book Just Kids by Patti Smith
Style icon Ranges from Serge Gainsbourg
to Keith Richards to David Niven…
Favorite thing you own My mid ‘60s
beaten up Fender Strat
Marcus Rigg Whitstable, Kent, @guildoflabour, co-owner/ designer for English
menswear brand Guild of Labour
Describe your personal style A blend of ‘40s
British and American workwear
(with some French farmer to boot!)
Favorite restaurant The Sportsman,
Seasalter, Kent
Favorite book The Hungry Eye by
Walker Evans
Favorite hotel Brody House, Budapest
Coveted item 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280SL
Pagoda
Christopher Tophinke West Berlin
Doorman at Chelsea Farmer’s Club.
chelseafarmersclub.de
Describe your personal style Changing tires
in a tuxedo in the rain
Favorite book Life and How to Survive It,
by Robin Skynner, John Cleese; 1996
Malvin R Wix Amsterdam, @wixomayne
Music programmer at Paradiso Amsterdam;
part owner of Bar Ludwig and freelance innovator, marketing consultant
Describe your personal style Loosy bleu collar and sportswear inspired
Favorite restaurant Toscanini, Amsterdam and
10
14
Peter Lugers, Brooklyn NY
Favorite book Malcolm X by Alex Haley
Favorite hotel Citizen M
Style icon Andre 3000 and A-Ron Bondaroff
Gino Delmas Paris, @ginodlms
Journalist, co-founder and editor at
latoiletteetseseffets.com
Style advice or mantra Play it softly
Favorite restaurant Aki, a Japanese
restaurant in rue Saint-Anne, Paris
Favorite book Le Joueur, Dostoïevski
Favorite gadget My Olympus Mju II
Coveted item Gangster's Lanvin briefcase
Style icon Goodluck Jonathan
Christophe Victoor North Marais,
Paris, @christophevictoor
Independent journalist for Dazed Digital, The
New Order Magazine, Fricotte
Style advice or mantra Spend more time
researching about fashion
Favorite restaurant Frey's Famous Pizzeria,
Tokyo (S/O to Chris Gibbs for the
recommendation)
Favorite book Hagakure: The Book of the
Samurai by Yamamoto Tsunetomo
Favorite hotel Opposite House, Beijing
Style icon David Bowie is my all time favorite
David Watts, London @David_M_Watts
Fashion Business Adviser and Mentor
Favorite restaurant The Riding House
Cafe, London.
Favorite book The Secret History by
Donna Tartt
Favorite hotel The Crosby Hotel, NYC
Style icon Bruce Pask
15
Favorite thing you own Bulgari B-zero ring
in rose gold.
Stefan Pesticcio North London
ASOS Menswear Director
Style advice or mantra Keep it simple
and focus on the fit above all else
Favorite city to visit Tokyo for its diverse
and interesting culture
Favorite restaurant I love the Hawksmoor
London, fantastic food and drink every time
in a fantastic setting
Favorite book Breakfast of Champions
by Kurt Vonnegut
Coveted item The Junya Watanabe
Camouflage Jacket
Andrew Davis Whitechapel, @ andrewdav1s
Creative consultant/Men's fashion director
for Wonderland
Favorite restaurant The Rochelle Canteen,
Shoreditch
Coveted item MM Shirt by Matthew Miller
AW12-13 collection
Style icon J-M Basquiat
Favorite thing you own Versace silk
Rococoprint duvet—in-your-face luxury.
Special holiday plans Mexico
Richard Haines Bushwick @designermannyc
Illustrator/artist/blogger, and recorder
of moments…
Describe your personal style Updated high
school. I basically wear what I wore in
1968—jeans and sweaters.
Style advice or mantra 'when in doubt get
it navy blue'
Favorite restaurant Roberta's, Bushwick
LOS VLADIMIROVICH
Avant-garde functional, contemporary
pieces marked by bold colors, strong
lines, hints of Asian influence and utilitarian
accents. losvladimirovich.com
11
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
Bobby Waltzer
Gordon Richardson
Christopher Tophinke
Tyron Ricketts
Stephan Heim
Marcus Rigg
Malvin R Wix
Gino Delmas
Christophe Victoor
David Watts
Stefan Pesticcio
Andrew Davis
Richard Haines
Matthew Miller
Florian Müller
Favorite book Il Palazzo—a book of my
illustrations commissioned by Prada
Coveted item I covet memories more than
objects. my daughter's first years…
Style icon Jean Cocteau
Matthew Miller London, @Studio_M_Miller
Designer
Describe your personal style Functional,
industrial, and contemporary.
Style advice or mantra The image you
portray is the one IP that can’t be bought
Favorite book Fanzines
Favorite hotel Hotel Castello Chiola Dimora
Storica - Loreto Aprutino, in Penne Abruzzo
Favorite gadget The app, the 21st century
Swiss Army knife.
Florian Müller Berlin,
Owner, Müller PR and Consulting
Style advice or mantra If you feel comfortable and not disguised, you probably
chose the right clothes.
Favorite hotel AMANO Hotel in Berlin for their
rooftop and very friendly atmosphere
Favorite thing you own My agency
Special holiday plans Any place with no
fashion and no internet
—(c)
In Good Co. background image—Chelsea
Farmer's Club
David Watts by P. Hartnett
Richard Haines by Martin Adolfsson
CLOCKWISE: HAIK, LOS VLADIMIROVICH, JO GORDON, GUILD OF LABOUR, AND CASH CA
Bastronomy
GUY DE BERAC
The legendary house of fine French sweaters
is back. Founded in 1941 in the city of Troyes,
Guy de Berac returns with its mixed media
intarsia sweaters, alcantara cardigans and
geometrical designed slip-overs.
Gant Rugger's Creative Director Christopher Bastin
cooks us up a batch of delicious onion soup
G
ANT Rugger creative director Christopher Bastin, a selfproclaimed foodie and passionate cook, is working on
a cookbook this season featuring his tweaked versions
of classic dishes. We caught up with him to talk food, and he
shared one of his delicious recipes with us. Start cooking!
Why do food and fashion go together well in your estimation?
I think the same love goes into the product, preparation and
end product in both areas. It's about passion and the endless
drive to make other people happy and feel good. Working
on a collection takes almost half a year, that's why the instant
gratification of serving really good food to friends is such a
wonderful thing for me.
The fashion folks are about to go into heavy travel season.
Do you have any tips for eating well while on the road?
Before hitting the road, I try to spend a few minutes on
research and book a table at a good restaurant for
at least one evening, and try something completely random the other. As much as I love
to try new places, I hate being disappointed.
A good tip is to ask the people behind the
coolest bar in town where they go to get chow
after they close down, those places are always
solid.—(c)
Here’s how to whip up the bossest
“Soupe à l’oignon”
Side note: This is a mash up of God’s (Anthony
Bourdain) and Swedish uber-chef Danyel Couets’
recipes. You'll kill it every time with this.
Serves 4 dudes/6 dudettes
1. Open a bottle of crisp white wine. Pour yourself
a glass. You’ll need like half the bottle for the soup
so don’t get all wasted on me just yet. A Gewürstraminer will do the trick.
2. Make a quart of chicken stock. (Or buy the readymade version, who cares.)
GUILD OF LABOUR
Traditional British workwear design
elements are the hallmarks of the collection
of outerwear, shirts and sweatshirts, made
with high quality fabrics from British mills.
guildoflabour.com
3. Peel and thinly (thinly!) slice the 8 yellow onions and 2 cloves
of garlic.
4. Start sweating the onions on medium heat in a good amount
of butter and a splash of olive oil in a large pot or pan. Now, this
will take time. You need to stir gently ever so often, it takes
about 30-40 minutes to get them proper. You want the onions to
end up deep golden brown, but NOT burned or crisp. This dish
is ALL about the onions, you feelin’ me?
5. When the onions are perfect, add a good dash of Port wine
and 2-3 tbsp of Balsamic vinegar, scrape the pan to get all that
good stuff from the bottom to blend with the liquids. Reduce
for about 5 minutes on medium heat to get the acidity out and
the flavors to blend. Taste, and add more Port/balsamic if
needed.
6. Add a fistful of freshly chopped thyme, 2 bay leaves,
5 white pepper corns, a quart of chicken stock and
about half a bottle of white wine. (Open one more if
you didn’t listen to point 1)
7. Let it simmer for 30 min to an hour on low
heat. The chicken stock is salty enough, so
easy on the salt homie. At the end, add half
a cup of full fat cream. (I know, but it’s good,
trust me)
8. While the soup is getting ready, grate a
huge heap of Gruyere cheese, the stronger
the better, and turn on the grill on your oven at
max around 250 C/450 F
9. When ready, pour the soup into those fancy
French bowls made just for this dish, and place
3-4 slices of baguette (sourdough) on top of
the soup. Add a good heap of cheese and
shove ‘em into the oven for about 10 minutes or
until they’re nicely golden and a bit burned.
As Anthony Bourdain says, “you don’t know
what pain is until you spilled one of these in your
lap,” so be very careful when you take them out
and serve. Kablam.
HAIK
Designers Siv Støldal, Ida Falck Øien and
Harald Lunde Helgesen, based respectively
in Norway, Los Angeles and London
communicate through an online studio to
create collections of clothing in addition to
video installations, sculpture and various art
projects around a single subject.
haikwithus.com
ARMOIRE D’HOMME
Steeped in Scandi design traditions, Armoire
d’Homme seeks to reinterpret classic pieces
in a contemporary context, with an eye on
sustainability. armoiredhomme.com
CASH CA
British knitwear expertise and Japanese
innovation intermingle at Cash CA. The
menswear collection is created by influential
Japanese streetwear designer Kazuki
Kuraishi. cashca.com
THEKLAXON
Launching at Capsule, this Korean footwear
collection offers classic men’s styling with a
contemporary upgrade, using only the finest
materials, and Vibram soles. theklaxon.co.kr
ELEMENTS
OF RETAIL
“For the independent store to survive and continue to
interest its customers, it must offer an experience that
is difficult to emulate online” says Matt Murphy, whose
recently opened London boutique, Other Shop, in
London, is designed to be a place for raw discovery, in
addition to a great space to buy clothes.
01
HANDWRITTEN RECEIPTS
03
IN-STORE CAFÉ
05
BOOK SHOP
07
HANDCRAFTED FURNITURE
09
MAKERS WORKSHOPS
11
LOOKBOOKS AND CONTENT
While digital receipts are becoming more
and more prevalent, a nicely written note on
beautiful paper, like the one we received at
Hostem in London, serves to build a personal
connection between shopper and sales
clerk.
The perfect, deliberately brewed, artfully
poured, artisanally made cup of coffee helps
to transform a boutique into a community
hub. Prufrocks coffee at Present-London is a
great example.
Bringing, thoughtful, art-loving, sophisticated shoppers to one’s store can be achieved
by offering great books and magazines.
Other-Shop in London works with contemporary artist Sam Griffin to curate an eclectic
and compelling offering of printed material,
including hand-made art ‘zines and design
books.
It’s all about aesthetics. Well-designed
products like furniture add another dimension to the sales floor, and allow shoppers to
expand their vision beyond clothes to embody a fuller lifestyle experience.
There’s nothing more satisfying than making
something with your own two hands. SF retailer Gravel & Gold share their exuberance
for things well-made by hosting Makers
classes where customers can learn everything from tie dying to pickling.
Content is key to imparting a store’s aesthetic, so make it great and make it distinctive.
UnionMade’s white shirt campaign is an excellent example.
02
FLEA MARKET
Discovering new talent can easily be
achieved by hosting a pop up market for local emerging designers and craftspeople to
sell their wares. Seoul’s multi dimensional
concept shop Daily Projects holds monthly
weekend markets that attract hundreds of
new customers to the store each time.
The art of retail, of late, is more about experience and
theater than just about the haul. Attracting shoppers to a
store goes way beyond offering a great array of fashion
and accessories. Community building, in-store events,
and details that give a store a personal touch are what
make for compelling retail tight now. We’ve shopped
some of the world’s most game-changing stores to
learn what makes for a great brick and mortar shopping
experience and present our favorite elements here.
"We like the idea of welcoming in our store
a mix of different kinds of customers from
locals and tourists, hipsters to bobos, and
from all ages. What links all our customers is the love of nice products, well
crafted and with a story to tell.”
—Clarent Dehlouz, French Trotters, Paris
04
IN-HOUSE MAGAZINE
An in-house magazine is a bit of the store experience that customers can take away with
them. More than a glorified catalog, we prefer magazines that are printed on distinctive
paper, with carefully photographed product
and lifestyle imagery and creative editorial
pieces that impart the store's aesthetic. The
magazine should represent the interests of
the store's community. Oi Polloi's Pica~Post,
Need Supply's Human Being Journal, and Saturdays are three of our favorites.
06
CURATED VINYL
The pleasures of browsing a record shop
have almost been forgotten, but a few shops
are including specialized assortments of vinyl into the mix. London’s appointment-only
boutique LN-CC offers rare Japanese vinyl, as
well as collaborates with musicians and DJs to
create limited edition exclusives.
08
ART GALLERY
Offering a bit of space in one’s shop to spotlight the works of an emerging artist is a great
way to draw the local creative community
into the store in addition to adding a new artful dimension to the space.
“The personal interaction with our customers in store …is crucial for building
long-term relations. It’s not rocket science,
just common sense and being respectful,
helpful and friendly to people”
—Philip Gaedicke, Soto, Berlin
10
LETTER PRESS GC
Let’s face it, a Gift Certificate is a gift, after all,
and should be special. South Willard’s letterpress gift certificates, printed by Aardvark
letterpress in LA, elevate the gift certificate
to a memorable keepsake in its own right.
“An artistic community and cross media
projects are important, as well as knowledgeable, friendly and passionate staff."
—Matt Murphy, Other Shop London
“The people who buy our clothing also sleep,
eat, ride bikes, travel to new locations, and
have ideas about the world. We set a goal to
share more of this culture and energy…Now
people have a better idea of what we're into,
beyond the clothing.”
—Gabe Ricioppo, Need Supply, Richmond, Virginia
on the launch of his in store magazine, Human Being Journal
11
09
10
06
07
08
CHECK
OUT THE
ELEMENTS
OF RETAIL
INSTALLATION
AT CAPSULE
NEW YORK
04
03
05
02
01
Illustration by Jodi Lynn Burton
On Our Radar
Music with
Take Sato
Director’s Cut
T
akeharu Sato is the men’s fashion
market editor at Monocle magazine.
His distinctively Japanese yet global
shoots for the magazine populate the pages
of the magazine each month. Sato also DJs for
Monocle Radio, and we love his eclectic music tastes. We asked Take to create a playlist
for us.
Clockwise: Food Safari, Singapore Things, Telescope Café
Capsule’s Show Director Chris Corrado
shares his view of menswear now.
Read Up!
C
entrally located in Berlin’s Mitte, Do
You Read Me? is an independent
shop that offers its loyal customer
base a selection of rare and hard to find books
and magazines. The staff are super friendly
and will help you with advice to personalize your shopping experience. Here, we've
asked DYRM to share their favorite emerging magazine titles. Meet the team in person
when DYRM hosts an outpost of their shop at
Capsule Berlin.
UNION
A real girl's girl kinda mag, Union is like the
Japanese answer to Lula Magazine.
THE ROOM
It's fashion, for art's sake – The Room is based
in Hungary yet hosts a family of international
contributors creating cutting edge editorials that appeal to fans of the marrying of the
aforementioned creative industries.
FOOD SAFARI
SINGAPORE THINGS
PLUS ONE BERLIN
Hands-on craft eating at the source—Field Safari takes
foodie-ism to a whole new level, creating field to fork
experiences in Suffolk, England. Learn how to forage for
herbs and veggies in urban environments, how to skin a
rabbit, bone and roll a partridge and master mushroom
picking. foodsafari.co.uk
Singapore’s New Majestic Hotel has an installation curated by local tastemakers that celebrates Singaporean
culture. A selection of objects and art that reference the
Singapore cultural heritage are presented on over 200
washboards, similar to the used by Singaporean immigrants in the early days of the island.
Travelers wanting to see Berlin like a local would find a
unique adventure at Plus One Berlin – a well-appointed
apartment for rent in the neighborhood of Kreuzkölln
which comes with the opportunity to be the 'plus one' of a
well-connected and knowledgeable local of their choice.
THE BREAD EXCHANGE
FRENCH ROAST
Former Levi’s sales manager Malin Elmlid bakes her own
white yeast-free sourdough bread and trades it with
strangers. This unique barter arrangement has taken Malin
all over the world where she exchanges her special bread
for unique experiences, goods and services. “Every
trader has a story to tell about its choice of trade, so every
bread is full of stories. This is what I love the most about
this project.”
We’ve always wondered why finding an artisanally
brewed cup of Joe in Paris, a city known for its cafes, was
practically impossible. But that’s changing as several
new coffee bars have opened recently offering locally
brewed, carefully crafted coffee. Telescope Café, Black
Market Coffee, and Café Craft are 3 of our faves.
Issued quarterly, Port magazine provides readers with
original and intelligent content that explores the worlds
of art, design, film, politics and literature, amongst others, through its interview subjects. Said features are juxtaposed with timeless editorial spreads and product reportage. port-magazine.com
PORT MAGAZINE
IT’S JUST TIME TO LOOK
FORWARD TO THE FUTURE
INSTEAD OF THE PAST
FOR OUR INSPIRATION.
What's been inspiring you recently? London. My most recent
trip there really inspired me. From
street fashion to the quality of retail to even the food! London has
incredible stores which, like the
brands that exhibit at Capsule, represent a lifestyle and not just a collection of product.
A few standouts for me were Couverture & The Garbstore, Present, Other Shop, Liberty,
Number 6, Anthem, Universal Works, and Dover Street Market. That’s just to name a few.
There are more and they all exist in the same city. It’s impressive. As boutiques look to
Left: KAWS Imaginary Friends Right: Plus One Berlin
SANG BLEU
Meaning 'blue blood' in French, Sang Bleu is
a crossover journal that focuses on tattoo culture, both above and underground, in order
to challenge the meaning of body art and it's
associated lifestyle by the general public.
CODE
Instead of larger than life sets and well known
faces, Code chooses to shoot real people
living their real lives for their editorials. It's
about telling the story of personal style and
it's role in society as we know it.
HYPEBEAST
A printed big brother supplement to the
epicly successful menswear style & culture
blog, it takes the snippets of information
you're used to reading online and fleshes
them out into unique editorials and conversational features.
032C
Published just twice yearly, 032c proclaims to
fiercely believe in the intelligence of its readers. They achieve this by providing insightful propositions and conversations, interspersed with an often surprising, yet always
beautiful editorial format.
How do you see the menswear market evolving for
AW13? The same way that it has for the past 5.5 years.
The menswear consumer at our tier of the market is looking for product that is real, authentic, and well-made. As
the heritage movement boils down to the true leaders in
the group, the opportunity will be for true performance
brands to own their rightful share of the educated menswear consumer’s closet. I hope we see more performance-based brands figuring out how to penetrate the progressive menswear market
on their own, but first I expect more collaborations between established menswear
designers and the leaders of the performance, technical, and functional markets. If you
think about it, heritage brands are yesterday’s performance brands. It’s just time to look
forward to the future instead of
the past for our inspiration.
I know you've been doing some
home decorating—tell us about
your recent projects or hobbies ?
I like making stuff. Working with
my hands. Furniture, lighting,
décor, whaveter. I’m lucky that I
get a creative outlet at work, but
it’s not product that I get to create. We create an experience at
Capsule and that’s awesome, but
it’s always nice to make something…product. In the past I built my bed and a table for my terrace. Most recently I painted window panels and finished tree stumps as home décor items. They came out pretty
cool, if I don’t mind saying so myself.—(c)
Portrait of Chris Corrado by Ryan Kibler
MENS FILE
A men's mag that goes behind the scenes to
focus on the 'doers' of fashion (as opposed to
the viewers). You'll find features on designers
and production teams for their favorite men's
labels, with a strong heritage brand slant.
THE NEW ORDER
The New Order's manifesto is pretty straightforward – to provide readers with a bi-annual
mag focusing on fashion, art, music, film and
food. They've got all the right bases covered.
maintain a competitive edge against online retail and
majors, they should look to London for inspiration. Introducing lifestyle product and creating environments
within their spaces are just a couple of the tactics already
employed by the group above.
The Capsule team work together to create a brand invitation list for each season of Capsule. We each have our own opinions of what makes
a brand an appropriate exhibitor at Capsule, but what we all look for in brands is superior product, great people, and a story or a soul. Ultimately we are in search of the most
beautiful product in the world. However, in today’s fashion landscape, there are too
many brands to count and even
more product than true brands. A
designer or a brand can’t just be a
collection of classifications. They
need to be telling the brand’s
story through their product and
the story can’t be faked.
ARCHIVIST
It's non-seasonal and it doesn't feature the
latest IT bag, but rather an in-depth look at the
personal archives of some your fave fashion
industry insiders, as well as photographic
essays.
VESTOJ
A journal of sartorial matters, Vestoj is serious
about bridging the gap between academia
and industry. Readers can experience an
almost fairytale aesthetic and values on the
pages of this magazine, where clothing is
treated with the respect it deserves.
Y
ou recently spoke at the Portable Curators Conference in NYC. How does curation describe
what you do at Capsule, and as a curator, what elements do you look for in a fashion brand/what are the key
elements of a great menswear brand in your opinion? It’s
difficult to speak of yourself as a curator without sounding
like a total DB. I don’t exactly refer to myself as a curator,
however the result of our invitation process for Capsule
does create a curated mix of designers and brands. We
have an opinion, a taste level, and are unwilling to compromise our position of supporting the brands that fit into
our mix.
DOCUMENT NO.1
BERLINER BRANDSTIFTER
FUCK YEAH MENSWEAR
London-based fashion editor David Hellqvist and photographer Morgan O’ Donovan wrote this new book
about London Fashion Week’s first ever stand-alone
men’s day, which took place in June 2012. The duo spoke
to nine participating designers, including Christopher
Shannon, Aitor Throup, and Richard Nicoll, for a different
view on the collections. Fashion critics like Katie Grand,
Bruce Pask and Tim Blanks also weigh in with their experiences in this beautiful book.
Not a vodka, not a whiskey, Berliner Brandstifter is a
spirit called Korn—produced using whole grain wheat,
rye, barley, buckwheat or oat. Made in a historic familyowned distillery in Berlin, Brandstifter is only produced in
small quantities, bottled by hand, and numbered. Unique
to the production process is the seven-fold filtration,
which helps eliminate the impurities that can cause hangovers. So you can have another! Try Berliner Brandstifter at
Capsule Berlin.
Friend of Capsule Lawerence Schlossman and Kevin Burrows revealed their identity as the men behind Fuck Yeah
Menswear— the irreverent anonymous Tumblr ode to the
menswear market. His hip hop/menswear insidery observations have been combined into a menswear primer
of sorts and released as a new book by Touchstone Press.
3D PRINTING
KAWS IMAGINARY FRIENDS
3D printing is quickly gaining traction, and it’s now cheaper and easier than ever to “print” three-dimensional objects from a computer. The process is even impacting retail: the first 3D print store, created by Makerbot, has just
opened in New York.
Always blurring the line between art and commerce, the
legendary artist has a new show at Paris’ Perrotin gallery.
Galerie Perrotin Paris, 78 rue de Turenne, 75003 through
December 22
How would you describe your taste in music now? Eclectic. If you have heard any 90’s
dance music there was always a reference,
ie dance classics around the 70’s, so I ended
up digging up those vinyls like The Salsoul
Orchestra. Then I discovered the connection
with those 70’s bands and rock/jazz/latin music, so I also started going to some jazz clubs.
I travel so much now I like the Middle Eastern
music and appreciate J-Pop more than ever,
having been based in London since 7 years.
Where/how do you prefer listening to music?
Live.
What medium do you prefer to listen to music
(vinyl, iPod, radio, etc)? Vinyl. I threw my iPod
away since I ended up listening to the same
songs forever.
Where do you go to find new music? What
attracts you to a new song or band? Monocle
24, our 24-7 audio service is a good channel
for me. This covers the global music that isn’t
played in any other radio station. ANA’s inflight service is always good as well, because
staying on the plane is one of the calmest moments for me.
What's playing now? Emeli Sandé. Nice and
jazzy, very mature songs.—(c)
Take’s Playlist
Celia Cruz/Yo Vivire
Toufic Farroukh/Girl from Gypsy Moon
A-Ha/Take On Me
Run-DMC vs Jason Nervins/It’s Like That
Mr V ft Miss Patty/Da Pump
Emeli Sandé/Next to Me
Tatsuro Yamashita/Ride On Time
Kyoto Jazz Massive/Nacer Do Sol
Jazztronik/Love Tribe
Choo Choo Train/Zoo
In Praise of the Anti-Design Website
Is a slick website all its cracked up to be?
Writer David Hellqvist doesn’t think so…I
like brands with ugly websites. I prefer labels whose online presence is old school
and far from the sleek norm of 21st century
web design agencies. It’s not easy to say
this, especially when my day job is editing
an online magazine – in my line of business,
it’s all about having the latest technology
and the freshest design features. Not only
that, but we live in a cyber-driven society
where such statements are, on a good day
frowned upon and laughed at on a bad one.
But here goes. I like unattractive brand
websites. There, I’ve said it again. But
there’s an important distinction to make
straight away: I don’t approve of complicated, clumsily designed websites, or the ones
I need to download a specific programme
to even enter the site. I can’t stand those –
the Internet is supposed to be democratic.
No, I’m talking about websites that are uncomfortable with modernity, the ones that
clearly haven’t been designed by a bespectacled 19 year-old whiz kid, the ones that
are behind on style…but not substance. For
me, those brands are a bit like the kid in
school who dared to wear a bolo or skinny
jeans when everyone else wore flares –
anything that stood out, really - because he
MAG+
Mag+ is a tool for creating apps on tablets and smartphones. Now you can create your own online magazine
without the need for programming skills or expensive
developers. Simply create your content in InDesign and
upload. Mag+ does the rest, even helps you sell your issues. magplus.com
https://twitter.com/DAVIDHELLQVIST
http://www.port-magazine.com/
http://www.lewisleathers.com/
http://www.drakes-london.com/
http://www.paradisefoundhawaiianshirts.com/
http://www.dehenjackets.com/
or she was so secure in their style that it
didn’t matter that all the other kids wore
whatever was trendy that week.
These brands and their subsequent websites have their own style, and no cyber
fad, vain web designer or gif bonanza will
change that. In order to resist the temptation to constantly change and update, you
need to be old and wise enough to know
that none of that will change the quality
of your product. As a consequence, many
of the sites I’m thinking of are mid-sized
heritage brands with enough faith in their
products to let them, and not the Internet,
do the talking. Having basked in the sunshine for a while, the term ‘heritage’ is
slowly resuming its previous place in the
nerd corner. But maybe that’s a good thing
– if nothing else it’ll keep it purer for longer. Because these brands with, their longevity, strength and customer base, actually have a history to talk about but more
than anything, they have a soul. And their
website design is part of that.
lining as background for their site; awful
and wonderful at the same time. Another
Brit label, Drake’s, known for gorgeous ties
and scarves (while also dabbling in cobbling and cashmere) have gone for a clunky
product display and rather terrible neckwear illustrations. American examples of
this phenomenon include Paradise Found,
purveyors of authentic Hawaii shirts, who
– in the midst of their passion for what
they make – have completely forgot about
presentation. It’s refreshing and loveable.
Gullible, some would say. But I appreciate
the lack of shallow trimming; the Paradise
Found site is dedicated to quality products
and the amazing heritage of the Aloha shirt.
The same goes for Dehen’s website selling heavy knit wool jackets and cardigans
made in their Portland, Oregon-factory. The
family-run business was started in 1920.
The website looks like it was launched the
same year. Ancient. But I wouldn’t have it
any other way. Here’s to product superiority over cyber domination.
Look at, for example, Lewis Leathers - an
amazing leather jacket manufacturer in
Great Britain. Founded in 1892, the brand
has a the historic traditions to back up its
products, but have chosen a red quilted
David Hellqvist is the Online Editor at Port Magazine and a menswear writer. His book about the
London SS13 menswear shows was released in
November 2012.
BPMW
80 8th Ave/Ste 202
New York, NY 10011
Talking with
Terry Ellis
Q
uality craftsmanship and creativity in
design are focal points of the Capsule
community, and no store demonstrates the relevance of craft, aesthetics, and
traditional manufacturing better than Fennica,
an offshoot of the Japanese department store
Beams. The shop was created to serve as a
bridge between design and crafts, and offers
a mix of products from both traditional Japanese handicrafts as well as Northern European design, and sells clothes, furniture, homewares, dining ware, and even food. Fennica
recently presented an exhibition of pottery
made by master craftsmen at the legendary
Hamada Kiln in Japan, presented alongside a
house label of lovingly re-purposed vintage clothes, Chidori furniture, and a
carefully selected group of contemporary fashion brands.
Fennica buyer Terry Ellis has been schooling us on the resurgence of craft and
design through his Instagram feed (_terry_ellis_) which is updated many
times a day and is filled with images of well designed products, ranging from
handwoven Indigo textiles to examples of mid-century architecture, Brixton
storefronts, and vintage cars.
We caught up with Ellis to talk about the current rise in interest in handmade
goods, as well as the notion of mingling fashion and objects at retail.
So, what’s new at Fennica? At Fennica right now we are working with architects Kengo Kuma & Associates on their East Japan Project to design and
market products made in close collaboration with craftspeople in the earthquake-hit part of Japan. In the Harajuku store now we have an exhibition of
pottery from Mashiko including works from the Hamada Kiln.
Traditional textiles are always a source of inspiration and we are excited to
be working with a small firm of indigo dyers from Austria near the Hungarian border. They make traditional block printed cotton and linen fabrics. This
winter we will show bench-made shoes and clogs made to order by Rosa
Mosa of Vienna from indigo dyed printed leather, and patchwork shawls
made from mixed new and old indigo fabrics at an exhibition called ‘The Indigo Blue Print Project At Fennica’. We will also sell a selection of the cloth by
the yard in the stores from next spring.
Cover images and all photos on this
page by Terry Ellis
Why are handcrafted items so relevant now?
Traditional hand made pottery vessels are
relevant now because they add warmth,
meaning and grace to common gestures of
hospitality and to the simple ceremonies of
everyday life.
Similarly, furniture which is handcrafted from
natural materials, whether one-off masterworks or basic church hall chairs, gives a
sense of heritage and a connection to nature
that sits well in modern interiors.
How do you select the products you stock at
Fennica? Our criteria for finding things to sell in Fennica is a mix of Mingei craft
theory, plain common sense and a lot of research in vintage clothing shops.
To be classed as Mingei an object has to be useful, traditional, inexpensive
and made locally by hand in quantity by unknown craftsmen. We use this
template in a fairly elastic way to select Japanese craft objects to show in the
stores with imported fashion and design.
The clothes in Fennica’s Original Collection are based on vintage finds which
we modify or update and produce in collaboration with a few makers and
designers who have a feel for such garments and are able to do small batch
production. Currently we work with Buzz Ricksons/Sugar Cane on military
and workwear, Orslow on denim, Prime Corporation on knitwear, SANCA on
Sportswear and workwear, Porter on bags, and Universal Works on one or
two special projects each year.
Do you think more and more retailers will start offering handcrafted goods in
their shops? Fashion shops now stock non-fashion handcrafted goods in an
effort to differentiate themselves from their competitors. If this trend does
trickle down to a wider market it would in theory be a good thing and it is to
be hoped that this happens without loss of authenticity, for if standards are
sacrificed in the search for excess profit and low prices the result will be a
rash of soulless, uniformly wobbly ‘crafty’ looking objects permanently on
discount in the malls.—(c)