I got a nice package in the mail this week from my friends over at Levi’s. These pieces are from the Levi’s® Water<Less Collection which is a very cool initiative. A fresh pair of Levi’s 501 Shrink -To – Fit jeans and a Rigid Trucker denim jacket. (can’t wait to put pins on this) The 501′s are staples and a classic that everyone should have at least 1 pair in their wardrobe. I love the fact that these were made in the USA and I can’t wait to break these in.
The Levi’s® Water<Less range, is a new collection of denim, that reduces the amount of water used in the finishing process by an average of 11 gallons per pair!
With that, the Water<Less collection will feature beloved, iconic Levi’s® brand silhouettes. For men those include: the 511 Skinny; the 514 Slim Straight; the Trucker Denim jacket; and the jean that started it all, the original button-fly 501® cut, in a premium selvedge denim.
Given this range of leading, fashion-directive fits, the Levi’s® Water<Less assortment offers styles that are at once trend-leading AND also environmentally-minded.
Thanks to my family at Levi’s for the love.
Ouigi Theodore from the Brooklyn Circus curated this season Project 10 space at the Las Vegas Project Show. The beautifully curated space hosted some of the industry’s freshest up and coming brands. The fairly new brand (that I profiled last August) was back again this season with some very strong outerwear pieces. Strivers Row is really a brand to look out for over the next couple of seasons. I took the opportunity to shoot some of my favorite military-inspired items.
Enjoy!
Thanks to Emmett, Jason and Marcus for the booth hospitality.
Some of the most exciting & innovative product at the Project Show had to be the Swims footwear collection. Swims also make really nice and fresh outerwear pieces. This Swims Alta camo parka was just great. The camo was so subtle and the red accents just made it pop so well.
I’m looking forward to wearing this coat in the fall. The jacket is lined and 100% waterproof so it will keep you warm and protect you against the elements.
SWIMS
$589 USD
Thanks Simona & Byron
A couple weeks ago I was running around New York City with my friend Byron and he was wearing “The Mac” rain coat aka The Mackintosh. The Mac is a staple of sorts in menswear, I would even go as far as saying it is a necessity in every mans wardrobe. The jackets are handmade in Scotland and represent classic craftsmanship.
$700 EUR
The Mackintosh or Macintosh (abbreviated as mac or mack) is a form of waterproof raincoat, first sold in 1824, made out of rubberised fabric. The Mackintosh is named after its Scottish inventor Charles Macintosh, though a letter k is added by many writers (this variant spelling “Mackintosh” is now standard).
A lot of brands have taking inspiration from the famous Mac jacket and have interpreted their way. I’ve added a new feature to my blog giving you guys an alternative to some of things I blog about.
Check below for some alternatives to the MAC jacket. I included a few pieces from some of my favorite brands.
Wing+ Horns, SWIMS, Gucci and Penfield
Enjoy
MY FIRST MEMORIES WITH GENERAL ASSEMBLY:
The great thing I like about walking trade shows is discovering new brands. I came across this brand called General Assembly and these 2 pieces struck me right away. I met Alexander the owner and I told him how these pieces reminded me my favorite Helly Hansen jacket from back in the day. He told me I was spot on and that Helly Hansen ski jacket was actually his reference point.
INSPIRATION BEHIND THESE PIECES:
We didn’t really see any cool looking outerwear out there that we could bike around in, especially none which incorporated reflective tape in a more cohesive way. Since everyone we know around Brooklyn seems to ride a fixed gear well into the winter, we decided to take up the task of making some. Some fleece lining in the body, popped vents in the back, a little tip of the hat to old-school HH, and it was a wrap. -Alexander Keith
WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT THE BRAND:
The brand is inspired by early hip-hop, skate, fashion and lifestyle.
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY BIKE JACKET & VEST:
I remember driving down to New York with my mother back in the day to find the Helly Hansen Jacket that Method Man and other Wu members wore in their videos. I found the HH jacket I wanted for about $100 and I was the freshest kid that year. The General Assembly Bike Jacket and Vest just brought back so many memories and I told Alexander that I had to have it. My personal style has obviously changed since those days but I can definitely appreciate this new refined interpretation.
PRICE:
General Assembly Bike Jacket: $185
General Assembly Bike Vest: $125
RELEASE DATE
September 2011
SITE
www.generalassemblyline.com
ABOUT FELTRAIGER:
Feltraiger (pronounced FEL-TRAY-GER) is an American menswear brand inspired by the rebellious lifestyle of the many subcultures of the 20th century. All garments are designed, sampled, and produced in America. Each piece is limited and produced in small numbers and many garments are hand numbered.
MY FIRST MEMORIES WITH FELTRAIGER:
I met Daniel at his booth at Project and we spoke about his brand Feltraiger. I think the brand has great appeal and a few standout pieces. I did a bit of research before we spoke and I liked what I saw, after seeing and touching the product it back up my original thoughts of the brand. Daniel and his team are cool guys and I like what they are doing.
WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT THE BRAND
They got the name Feltraiger from the original name of Daniel Fieldman’s (Owner,Designer) family when they came to America.
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE FELTRAIGER IVAN JACKET
As much as I have an obsession with shoes I also have a huge obsession with jackets. I love army colored coats especially if they have vertical chest pockets like the Ivan, there really isn’t anything fresher.
SPECS
- Green Pebble Canvas Mid-Thigh Jacket
- 2 Vertical Chest Pockets & 2 Lower Pockets
- Leather Collar Stand, Pocket Openings, and Pocket Covers
- Drawstrings in Hood, Waist, and Bottom Hem
- Brass Snaps, Zipper, and Drawstring Stoppers
- Elastic Wrist Bands
- Limited to 25 Pieces
- Each Item Hand Numbered
- American Made
PRICE:
$224
BUY
www.feltraiger.com
MY FIRST MEMORIES WITH NSW:
The first time I got really familiar with Nike’s NSW collection was back in 08 when some of us were flown out to Beijing for the unveiling of new Nike initiatives for the Olympics. I had the opportunity to talk with Jarrett Reynolds, one of the main designers behind the collections and since then my love and loyalty for the product has grown.
MY THOUGHTS ON THE BETA DESTROYER:
I’ve been privileged enough to be wearing the Beta Destroyer for a few months now and I have to say I love it. It’s easily become one of my go to jackets when I’m leaving the house. I’ve always liked the silhouette of the Destroyer but what I like most about the BETA is the padded lining which makes the coat a bit more compact. The wool body and leather arms also gives it a fresh look. I usually wear a medium but due to the padded lining the large fits perfect. I’ve included a video of me wearing the jacket, so you get an idea of size. The jacket has finally hit the market place and I think it is a great purchase if you are looking for a new Destroyer.
SPECS
- NSW Pinnacle collection
- Snap button front
- Wool body construction
- Leather sleeves
- 2 front waist pockets
- 1 zippered chest pocket with welded seam bonding
- 1 interior pocket
- Ribbed collar
- Padded inner lining
PRICE
$450
BUY
www.havenshop.ca
MY FIRST MEMORIES WITH THE BAJA MEXICAN PONCHO:
Back in high school the “Rockers” appropriated the Baja Poncho and Dr. Martens boots as their everyday uniform. Some of them used to cover them up with patches from their favorite bands. I’ve always admired the style and the look but I never really dared try it because it wasn’t cool for black kids to dress like “Rockers”. The stereotypical dress codes were very prevalent in my school and people stuck to it.
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE BAJA MEXICAN PONCHO:
I love grabbing reference points from the past and incorporating them into my style. I’ve been wearing different colored ponchos lately and I’ve been getting a lot of compliments. People seem to get a bit nostalgic when they see me wearing these with my DOC’s. I’m going to start customizing a few pieces a la Marcus Troy which will be available for you all to purchase.
SPECS
Made in Mexico
50% Cotton
25% Acrylic
25% polyester
*Dr. Martens not included
PRICE (marcus troy version):
$65
MY FIRST MEMORIES WITH HARTFORD DENIM COMPANY:
While I was walking the Project Show doing my rounds and interviewing brands I was told that I needed to speak with 3 gentleman from the Hartford Denim Company. I was immediately blown away by their appearance and if I’m allowed to say their swag. They looked like they were out of the Robin Hood movie but instead they were dressed in Denim onepieces, Denim shirts and jackets. Their story was one of courage, passion and I had to know more… My full interview coming soon.
THE STYLE:
The jean above is called the Clopen. There are only 8 pairs made in the world and they are built to last.
WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT THE BRAND:
They make all their Denim by hand which takes about 10-20 hours a pair. They have made just under 100 pairs since June. All their rivets and buttons are made with 100 year old US pennies because they are made of pure copper. They are proud to be from Hartford so they wear that pride on their sleeves and on their pants (pun intended). The guys behind the brand are Marshall Deming, Dave Marcoux, and Luke Davis. They started the brand because they were tired of buying $1000 jeans from Japan, it just was not sustainable. Their denim is produced in North Carolina using vintage looms and they are produced by Cone Mills who used to produce the denim for Levis until the 1960′s
They spend all their time in their shop making denim and buying supplies to make denim. They rarely see their friends because they are always making denim!
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE HARTFORD DENIM:
The denim is also guaranteed for life, they will repair and patch them up as long as they are in business. They make all their jeans in limited quantity and the quality is unmatched. I love the fact they they use 100 year old copper pennies as rivets and buttons. The jeans have no logos, only the patch of Hartford Connecticut on the back.
SPECS
Clopen, Lot #4, Cone Mills 13 oz. Indigo line woven on vintage shuttle looms in U.S.A.
8 pair made.
PRICE:
$245
MY FIRST MEMORIES WITH BROOKLYN CIRCUS:
I first learned about the BKc brand through the internet like most people, it’s only after I visited the store in Brooklyn did I see the vision, felt the passion, met the crew and became an instant fan.
HOW I GOT THIS PICTURE:
Ouigi and the BKc crew had an amazing brand experience at the project show allowing people to see the true vision behind the brand. As I was perusing through the collection I stumbled upon this denim jacket with leather arms and I was hyped.
WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT THE BKC BRAND:
Brooklyn Circus is all about the next generation, hence the small elephant following the big elephant in their logo. It’s a philosophy that they live by.
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE BKC DENIM JACKET:
I love the modern twist on a classic piece, the leather sleeves gives it a great varsity look. The jacket is pretty incredible in person. After a few years of usage I can see it looking even better in time. The jacket is also made on US soil which is another huge bonus.
SEASON:
Fall 2011
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