At Duckie Brown S/S 2011...

Jetlag and a slew of security checkpoints at the Lincoln Center hub for NYC Fashion Week did nothing to tarnish your shine on this day. Designers Steven Cox and Daniel Silver of Duckie Brown saw to that with the 25 looks they sent forth to a bumping club mix, which included the slightest tickle of AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" riff.

Duckie's Spring/Summer 2011 collection was, for the most part, a rapid-fire dose of patterns, prints, and colors. Overlong sheer tanks were wisping, plaids and stripes were intermingling, and there were low crotch sweat pants in electric colors. And lest you forget, there was a bug thing going on, and not just in the prints. Adding to the insect feel were beanies pulled close over sunglasses resembling the compound eyes of an arthropod. You brought your sense of humor, of course, so you were loving it. Enlarged tailored jackets, like a dark-pink tweed long coat and an olive/turquoise check two-button, were worn over a long shirt and a wrap shirt, respectively, for a particularly hip feel. However, those wanting something a bit more conservative needed to look no further than the light grey two-button suit or the dark grey canvas Harrington and cargo trouser.

Images: GQ.

HEL YES!: 14 Days of Food and Design from Helsinki

If you're in London between today (September 15) and October 3, 2010, you may want to check out HEL YES! at Londonewcastle Depot, 1-3 Wenlock Road, London N1. It's taking place as part of the London Design Festival.

The Finnish Institute in London has put together a temporary restaurant and exhibition imagined and realized by a creative team of Finnish designers and food visionaries. The group is led by Antto Melasniemi and features London-based designers Mia Wallenius and Klaus Haapaniemi. HEL YES! will showcase the best in Finnish food and design, including exclusive customized furniture, lighting, and tableware from Finland’s world class design houses Iittala and Artek.

A number of items will be exclusively made for the opening of HEL YES! The lighting design, furniture and staff uniforms are designed by the most sought after talent in contemporary Finnish design: Fashion EAST designer Heikki Salonen, interior/furniture designer Linda Bergroth, sculptor/video artist Maria Duncker, and furniture and product designer Harri Koskinen.

Levi's Workwear by Billy Reid

When Billy Reid won GQ's Best New Menswear Designer of 2010, part of the honor included getting to dip into Levi's museum-like archives in order to create a limited-edition, high-end collection that couples the denim leader with Reid's Southern-bred approach to masculine design.

Billy Reid on the inspiration for the line:

"Our idea was to focus on the workwear and outdoor categories from the early days of the Levi’s brand. We were able to work with some incredible people in the Levi’s archives and found an old work apron from the turn of the century, complete with all its natural wear, tear and stains. It just really seemed to stand out. The apron became a true muse and its influence is present in each piece of the collection. For example, the hunting jacket has a removable—and fully functioning—pocketed, work apron on the inside, providing an internal game pouch. And we then used it to design the tote bag, which was developed by folding the apron into a bag shape."

The ten pieces in the collection can be purchased through Reid's six stores or Bloomingdale's. For more details, check out GQ's feature.

Outlier Blazed Cotton Pivot Sleeve Shirt

Outlier has just released a new men's dress shirt, made from Blazed Cotton, a cleaner cotton shirting fabric custom-developed for Outlier. The idea is that high-twist, end-on-end shirting is blazed with a proprietary treatment that emulates the self-cleaning properties of a lotus leaf. The result is a fabric that repels moisture, dirt and sweat, while retaining the handfeel and good looks of premium European shirting.

Outlier, a company that makes stylish clothes that you can bicycle in, has applied its Blazed Cotton to a full rethinking of the classic men's dress shirt. The Pivot Sleeve Shirt is a design that allows for cycling in a dress shirt without any of the restrictions traditional cuts impose. The back is designed to allow the wearer to reach forward without the sleeves pulling up, the back stretching tight and the shirt coming untucked. It was designed for the bicycle, but in the end, it's a solid everyday dress shirt for just about anyone.

Interview: Julia Leach of Chance

Late August marked the unveiling of Chance, a lifestyle brand created by former Kate Spade creative director Julia Leach. At its core are design, simplicity, and adventure, and the initial product offerings are imbued with these three elements. There is perhaps not a more fitting example than the iconic striped T-shirt, a classic essential that serves as Chance’s anchor. While the first clothing collection is for women (menswear is forthcoming), the e-commerce site also has a mélange of fresh essentials for summer, like beach towels and a selvedge stitch tote as well as vintage wildflower and seashell guides. The entire package—the shop and the archive of art and media—is neatly packaged in the cleanest of website designs. Ms. Leach was kind enough to take some time to speak with Things Is Cool.

THINGS IS COOL: Can you give a little explanation of your background leading up to the creation of Chance?

JULIA LEACH: Straight out of college I worked at Chiat/Day, an advertising agency. That was a really formative and inspiring chapter. The biggest influence on my point-of-view and creativity was my mentor, Jay Chiat. Working with him remains the most memorable and dynamic phase of my career. I met Andy Spade while working at the agency. I went on to work at a magazine called Paper. And then Andy called and said, “You know, Kate and I have got this young company, and we’re just getting started...” They had sample sales in their apartment, and were off to a great start with the business. They were just opening their first store, and I knew it was going to go somewhere, so I joined them early on and was there for eleven years. I started by approaching the store as an ad because there wasn’t an advertising budget, and I naturally grew into the role of creative director. I did a lot of the campaigns, built the creative team, oversaw everything related to design and marketing. It was another great chapter, full of excellent collaborations; Kate and Andy and their two partners gave me a lot of freedom and I made some lasting friendships.

T.I.C.: Did you know then that you wanted to build your own brand?

J.L.: Early in my time there, I wasn’t ready, but by the time I left I had the idea for Chance. So I let myself spend a couple years exploring other ideas and flexing other muscles outside of fashion. Really, it’s not so much about fashion for me; it’s more about ideas and personal style and design. After a couple of years of consulting and building out three different brand concepts, I said, “It’s time to build Chance.” I felt I’d sowed my oats and really wanted to do something entrepreneurial, and Chance was conceptually well formed. It was very clear in my mind what I wanted the brand to be. I made the decision late last year [2009], and last winter, I dove in. I’m not a fashion designer but I knew very clearly what I wanted the product to be. So I found a technical designer and a production person and off I went.

T.I.C.: What was the initial concept for Chance?

J.L.: Well, I knew I wanted to build out something fully dimensional, and I knew it would be product-based. My mom lives in France and I had discovered the striped T-shirt and it was a series of epiphanies. I thought, “Gosh, the striped T-shirt is so iconic, but other than St. James, there’s not a modern company that owns it as an anchor product.” I didn’t see it out in the market. I mean, there are a lot of striped shirts, but they’re either trendy or they’re classic. I really see it as something that telegraphs what I believe in: it has great design, it’s timeless, it’s about an artful or creative life, it suggests travel, and it has this international symbolism. And I knew that if I could do that really well it would allow me a platform to do home product and shoes and books all the things I love. The full expression of Chance would be a small hotel. Basically, Chance is going to become a repository for all of my passions, which are very much manifest in the launch product, and all the surrounding references and context that’s been established-music, film, design, art, travel, friendships.

T.I.C.: You mentioned France. Is that where you are sourcing the product?

J.L.: I grew up in Minnesota, but my mother moved to France when I was quite young, so I’ve been between the U.S. and France. But, while France does some wonderful production, it’s not necessarily the best place to go for a young company starting with knitwear. Through research, I found the best place to go for excellent cotton is Peru. So, through building production bridges, I found a great partner there who really embraced the idea. They were really excited about being in on the ground floor of an actual brand, and not just more T-shirts. They saw that what I was doing was a whole concept. They were fantastic in helping me find really drapey, soft cottons. It was all custom development—five different weights of knits—and I’m passionate about making sure the product is great quality at an appealing price point. The shirts are really well made and a lot of attention was given to fit and feel and fabrication. It’s gratifying that early customers are commenting on how much they love the fabric and fit.

T.I.C.: Obviously, Chance is not just T-shirts, though.

J.L.: No, not at all. It’s just a starting point. It was really important to me to launch with a diverse but focused product assortment. There are beach towels and tote bags and espadrilles and hats and books. It’s—and I wish there was a different word for it—but it really is a “lifestyle” brand. The striped T-shirt is just the beginning. The product story will unfold: what you pack and the appreciation for creativity and simple, quality design, whether it’s a tote bag or a set of sheets or a book or a photograph. It really is a whole point of view, and the striped T telegraphs that sensibility in a resonant way. You have to begin at the beginning. Paul Smith started with a great men’s suit. Lilly Pulitzer started with a little printed tunic. The striped T-shirt is what I want people to know the brand for on its most elemental level, but I want them to keep coming back because they love the product and ideas and they look forward to what we’ll be doing in other categories.

T.I.C.: And, speaking of those other categories, menswear is coming…soon?

J.L.: [laughs] Well, it’s funny. You know, the brand is technically four weeks old. I’ve definitely always seen it as men’s and women’s. And, over time, kids’, home, and the whole idea of travel and luggage, but all of that is the long-term goal. I was going to develop a small set of men’s items for the launch, but I found that I needed more time. I did the collection really in seven months, and the men’s samples just weren’t where I wanted them to be. But since the launch, the number one question has been, “When is the men’s line coming?” The enthusiasm for a men’s line has been really encouraging. It’ll probably be Spring 2011.

T.I.C.: I’m not surprised to hear you say that. There seems to be a lot of interest in men’s style right now.

J.L.: Yeah, very much so. Living in New York City, I see a lot of it, like Freeman’s [Sporting Club] and J. Crew and, of course, Jack Spade, which I still admire. But I hope Chance will be a little more simplified and definitely more international. It won’t be as steeped in the American tradition. That space has already been claimed by some great brands.

T.I.C.: Absolutely.

J.L.: And Chance really is more international. My aesthetic and experience draws on what I’ve seen in different countries, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia to Japan. It’s this idea of the guy that you can find on any continent in any country wearing simple, quality clothes. I want it to feel refreshing in its simplicity and quality, but have a confidence to it as well. It has to have a subtle kick to keep things interesting.

T.I.C.: Do you have a team or is it just you? In other words, are you designing and doing all of the strategizing for the brand?

J.L.: Gosh…I am. It’s very much entrepreneurial in the old fashioned way. While I don’t have a staff, I have great relationships in that my web design team and warehouse fulfillment partner are both fantastic. The production person out of L.A. is a consultant, and my web developer is a consultant. I did design everything, but I hired a technical designer to do all the tech packs. The goal now is to grow the business, and then there most definitely will be a team. I really want it to feel authentic, to put it out there in a way that I would want to discover a brand.

T.I.C.: So you are Chance at this point.

J.L.: [laughs] Well I am, but I have to say that on a certain level, it has been like a barn raising. I have an incredibly generous and inspiring group of friends who have all said, “What can I do to help?” It’s a very loved brand; it has a lot of godparents. So while I am Chance, I could not have done this without my friends.

T.I.C.: What about the name, Chance? Where did it come from?

J.L.: Well, I was considering several options. But then I was watching the Peter Sellers movie, Being There, in which he plays a character named Chance who’s a gardener. The quote on the Chance website slideshow, “And all will be well in the garden,” comes from the film. And in the movie, one of the journalists says about this character, “He has a particular brand of optimism.” And when I heard that, I just thought that chance and optimism are so much what I am about. And I never looked back. The name was Chance.

T.I.C.: Regarding product sales, will you vend exclusively through the website, or do you hope to find retailers that will carry the brand?

J.L.: The business model is to start it online and then to build it through a network of really special, stand-alone retail stores. So it’s a retail model. I’m not building wholesale into it unless it’s done strategically, like if a compatible store were to want to do a capsule collection.

T.I.C.: You know, I have to say that Chance has the kind of beach aesthetic that I wish I saw more here in Hawaii. Speaking of, is that first video still on the website’s homepage in Hawaii? That beach path looks like it could be.

J.L.: No. That’s Fishers Island, in New York.

T.I.C.: Wow, I never would have guessed. The water is the same turquoise-blue that you find in the tropics.

J.L.: That’s the thing. The spot that’s on the homepage is about lines in nature. My friend Risa went out to Fishers Island, which is between Connecticut and Long Island out in the Sound. It’s this very special, unpopulated island and she and a friend just shot images for a couple of days. What I loved about that image—the minute she showed it to me I knew it was going to be the introductory shot in the video—is that it looks like it could be anywhere. It’s this magical path that is so emotionally identifiable to people as how they get to the beach, at least in their imagination.

T.I.C.: I think people will pick up on that.

J.L.: I hope so. I want it to be a brand that inspires people. These are difficult times, but I think doing something entrepreneurial, as much as it involves some anxiety, is worth it. It’s worth it for me creatively, and hopefully it can provide some oxygen to other people who want to do their own thing but aren’t sure where to begin. I do want it to be a business, now and always, that people will be inspired by and learn from, and I mean that in a very humble way. That’s what will make it all worthwhile for me.

Sweetgrass

Sweetgrass is a documentary that chronicles "the last ride of the American cowboy." In it, rancher Lawrence Allested and two hired hands lead 3,000 sheep into the Absaroka-Beartooth mountains of Montana for summer pasture. It's shot in the classic observational documentary style, which means there's no narration. Filmmakers Ilisa Barbash and Lucien Castaing-Taylor began shooting in 2001; it took eight years to finish the project.

Yuketen Maine Guide Boots

"Things You Didn't Win On eBay" for $1000...It's a Daily Double.

Lotuff & Clegg Carry All

You were fortunate to get your hands on Lotuff & Clegg’s Signature Carry All, something you desired since you first saw it. The bag did not disappoint. It’s not often that you’ve encountered an item with stand-alone personality, which you realize may be a completely ridiculous statement, but how else can you describe what happened when you put it down and people—everyone from co-workers to unknown passersby—stopped to regard it, as they might do with an exotic sports car?

Although it is utterly impressive, the Signature Carry All is not flashy. There are no elaborate patterns or weaves; it is not emblazoned with logos. Its straightforward design is a reflection of the company that manufacturers it. Joe Lotuff and Frank Clegg are continuing traditions of New England craftsmanship. Mr. Lotuff’s father was in apparel manufacturing, while Mr. Clegg’s father made leather goods. As a brand, Lotuff & Clegg is doing it the old-fashioned way, making leather products by hand in their Fall River, Massachusetts, factory. And your Signature Carry All came directly from them to you.

It was made, as are all Lotuff & Clegg products, from the highest quality leather. Hides are vegetable tanned and dyed using organic elements by master tanners. It was immediately apparent to all five of your senses that only the finest materials went into the bag’s creation.

As a piece of luggage, the Carry All could not be more straightforward. Its main compartment, which includes interior zippered pockets at the front and back, is large enough for the average weekend trip. The large leather flap closure is cinched with two straps that encircle the bag and buckle at the front. It can be carried comfortably by a top handle or a removable shoulder strap. Each piece of brass hardware is not only sturdy, but functions effortlessly.

But no matter how much you discuss the Carry All’s excellence in functionality, construction, or materials, that’s not what makes the bag. It’s certainly not the reason why it changed the landscapes of the rooms into which you carried it. No. Like so many of the finest, most luxurious things, it captivates the discerning beholder with beautifully simple, understated, timeless elegance.

Dark Side of the Lens

This is a short film about Mickey Smith, an Irish waterman and surf photographer. Watch and listen.