Other Lives

Image via Facebook

There is a certain cinematic and emotional aspect that I find especially appealing about this band.  Originally an instrumental group called Kunek, the Oklahoma based group later added lyrics, resulting in a cool Western influenced indie folk sound and renamed themselves Other Lives.  The quintet headed by Jesse Tabish employs a veritable orchestra of instruments that contribute to the atmospheric, moody quality throughout their albums.


Clearly they have put a lot of effort into their music videos, as you can see in the single "For 12" from their most recent album, Tamer Animals.



You can also visit the band's interactive website, tameranimals.com based off of the above video with audio and visual content from the rest of the album.  It's a pretty rad way to interact with the album.

Jewell & Ginnie Storyography

Image via JewellandGinnie.com

Jewell and Ginnie is a production company that focuses on good old-fashioned story telling to convey ideas through film and photography.  The Charleston based company has been implementing it's "story first" approach since last year and turning out some really visually fantastic work.  This image-rich description from their website defines their inspired vision: 

Sunlight plays across a fisherman’s weathered face as he hauls in the last nets of the morning. A knowing glance, accompanied by a chuckle bounces between two brothers, who happen to be renowned chefs, as they speak their love of Southern food. An Irish vista of emerald green edged by a white-capped Atlantic blue, the finesse of a painter’s deft fingertips smoothing paint on a canvas. It’s a look, a whisper, a smile–a fleeting moment of unscripted life. THIS IS STORYOGRAPHY.

I really liked this short film they did in collaboration with photographer Sully Sullivan.  It's a short for Charleston Fashion Week called "Back Into the Wild" and shot in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina.  I've been watching it over and over again because there's so much to see and the music goes so well.  On Sully's website, OhSully!, you can see the accompanying photos from the shoot.


 
Jewell & Ginnie also have done many videos for TwelveSouth, the innovative company behind the BookBook.  I posted the most recent one for the incredibly cool BookBook for iPhone on the Signet Seal Facebook page.  I'm still getting it started but I will be updating the Facebook page with more photos and videos of cool stuff - so 'like' it and stay in the loop!


Also, check out the Jewell & Ginnie blog to see more of their awesome work!

The Tale of Green Horn

There is no doubt I love vintage eyewear.  While in college I always enjoyed perusing the local antique and flea markets around rural Maine looking for vintage treasures.  On one occasion, while exploring my collegiate town, I stumbled across a hidden gem tucked away in a second floor apartment downtown.  It is called Ed Welch Vintage Eyeglasses and Spectacles, and I had the pleasure of meeting the lovely couple who run the business.  After chatting with Ed, I learned that after over twenty years of collecting, he and his wife have amassed a warehouse full of vintage eyewear and supply their glasses and frames to optical shops and specialty stores across the country.  
Eventually I came across a pair of mint condition horn-rimmed frames circa 1965.  Not knowing exactly what I would do with a pair of non-prescription glasses, I purchased them anyway and set them on my shelf.

Recently, I have been into collecting vintage GQ magazines, and a couple of months ago I got a 1986 Woody Allen issue from Ebay, which included a feature on New York City.  There were a lot awesome finds in the magazine, but for the purpose of this story, there was an article entitled "Here is New York," highlighting the best finds of Manhattan.  One of which was Morgenthal Frederics Opticians, noted for its vintage inspired frames and tinting services.  Although many of the businesses in the article have since gone out of business, luckily Morgenthal Opticians still occupies the same corner at W. Broadway in SoHo.

The store is a really fun place just to browse, and the service was such that I am not surprised the store has been in business for so many years.  They can tint any frames in practically any color imaginable.  The dapper and knowlegable salesman helped me choose a bottle green tint that would stay true to the frame's vintage.  Completed in only a few days, and customized for my eyes, I scored a pair of custom, vintage sunglasses for half the price of any designer brand.  Check out the editorials from Oliver Peoples site on their Gregory Peck collection - looks awfully familiar!


I wear them everywhere and always get a ton of complements.  So without further ado, my vintage horn-rimmed sunglasses by Morgenthal Frederics...

September Playlist: English Ivy

Wolf Gang

Image via Wolf-gang.co.uk

Suego Faults is the title of the most recent album from the 24 year old, one man band Max McElligott, aka Wolf Gang.  Originally hailing from Scotland, he describes his sound as a  "symphonic grandeur...with a gloriousness to the production, and a certain ambition."  Recording many of the songs from his bedroom using his skills on a variety of instruments, including the bagpipes (a talent we both share), combined with a collaboration with noted producer Dave Fridmann, of Flaming Lips and MGMT fame, makes for an incredibly catchy, romantic, psych-pop driven collection of songs.


The album debuted in July in the UK, which you can listen to here, however, the single "Lions in Cages" is available in the US (which I am including on my September playlist).  I think once the album comes to America, he'll definitely be one to watch.


Listen to one of my favs "The King and All Of His Men" from Suego Faults...

A Metropolitan Bike Ride

The Ralph Lauren Rugby Tweed Run is coming to NYC this October...how exciting!  Put together vintage bicycle riding, British heritage, tweed, and a festive culmination in Brooklyn and you have a smashing sounding autumn excursion.


Rugby teamed up with Pashley, the makers of awesome, vintage British cycles since 1926.  These bikes are truly beautiful works of art, and luckily you can enter to win one of 50 limited-edition, custom-made bikes for the event here.

As if that wasn't enough, Rugby has created a special line of limited-edition British influenced "cycling clothes" to inspire and outfit the event.  I am quite fond of their Plus Four Chinos, a modern take on classic knickers.  But really, check out the entire collection and take a trip back to the golden age of 'cyclotouring'.

Images via Rugby.com

It Runs in the Family

I finally feel like it is an appropriate time to start embracing fall fashion, and this Gant Fall/Winter preview really gets me in the mood for the coming autumn months.  It makes me want to unpack my sweaters and cords from the cedar closet and sip Pumpkin Spice Lattes, while strolling in the crisp fall air.  I love everything about this.




And the accompanying ad campaign photos...

Images via NYC-Fashion.com

The Leisure Society

Paul Heartfield via Myspace

Described by Raggedwords.com as a British take on American folk acts such as Grizzly Bear and Sufjan Stevens, The Leisure Society is a band to keep on the radar, with its fresh, folky sound.  I featured one of their older tunes, "A Short Weekend Begins with Longing" on my July Playlist, but check out this gem called "This Phantom Life" off their newest album Into the Murky Water.  It's a perfect album to relax with on a rainy day.

Pan Am Prepares to Hit the Airwaves

September - a month of new beginnings.  It's back to school, fashion week, the autumnal equinox, harvest month, and the premiers of many long awaited TV seasons.  One in particular that caught my eye, was ABC's new period drama - Pan Am.

2011 ABC Inc.

Set in the glamorous "Jet Age" of the 1960s, the show centers on the lives and relationships of a group of young Pan Am airline stewardesses, with the exception of one, played by Kelli Garner...who is actually a US spy working undercover?!  Sounds like there will be a lot of storyline to cover, and I question whether the concept has lasting value, but I trust director Thomas Schlamme, former director of The West Wing and Sports Night, knows where to fly this plane.


Truthfully, I'm more excited about the overall look of the show.  Judging from the trailer below, it will be a welcome accompaniment, at least sartorially and atmospherically, to other similar period pieces i.e. Mad Men.  With a cast of uniform clad sirens including Christina Ricci, Kelli Garner, and Margot Robbie, and scenes set around the globe, there will certainly be plenty to please the eye.  


I also have a vested interest in watching the show, as my grandmother was one of the first airline stewardesses on the DC 3 by United Airlines back in the 40s, and I remember hearing stories and seeing pictures from her travels.  I'm looking forward to see this fresh take on 60s Americana, which hopefully won't disappoint!  Check it out on September 25th at 10pm.

"Passion, jealousy and espionage... They do it all—and they do it at 30,000 feet. The style of the 1960s, the energy and excitement of the Jet Age and a drama full of sexy entanglements deliciously mesh in this thrilling and highly-original new series."

The Best of Both Worlds: Isaia Autumn/Winter Collection

 In an interview with Details magazine a few years ago, heir and current head of the Isaia menswear brand, Gianluca Isaia, admitted, "If I am going to do something, I have to do it right."  Clearly Mr. Isaia's prerogative has payed off as the brand his father started back in the 1950s, has grown into one of the premier men's tailored clothing brands.  Based in Naples, Isaia focuses on striking a balance between traditional and modern styles, resulting in quality hand-crafted and practical garments.


The Autumn/Winter '11 Collection features a melange of heritage patterns and fabrics with modern cuts and detailing.  Combining tartans and wellies with fine Italian hand tailoring, I think this Scottish Highlands meets Neapolitan coast is really quite sharp - not to mention the MUTTON CHOPS! 

Images via Isaia

"They love to love, to be noticed, they are not afraid to stand out, they express themselves with a personal style, part gentleman, part dandy-like, unmistakenly stylish." - The Isaia "New Gent"