GARMSVILLE: January 2009

Archive for January 2009

Say Hello To Floss Daily Everyone

Friday, 30 January 2009 Comments Off

This is Slim, aka Floss Daily - an original Teens Of Thailand member.

His is a distinctive swagger, a style of dress where one rarely looks neat, but always immaculate.

So unique is this approach to clothing that Slim is the only person I've ever seen to accomplish it.

It's perhaps not surprising that his musical taste is not dissimilar to his wardrobe - eclectic and unpredictable.

As one third of the Teens, he helped turn London's club scene upside down by introducing a cross genre, rapid fire, counter-intuitive way of DJing.

A true team effort, they started tracks in the middle, pulled them off before the end, played obscure album tracks alongside obvious club hits.

An uncompromising Grime track would follow a Prog Rock epic, which would proceed a chunky piece of classic New Jack Swing. WTF!

This is club music for the iPod generation someone said, trying to get a grip on what was going on.

A genuine musical meltdown, here cultural context, like the art of the seamless mix was abandoned for a sometimes chaotic, often exhilarating, always compelling explosion of energy.

I got plenty of java and Chesterfield Kings

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You don't have to be a smoker to appreciate some of the amazing paraphernalia associated with cigarettes.

Take this Zippo lighter for example, part of an ongoing series of collaborations by the company with street brands, called Like A Canvas.

This one is by Neighbourhood, with others by the likes of Fragment Design, Sophnet, Stussy and Honeyee.

This particular lighter is from Volume 2 of the Japanese based initiative.

The traditional Zippo lighter, which was first produced in the early 1930's, is in itself a design classic.

The compact shape, the solid, cold metal case, the harsh gun barrel-like sound on closing, the smell of petrol and the weight all combine to create a thing of true, understated beauty.

Who Killed Woolworth's ?

Thursday, 29 January 2009 Comments Off

For some strange reason, as I stood in the queue about to buy these lovely shoe brushes earlier today I wasn't thinking about my Bass Weejun tassel loafers, my RalphLa Saddle shoes or my Red Wing Pecos and the hours of polishing pleasure which lay ahead.

No, what popped into my mind was Woolworth's.

This is what killed Woolworth's, I thought.

I wasn't in one of those supermarkets where you have unbeatable choice and unbeatable prices, with 20% off signs and buy-one-get-one-free offers, free parking, late shopping hours and recycle shopping bags.

No, although the consumer experts argue that it was supermarkets that saw poor Woolies off, I was in fact standing in the queue of an unassuming Pound Shop.

Sure, I thought to myself, the middle classes - the consumer experts and all their mates - may have abandoned Woolworth's for the sprawling aisles, loyalty cards and customer service tills of the major supermarket chains, but that was years ago.

For some time, the now defunkt Woolies had become a place where normal people shopped within walking distance of their homes, looking for garden gloves, toys for the kids, sweets and cheap DVD players - the kind of people for whom the credit crunch is a tautology, like wet water.

Woolworth's lost it's real customer - the working classes - to the Pound Shop and it's allie, the 99p Store.

These low budget retailers have been springing up - maybe two or three to a High Street in some areas - under the noses but beneath the radar of the consumer experts for around a decade.

Their profit margins are tighter than anyone else's. They may not be paying their executives mind-boggling bonuses. They're not spending millions on celebrity centred advertising in an attempt to convince us that they really care about cutting the price of our weekly shop.

As the economy took a nose-dive, affecting working class people years before anyone else cared to notice, they increasingly took refuge in the Pound Shop with all its randomness, cluttered aisles, moody brand names and reassuring lack of...polish.

Which I guess is where I came in...

Phil Strongmans Tough Magazine

Friday, 23 January 2009 Comments Off

Writer Phil Strongman has produced and curated this beautiful limited edition magazine, called TOUGH.

The pages of this large format, news print publication are held together by two single staples in the top left hand corner.

It's both audacious and understated.

Making no claims about itself, it has that confident take-it-or-leave-it attitude we've come to expect from Mr Strongman.

With features looking at the history of Worlds End/ Sex, the Cocaine trade and James Lebon, it's not just a collectable coffee-table talking point but a compelling, beautifully designed series of essays and articles as well.

Ultimately this is why we who have always loved magazines, still do.

Get it before it's gone.

The Napoleon Shirt @ Child Of The Jago

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A cross between The Napoleonic Wars and The Madhatters Tea Party, these were fresh out the box at Child of The Jago this afternoon.

These Napoleon Shirts, as Barnz calls them, were inspired in part by a vintage piece he picked up in Spitalfields Market last summer.

Totally in keeping with the current Jago design theme and made out of sweatshirt jersey, they're a brilliantly radical twist on the classic crew-neck sweat shirt.

Rollin' With The Gloria's Crew

Thursday, 22 January 2009 Comments Off

Spent some time in Gloria's with Pete Yak and Fred Nieddu today.

It's one of my favorite sneaker stores on the planet, but strangely enough the conversation focused on clothes, magazines and fixed gear bikes...in fact virtually anything except sneakers: until I came across these.

Customised by the Gloria's clique themselves, these are fully functioning skates, having been road tested on a number of occasions.

They remind me of that great Farah Fawcett Majors image where she's riding a skateboard and wearing a pair of Nike Cortez - for some reason.

I wonder what Orphy Robinson and the Roller Disco crew would make of them...

Andy Seize Stops You In Your Tracks

Sunday, 18 January 2009 Comments Off

Andy Seize is a graf OG of the tallest order.

Although people always like to mention that he's a St Martins graduate, what really impressed me when I met him was that he was down with the likes of Drax and the World Domination crew way back in the the day.

His work is an epic, sometimes autobiographic, cartoon style, which fuses pop, abstract and street art in a dynamic and fluid way.

It was really good to see his mural on Old Street; a furious frieze which will stop you in your tracks...

Unrivaled: Deluxe Utility Wear @ Goodhood

Saturday, 17 January 2009 Comments Off

Went to Goodhood the other day, haven't been there in a while. The place looked great: credit-crunch free with loads of really strong brands including Unrivaled.

It's what you'd - or rather - what I'd call deluxe utility wear; clothes inspired by hunting, sport or work apparel for example, but made in high-end fabrics and finishes which would be of no use in any functional environment what so ever, other than for the all-important purpose of style. All penthouse, no pavement.

Unrivaled, like a number of Japanese brands was born in the early 90's and originated from the seminal Let It Ride crew. The brands current collection features a comprehensive spread including hoodies, jeans, puffer and stadium jackets as well as the hunting inspired pieces above.

www.goodhood.co.uk

i-spy i-d magazine

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My obsession with i-spy and The Thomas Crown Affair led to this fashion story for i-D magazine way back in 1990, a copy of which I found the other week. At the time I worked for a media agency called The Watch-Men.

While I took care of the styling, using a great deal of vintage clothing supplied by Greg Faye, later to become a creative director for Arena, Donald Christie did one half of the photography and Nick Knight did the other.

Nick, using a video camera shot Paul Weller and DC Lee in Wellers Solid Bond Studio; but not before Donald shot everyone else in the Ya Asantewa Centre in West London.

That day featured Kieron Hurley, now of reddot clothing, Andy and Jan - the Brand New Heavies, Richard Okon - photographer, Glorie Athow - administrator, drummer - Steve White, John Cook - graphic designer, Norman Cummins - vocalist and me.

The original idea was to mirror i-spy, to focus on black guys and white guys who worked together as teams - something which seemed very poignant at the time with the increasingly separatist racial climate, in part created by the recession.

The goal was to use i-spy as the narrative. I also wanted to use the programmes opening credits as well as the colour saturation and split-screen effects of The Thomas Crown Affair as the aesthetic trigger.

Steve Male designed the spread and added many of the still-life graphic elements.

Weller later used some of the images Nick did for his self-titled album on Go Discs Records in 92.

It Ain't Where You're From, It's Where You're @

Friday, 16 January 2009 Comments Off

This is an interesting time for street wear brands; loads of shifts and changes and unforeseen endings.

All this instability got me to thinking about Stussy, the original street wear brand.

Operating like an extended family, Stussy has long exhibited a loyalty to people which can only be described as global tribalism: a brand ingredient Stussy first established almost twenty years ago.

It was late 1989 when Stussy launched their first World Tour tee shirt.

On the front of the tee shirt in Helvetica was a shout-out to the worlds' style capitals - London, Paris, LA, New York and Tokyo. A contrasting holla to the five boroughs, hand-drawn in graffiti script, was on the back.

Through the idea of a tribe consisting of artists, photographers, designers, DJ's, musicians, clubbers, independent stores and other crew members, Stussy, along with it's distinctive logos, established an indelible brand identity and cultural footing.

When it comes to collaborations for example, while other brands may have more cash, wider distribution and acquire more column inches in the fashion press, there's no substituting Stussy's heritage and authenticity: something which will constantly attract amazing creatives their way.

In this period of flux, many people are wondering why some brands survive and others falter, why some brands resonate and lead and others seem to follow.

With Stussy, it's easy to see that a successful brand is more than just a cool logo and some eye-catching graphics; it involves a belief system, a philosophy which can be applied to clothing, but can also reach out to people emotionally and go way beyond mere product.

A Taxi For Mr Day, Please!

Tuesday, 13 January 2009 Comments Off

Ace photographer Jack Day sent me this great image from his trip to Thailand last summer.

This guy is a motorbike taxi driver. His dapper waistcoat is in fact a colour-coded uniform - indicating which region he covers.

There are thousands of them working all across Thailand, but mainly in Bangkok. Guys in orange waistcoats are Bangkok drivers; this gentleman in the red waistcoat is from the deep south, Jack explained.

My friend could speak Thai and told him that I liked his style, he seemed baffled and flattered at the same time. I used some very poor Thai to ask him if I could take his picture and he was more than happy to let me, said Jack. I thought his style would be right up your street!

No pun intended, I'm sure.

Our Future Is In The Past: OLD TOWN

Sunday, 11 January 2009 Comments Off

On the hunt for English work wear I came across these guys: Old Town. They're based in Norfolk where they have a shop and workshop. You can pop in - by arrangement.

Produced domestically, the clothes - both men's and women's - are made to order (not to measure), with an evolving collection which includes ties, trousers, hats, braces, belts and of course jackets, coats and shirts.

The great thing about this brand is that it's severely vintage in look, but also - to my eye - understated. Patterns and graphics are left to the minimum and the emphasis is on intelligent cut and wearability.

The fabrics including Irish linen, corduroy, denim, wool, moleskin, Harris Tweed and Cavalry Drill are deployed seasonally.

The design influence is based around a particular moment in British history, - 'either side of the Second World War' a romantic, rather inward-looking period.

As they say on the website 'The British way of progress isn't to look the future coldly in the eye but to constantly move forward by looking back.'

Not too dissimilar to now, you might say.

As our notions of Britishness become more and more fluid and in some ways threatened by change, nostalgia-drenched stores like Labour & Wait, Hope & Greenwood, A Gold, and of course Old Town seem to acquire and ever increasing vitality.

http://old-town.co.uk

CWTCH Coffee Co.

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Cwtch is a Welsh word. Apparently there's no direct English translation, but the closest is hug.

It's the name emblazoned on the side of Jarred's uber cool coffee truck.

Selling an assortment of coffee's and pastries, the van has been lovingly restored and refitted for the purpose. You'll find it on Sundays on Cheshire Street, off Brick Lane and during the week in Marylebone.

I first met Jazzy - as he's known - whilst he worked at The Butcher Of Distinction. He'd spent some time before that in the garms trade in Cardiff before moving to London...

With a brushed steel finish, his vintage Citroen TUB is as immaculate as you'd imagine one could be from someone who knows more than a little about style. And the coffee ain't bad either....as Mr Greg Chapman, also pictured above will happily confirm.

Nike Sportswear Stadium Jacket

Saturday, 10 January 2009 Comments Off

Nike unveiled this jacket in Beijing before the Olympics last year; it caused quite a stir at the time.

The whole Nike Sportswear line is really strong and boasts the kind of design integrity traditionally reserved for they're footwear.

It's simple, understated and, in accordance with the Nike Sportswear code, combines classic sportswear styling with modern technology: it's body is made of a water-repellent woollen mix, it has a hidden zip front and the leather sleeves are lined in a micro taffeta ripstop.

In many ways it owes as much to today's Japanese street wear brands as it does to American sportswear: in fact, until recently the word was it would only be availble in Japan...

Hey, Simon Foxton

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This is an old postcard, part of a series of images from a Levi's campaign produced way back in the 90's. Simon Foxton did the styling and Nick Knight did the photography.

At the time it was fresh and radical and completely unexpected - it was a real creative high-point for the brand in UK.

Wearing a Type II Levi's jacket, the model, Alonzo was 86 at the time and based in Colorado. He was also a real cowboy.

I love this image so much I had it blown up onto a large canvas as a present for Mandi. On the way to the printers, I bumped into Simon in Bar Italia.

Oh yes, that. We did a series of about five, he said, now i-D's Fashion Director. You can find them on eBay or somewhere I think.

The thing about commercial artists is that they tend not to hold onto the past too much - it was as if he'd completely forgotten about this amazing piece of work. Looking at it now, so many years later, it still rocks.

Shave Your Clothes!

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Came across this miracle contraption; the fuzz buster. It's a battery operated lint and bobble remover, ideal for that over-worn cardigan or that wooly woollen coat.

No more will I have to waste time studying my old sweaters in different types of light trying to work out if they've become too fluffy to wear any more!

No more will I have to reject an otherwise perfect vintage piece because of the fuzz factor! No more will I spend hours picking the bits off the faded areas of my jeans..!

With this new, handy fuzz buster, I'll simply shave my blues away.

(OK, so maybe I do need to get out more.)

Major Props To Ty Lebon

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I got the latest copy of Code Magazine the other day - with the story about the guys from Spitalfields Market. It looks amazing; better than I'd hoped. I think it's only a matter of time before everyone recognises that photographer Tyrone Lebon is by far among of the best of his generation.

Ain't The Specials Reunion

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I once went to the see the Beach Boys live in concert. It was a long time ago. On arrival I couldn't help notice that the venue was full of blokes in Hawaiian shirts and stone-washed jeans. You get the picture. Despite that, and despite the absence of Brian Wilson, I was optimistic that the gig would be good.

It wasn't long before I realised I was wrong - so wrong. The band, suitably attired in Hawaiian shirts took to the stage and proceeded to perform a medley of hits - among them California Dreamin' and some other non-Beach Boys songs.

I couldn't believe it - all the shirts around me were lapping it up, singing along like good ole boys. I broke for the boarder as fast as I could, and never looked back.

It wasn't until I saw Brian Wilson perform Smile that I felt that I'd truly seen The Beach Boys.

All that is to say, The Specials without Jerry Dammers ain't. It's not just that he was the bands founder and visionary back in the day, it's also that without that original creative source holding it together the rest may as well be karaoke, a mere bootleg version of the original.

To stage a reunion without such a key figure is the first sign that creative integrity is not a priority.

What might be a nice nostalgia trip without Dammers would be a seminal experience with him...to quote Funboy Three - it ain't what you do it's the way that you do it (that's what gets results).

Happy Birthday Blue Note Records!

Friday, 9 January 2009 Comments Off

This week Blue Note Records celebrates it's 70th year. To me there are three types of Blue Note- the kind you listen to and the kind you look at fr he design and the kind you look at for the garms.

My favorite records to listen to are Sidewinder by Lee Morgan, Soul Station and The Dipper both by Hank Mobley and A Song For My Father by Horace Silver...well, those are the ones that come immediately to mind.

My favorite graphics are on It's Time! by Jackie Mclean and Into Somethin' by Larry Young.

Garms-wise, I've always loved Home Cookin' by Jimmy Smith and Herbie Hancocks Inventions and Dimensions which as a sleeve was the inspiration for another classic LP Road To Freedom by The Young Disciples on Talkin' Loud...and Our Man In Paris by Dexter Gordon.

The great thing about Blue Note is that it's a constant reminder that Jazz isn't the high-brow, intellectual reserve of some chin-strocking elite, but an urgent, inspired expression of the urban experience.

Bolenuim - East London Work-wear Brand

Wednesday, 7 January 2009 Comments Off

We spend so much time looking for work-wear old and new - French, American, Japanese ; imagine my surprise when I discovered that a vintage pair of dungerees I've had for years by a brand called Bolenium was in fact produced by a London company in Upton Park.

It's hard for me to conceive of an East End work-wear brand with history and heritage but there it is! It wasn't until I started doing some research to see if I could get my hands on some more of this very basic bib'n'brace dark canvas that I found that the makers were based - sometime between the 1920's and the 1950's - near the old Ann Boleyn pub and not a few miles from where I grew up.

the last image is courtesy of James D. Julia auctions.

New Yeah Resolution: Overdress

Thursday, 1 January 2009 Comments Off

Start spreading the news, as Frank would say, this year, my New Years Resolution is to overdress. At all times.

No change there then, you might say, and I'd have to agree with you. Ever since my first day at primary school when I got into a fight with a child who kept insisting I take my jacket off in class, I've always veered on the side of excess.

Over the years I've grown used to this kind of response from random folk; it's as if they find my enjoyment of clothes offensive in some way.

Last year I bumped into some of Mandi's friends - one of them took issue with me wearing a tie; You going somewhere special Jason? she said. Why are you wearing a tie then? Perplexed by the question, I tried my best to offer some form of response - she cut me off; I don't want a lecture Jason, just answer the question, she said. She wasn't even trying to be funny. I said nothing.

I suspect what she was offended by was the fact that I was dressed inappropriately for the occasion - it was after all just a typical Thursday afternoon in Spitalfields market.

Coming from where I come come from - working class, East London - and with so many of my peers ending up in jail, crazy or addicted to something, I learnt very early on that subscribing to what's conventionally considered appropriate isn't necessarily best for me.

Overdressing on a daily basis is as much about my love of clothes as it as about me affirming - if only to myself - that, yeah, I make up my own rules and try to live by my own notions of what's appropriate...this year, as last year and for as long as I can, my dear.

The image above is by Russell Lee; Chicago, April 1941.

Happy New Year! from

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Thanks to everyone for all the kind words and support I've received doing this blog over the past couple of months. It's been a lot of fun...Here's hoping 2009 is a good year for you and yours.

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