Writing, reviews, interviews, photography.

Posts by A. Frankel

Natural Process: Event Recap

Posted on January 26, 2012

I launched Natural Process: A Study in Worn Denim last weekend with April Nett, Elysa DiMauro, and Steve Streisguth at Elixr Coffee in Philly. We couldn’t be happier with the turnout and it seems like the general impression has been positive. We tried our best to take some great photos of the show but we ended up slurping down the delicious libations provided by Art in the Age instead so here’s a small collection of what we’ve got. More photos coming soon.

I’m in Elixr a few days a week and it’s pretty cool to see how people interact with the show, reading the tags and various other accruements that accompany each piece, then ask the employees “What’s with the jeans?” I’ve seen a couple folks writing down brand names (which rules) or asking more about the manufacturers and it’s great to see that people are taking an interest in this.

The event will be up at Elixr Coffee through mid-February Mon.-Sun. during their open hours. If you’re stopping by, make sure to read the tags attached to each to find out a bit about the owners. Several pairs also have notes from the owners attached nearby which provide some insight as to what the jeans went through.

We really appreciate everyone’s support for this exhibition and if you have any questions at all about anything do feel free to ask. All photos were taken by Steve Streisguth. Click below to see the rest of the photos.

Categories: Natural Process

Inquiries & Responses vol. 07: Ryan Berger of Simple Threads

Posted on January 24, 2012
This is the seventh in a series of interviews with people who have a keen interest in menswear, style, design, or generally cool stuff. Most of these people are doing something of great note that you should absolutely take a look at. If you haven’t heard of Simple Threads then it’s time to expand your blogroll. Ryan’s been dishing up stellar photography paired with great anecdotes about products, travels, and brands since 2010 and has been growing within the community with each passing month. The dude can write, which is important, but what really makes Simple Threads stand out is the photography; I guarantee at some point you’ve seen his signature split-toned early-evening-sunset-soaked photos of his growing collection of great American made clothing. I spent a few hours with him and his fiancé in New York City at the Pop-Up Flea (he provided the photos for the linked post) this past fall when we decided to do this interview. He’s an all-around genuine guy who’s got some great things to say about thinking for yourself, buying American-made, and gives a nice rundown of some brands he’s very excited about. Click below to read the entire interview as well as view some great photos from Ryan.
 
Categories: Inquiries & Responses, Interviews, Photos

New Face, Better Place

Posted on January 17, 2012

As you may have noticed, the site has undergone a fairly intense redesign. I flipped the switch yesterday afternoon and am still working out kinks so bear with me for a few days. It’s tough to identify all of the problems without going through and visiting every page and every old post so if you notice something please feel free to get in touch. Currently I’m working on making as many posts optimized for the current them as I can. It’s a fairly arduous process so I’ll likely leave a few the way they are.

Anyway, I hope you like the redesign. This theme allows me to post higher quality photos and videos without you having to click on each one to enlarge. It also has quite a few details that I enjoy such as reactive resizing of text and photographs depending upon how you size your browser window. All-in-all it yields a better user experience and gives me fewer headaches so I’m happy to roll with it.

I had to relocate the link section to non-front pages of the site which feels like banishment to me but it doesn’t agree with the front page, aesthetically speaking. If you wanna’ find it, that’s where it is.∗

Categories: Announcements

Natural Process launches today (Jan. 13th)

Posted on January 12, 2012

This is it! It’s finally here. Our show has been up as an unofficial preview for a week but tomorrow’s the real McCoy. The doors will open around 8pm to all of you coming to see it. We’ll be serving some tasty libations, provided graciously by the good folks from Art in the Age, until we run out and will be peddling some leather goods (card cases, possibly some wallets, and key fobs) at very reasonable prices until they’re sold out. There’s no price tag on anything tomorrow night except for the leather goods so come out and have yourself a swell time and save your benjamins for another day. There’s no ending time for the show so come by whenever. We’ll wrap up when we run out of people to talk to.

We received some much appreciated attention yesterday from Philadelphia Weekly magazine (in their events section) and a great writeup from Phrequency which you should absolutely read. I focus on the denim aspect of everything but they do a swell job of touching on the coffee part and why this show is called Natural Process.

We’ve got some incredible jeans that we’re really looking forward to sharing with you. Pairs from big-time musicians, goat-slaughterers, professors, baristas, Dads, denim companies, bloggers, and more. Brand representation includes A.P.C., Tellason, Roy Denim, Nudie Jeans, Levi’s, Kicking Mule, Somets, RRL, Gap, and many more. I’d like to point out that none of these jeans are for sale. We’re returning them to their respective owners at the end of the show so come see them while you can. We really, sincerely, hope to see you there tomorrow night and can’t wait to chat you up about the show!∗

Hit the jump to see all of the photos.

Categories: Announcements

Natural Process: Show Installation

Posted on January 9, 2012

Last night the crew installed Natural Process in Elixr Coffee here in Philly. The installation took quite a bit of time and most of the heavy work to cover two entire walls with 41 pairs of jeans was done between the hours of 2 and 3 in the morning, but it’s finished and we couldn’t be more proud of the result. If you’d like to see install photos or the show itself, follow me on Instagram (@alexfrankel). There are plenty up there and plenty more to come.

The show opens on Friday the 13th of January (this coming Friday) and runs through the middle of February. Make sure you swing by to celebrate with us this Friday as Art in the Age’s Craft Spirits (Root & Snap) and Sailor Jerry rum will be featured in several delicious cocktails graciously provided by Art in the Age. Additionally the entire curation crew (April Nett, Elysa DiMauro, Steve Streisguth, and myself) will be there to schmooze and booze you to your heart’s content.∗

Natural Process is being held at Elixr Coffee (207 S. 15th Street Philadelphia, PA.).

The show opens on 01/13/12 and the opening reception starts at 8pm.

Categories: Announcements