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Posts from the “Inquiries & Responses” Category

Inquiries & Responses vol. 8: Rogue Wave Surf Shop

Posted on June 11, 2012

Rogue Wave Surf Shop

Charleston, SC.

This is the eighth 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.
In the early spring I took a trip to escape the cold and rain of Philadelphia and hit the road with my band to play some shows in the Charleston, SC. area. Not only is the area remarkably beautiful but the people are also incredibly hospitable. Charleston’s a town that, through thick and thin, has looked ahead without forgetting it’s past. I had an afternoon off and wanted some recommendations of places to check out so I sent an email to K. Cooper Ray, better known as the man behind Social Primer, asking for some hometown advice. At the top of the list was the one and only Rogue Wave Surf Shop, known for their quirky approach to peddling both surf goods, menswear, and lifestyle functions. It was a rainy afternoon so I cruised by a few shops and saved Rogue Wave for last.

 

I met with owner Rhett Boyd who was quite honestly and quite unexpectedly one of the nicest and most genuine dudes I’ve met since starting The American Classic. With basically zero knowledge of what I do or why I was there, he showed me around the two room shop on the first floor of a beautifully secluded house on the north side of the main drag through Charleston. I snapped some photos and checked out the goods while his wife and young son visited outside. The shop sells products from Baxter of California, Iron & Resin, Imogene + Willie, Gato Heroi surf boards, Penny skateboards, Yellow Rat trunks and shirts, and many more including a few pairs of selvedge denim and other accoutrements. There’s some amazing things on the horizon for Rhett and his company and we’re excited to watch it unfold. We bounced a few interview questions back and forth and this is what we wound up with. Click below to read the full article and interview and view all of the photos.
Categories: Inquiries & Responses, Interviews, Photos, Travels, Writeups

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

Inquiries & Responses vol. 06: Teppei Teranishi of Truman Handcrafted [UPDATED] Now Teranishi Handcrafted

Posted on October 10, 2011
This is the sixth 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.
Somehow I managed to catch Teppei Teranishi of Truman Handcrafted and (rock group) Thrice fame when he wasn’t on the road, at a venue, or knee deep in some other variety of project. I didn’t want to pester the guy too much because he’s very busy and frankly, his work speaks for itself; extremely high-quality American-made products that are styled well and are unbelievably clean in their design. That being said this is the shortest interview done for the Inquiries & Responses series as well as the only unedited one to date.
Truman Handcrafted has this look about it and I can’t quite put my finger on it without becoming repetitive but the cleanliness of the designs really stand out to me. Nothing flashy and no ridiculous branding being shown off. The current lineup of goods includes a tote bag, iPad/laptop portfolios, an iPhone case, a variety of wallets and bracelets, and probably most impressive to me is the gorgeous journal cover. Additionally, by clicking to see the full article below you’ll get a little look at a briefcase prototype from Truman (the 1st photo). Everything’s handmade by Teppei in his home on Vashon Island, WA. where he gave us a little photo tour and answered a couple of questions. Click below to read the full interview and view the photos.
I wanted to note that Teppei has changed the name of his company to Teranishi Handcrafted. You can find his products online under that name henceforth.
Categories: Inquiries & Responses, Interviews, Photos, Writeups

Inquiries & Responses vol. 05: Portland General Store

Posted on August 17, 2011

This is the fifth 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 my memory serves me correctly, the first time I saw Portland General Store‘s wares was in late 2010 at Michael Williams’ (of A Continuous Lean) Pop-Up Flea in New York City. I believe they were featured at the Hickoree’s Hard Goods table along with several other brands that Hickoree’s was carrying at the time. I got my hands on some of their products initially just a few weeks ago at Steven Alan’s Anex on Abbott Kinney in Venice Beach and liked the oddness of the scents they were using. Their image has certainly changed since I first saw them last year but they carry the same great products with the addition of a few new lines. I spoke with Lisa Brodar, the public face of PGS, via e-mail over the past few weeks and we wound up with a nice, brief conversation to publish. Click below to read the interview and see more photos of their brand new labels.

Categories: Inquiries & Responses, Interviews, Writeups

Inquiries & Responses vol. 04: Otis James, Tiemaker

Posted on July 7, 2011

This is the fourth 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.

I remember a little over six months ago stumbling across a tie maker in Nashville by the name of Otis James and was roped in by how awesome his branding is. It doesn’t pander to the ultra-modern, super hip marketing sector and it doesn’t follow suit with the urban-woodsman vibe that everyone’s going for these days. He had his own thing going on and I loved it. The idea of unique fabrics, unique neckwear, and if you custom ordered, having your own name on the back of the tie; I loved everything about it. I only half expected him to respond to an interview request yet here he is, kind enough to chat for a few minutes. Check out the entire interview by clicking below.

Categories: Inquiries & Responses, Interviews, Writeups

Inquiries & Responses vol. 03: Jamison Aweau of Anchor Divison

Posted on June 9, 2011

This is the third 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.

I found Jamison Aweau much like I found Jack Morgan from our first interview in this series, via Tumblr. Jamison has a keen eye for military inspired menswear, which, unless you’ve been living under a rock you’re probably aware is the look these days. The style, ripped straight out of 1950’s America with some even older twists yet slight modern updates is something he keeps alive so well in his blog, Anchor Division. Sometimes cut with prep, sometimes spliced with mod, the style maintained by Mr. Aweau is perfectly retro-American in it’s essence. Be sure to check out his blog by clicking the link above and to read the interview, click below.

Categories: Inquiries & Responses, Interviews

Inquiries & Responses vol. 02: John Mulhouse of ‘City of Dust’

Posted on June 1, 2011

This is the second 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.

‘City of Dust’ is a blog chronicling, in the author’s words, “the lost and wondrous wreckage of America”. I found John Mulhouse’s page via Reddit, of all places, and was immediately fascinated with both his incredible photography and the stories he told to accompany his images. His ability to weave a vivid portrait of the bleaker parts of the American landscape is astounding and his documentation of seemingly unknown historical events is second to none. As long as I can remember, my friends and I have always explored abandoned places for some semblance of understanding as to what happened there and what tales lie behind the mysterious lost structures. We spoke in May 2011. Click below to view several of his beautiful photographs and to read the full interview.

Categories: History, Inquiries & Responses, Interviews, Photos