Summer

Doesn't get much cooler than this.

Amanda Urrego

Necklaces made out of found objects is a tricky one for me. Too many people doing it very badly. But jewelry designer Amanda Urrego finally got it right. Her pieces are well edited and resonate her roots - shiny and glamorous because born and bred and still part time in los angeles. and then old and rustic and worn in because living in and loving nashville. Amanda created MANY WILL SEE in 2008, primarily making pieces for friends in the music industry. Just to mention a few that own her masterpieces, Taylor Swift, Angie Harmon, Julianne Hough and Holly Williams. Available at Imogene + Willie.

Photos by Thomas Petillo.

Levis Fall 2010

{Interviewing Levis/One Trip Pass' Jay Carroll at SXSW}

Levis designers Carl Chiara and Janine Chilton-Faust recently previewed the Fall '10 collection in NYC. Boyfriend dressing for the gals, and for the guys, layered, work & outdoors inspired pieces with denim in a variety of washes and colors.

For more photos, see Secret Forts blog post here.

Want more of a Levis fix? Check out the S/S issue of Refueled magazine for a interview & behind-the-cover look at Jay Carroll, Levis creative team member and writer at the cool road blog One Trip Pass. Issue drops in May.

Mortar

Mortar, a men's clothing boutique, is co-owned by Iris Tiff and Sacha Nelson Chapel in Houston, Texas. Relevance: Trends come and go, but well-made, well designed items endure; become classic and remain relevant. Utility: Utility is a measure of use, of benefit. Mortar has both. Men's bags by Property Of, and casual menswear by Commonwealth Utilities.

Peace

Rogues Gallery Winter .06

Rogues Gallery Winter .06 Lookbook. Still relevant today.

Robin Lambaria X Desert Soul

I am totally in love with new friend Robin Lambaria’s hippie style & vibe. As founder and director of the Marfa Film Festival, Robin will play a huge part in my documentary about the festival and the West Texas town. Stay tuned.

Billy Reid

Billy Reid Clothes for choppin' wood and settlin' feuds.

While Philip Lim's collection was inspired by a city boy's fantasy of country life, Billy Reid's clothes, which he showed last night at Milk Studios, evoked the real thing.

Reid's aesthetic is rough-hewn, but his clothes are elegant and artful, with cashmere turtlenecks and supple cordovan boots made by hand, with stunning attention to detail. And though waxed cotton field pants and bone-washed flannel work shirts may seem more appropriate for chopping wood or settling feuds than, say, sipping pinot noir, the beauty of Billy Reid is that with his clothes on, you'll never look out of place. And if you do, well, you're probably in the wrong place.

Via Nylon Guys

Imogene+Willie Mail Bag

I dig shoulder/mailbags. Ones that have a clean and modern look. One of my favorite shops, Imogene+Willie, has introduced their own design I could definitely see myself hitting the road with. Made by Nashville up-and-coming local leather craftsman, Emil Erwin, it features two main compartments, pen and phone pockets, adjustable leather shoulder strap, solid brass hardware, and brass rivets throughout for reinforcement - quality, durability & classic style.

Dimensions: 19"x 13.5"x 6".  $650

STAG

STAG scenes. Austin, Texas. 

Bleubird X Cari Wayman

My sweet friend and Refueled magazine style photographer Cari Wayman's amazing photos are being featured on Bleubird Vintage. The colors, subject tone and overall vibe works well for the site, perfect fit. Cari and I have a photography/graphics book collaboration coming out very soon. Stay tuned for details.

Gold Elephant

I'm crazy about gals who have natural style and are completely comfortable putting it out there, because it's who they are. Someone who can sport thick round black frame glasses, black nail polish, a long finger ring, boyfriend jeans and a huge faux gold flea market vintage elephant necklace is always going to win a spot in my fashion heart.

Iron Heart Selvedge Chambray

This winter I've been somewhat obsessed with chambray shirts. This heavy selvedge one from Iron Heart has really caught my eye. Details include heavy weight selvedge chambray, selvedge accents, chainstitch runoff & it's raw (will shrink half a size when washed). it's almost an oxymoron to produce "heavy weight chambray", but leave it up to Iron Heart to push the limits once again.

Denim X Alabama Chanin

Natalie Chanin is a champion of the slow design movement. She also happens to make documentary films, is a mother of two, an avid gardener and enthusiastic cook. Oh, and yes, she’s the owner and designer of Alabama Chanin. I’m honored to call her my new friend. 

Natalie and I recently struck up a conversation about her denim collection for Alabama Chanin.

I'm really diggin' the new denim collection Natalie. All is grown-to-sewn right here in America, right?  

Yes, it’s been a long time coming but it’s great to be able to say (write) that we are grown-to-sewn in America – and, really, in the south. The fiber we use comes from out your way – grown by a great group of artisanal farmers in Texas. They are really doing great things and, at the same time, growing a great product. Good. Good. From Texas, the ginned fiber moves to Tennessee for spinning, on to South Carolina and then on to us for cutting and sewing. After the sewing process, we send the completed pieces to New York for the indigo dyeing. So yes, grown-to-sewn in America!

What was the influence in the designs?

You know, I really design for myself. I like clothes that are sexy, comfortable, sustainable and easy to work into my life. So, you mix that with Americana, a few pieces that would be considered “typical denim,” translate that with our artisans and a bit of cotton jersey and there you go.

How did the collaboration with Goods of Conscience come about?

I heard about Father Andrew and Goods of Conscience from the American Craft Council. I had been thinking about indigo as a viable dyeing method for some time but had not been able to master it myself. I was grateful and excited to meet and visit the church! And I love that the pieces have to “go-to-church” before they are shipped.

Can we walk through the dying process?

Father Andrew once told me that running the indigo vat was like “making beer.” Indigo grows as a plant all through the south – they harvest theirs from a collective in South America. The plant is fermented in a vat and the fabric/clothing is then dipped. More time, more often dipped, the darker the fabric. The vat is actually living and has to be tended – as Father Andrew said – a bit like beer.

Who are the women who wear Alabama Chanin denim?

Every woman should be wearing Alabama Denim…smile & thanks for chatting with me Chris.

One Trip Pass

One Trip Pass is an ongoing project that includes pop-up shops, design collaborations and a blog. The name comes from a trek across the desert in the winter of 2009 when an economic crisis and a season of political change made old structures collapse and new ideas come to mind. That one trip was a rediscovery of American craft and standards, and humor and kitsch--all seen in flea markets and second-hand shops and even gas stations--wherever folks were putting pices of Made-in-USA menswear back in circulation.

The founders are Jay Carroll, formerly of Rogues Gallery, a Maine-based menswear line, and Ned Martel, once the second-in-command at Men's Vogue who now runs the Washington Post Style section. With stock they amassed, the ideas they dug up and the people they met along the way, Carroll now keeps the vibe alive--with daily posts and his first collaboration with Levi's, Stars and Stripes, now in their San Francisco flagship store.

Style Profile: Lauren Wilkins

Bow+Arrows in Austin is a must stop for cool women/men's wear. At what point in your life did you know you wanted to be a shop owner?

I actually never intended to be a shop owner, I managed and bought for a boutique in Dallas for a long time and after that I swore off retail forever and moved back to Austin. At that time my brother had a vintage moped shop with a friend of his called Austin Mopeds. They asked me to bring in clothing and we split the space, they named it The Royal Family. We had it for about a year, but I wasn't really into the clothes I was having to buy for our customer - mainly little skater punks and fixed gear hipsters. The east side wasn't quite ready for a more sophisticated clientele. I decided to move out on my own and do more of what I was interested in, so I opened bows + arrows - it was basically a big snow ball effect, and me just doing what I knew to do.

Can you define your personal style?

The key word in my personal style is EASY. I live in my old Justin ropers and Current/Elliot jeans or little dresses. Basically I feel like I'm either dressed like a 5 year old little boy or super super girly. I don't like to think to much about but just go with what I feel like.

What's in the store right now that you can't live without?

Well there's not much left in the store at the moment since Christmas, but its all about to start pouring in. I've already got dibs on some of Karen Walkers flirty dresses and a new pair of n.d.c. made by Hand Ankle Boots - their killer.

Top tunes playing on your ipod at the moment?

in the store we've been listening to a lot of The Pains of being pure at heart, Thao, Throw me the Statue, the XX, and always the Black Keys.

The new blog Arrows and Arrows, what can viewers expect?

Arrow and Arrow is basically a collection of things that inspire Currie (Spartan: spartan-shop.com) and I on a daily basis. Its not always fashion for me, I mean I love fashion and with spring coming in and fall market going on I'm sure I'll be posting a lot more of it, but for me there are so many things that influence design - whether it be the clothes I'm into or my store as a canvas. I'm interested in art, culture, music, travel, etc... all of these things help to define what we do in the store. So basically you will find an eclectic mix of what we see as inspirationally creative. Oh and I'm always interested in people that create - in any form or medium, I'm always inspired and it keeps me going in my own forms of creation.

Dark Days

Jake, we're really in sync these days. Great selections for the dark and cold days & nights.

1945 One Wash - Sugar Cane Jeans, Heavyweight Denim Workshirt | Studio D' Artisan, Royal Cruz2 Quilt Vest | Post Overalls

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